The £1.10 hardware store item that guarantees a good night’s sleep away from home
SLEEP expert Adeel Ul-Haq has shared his best tips for getting a good night’s kip in a hotel room, including the £1.10 item he never travels without.
Even after a long day of travelling, falling asleep in a hotel room can be a bit tricky.
Luckily, Sleep expert Adeel Ul-Haq from the bedroom company Bunk Beds has revealed how he always gets quality sleep while on holiday.
People get used to their own mattresses and duvets, and the slightest change to a sleep routine can keep a person up all night.
And one thing that’s sure to keep holidaymakers up at night is a blinking light on a TV, smoke alarm or control panel.
Hoteliers are designing rooms with more gadgets than ever, meaning there’s often an annoying light on throughout the night that makes it hard to fall asleep.
Adeel explains why these lights can be irritating: “Light can suppress your melatonin production, which makes it more difficult for your body to sleep.
“At night you will also be more sensitive to any flickering lights so you will need a way to stop this lighting from bothering you without damaging any electronics in the process.”
Instead of putting up with the constant flickers, the sleep expert recommends packing a small roll of electrical tape when travelling.
He added: “You can get electrical tape for £1.10 from places like Screwfix or ToolStation and you can use a little bit of tape to cover up these annoying flickering lights.”
According to Adeel, electrical tape is safer than an eye mask because “you can still see your environment if an emergency were to happen.”
This is because eye masks block out natural light, making it harder to wake up in the morning or in an emergency.
A roll of electrical tape costs £1.10 from Screwfix – although some DIY savvy Brits will likely have some stashed in a tool kit.
And for those rooms where electrical tape simply isn’t enough, Adeel recommends creating a makeshift blackout curtain with towels, spare blankets and even clothes.
Hotel guests can use these items to block out any unwanted light from underneath doors or windows.
The sleep expert also recommends playing white noise to help block out any unwanted or unpleasant noises.
He said: “Traffic, construction or even other loud guests can make it difficult to sleep when travelling, but if you have a device that can play white noise then it will help to create a peaceful environment that can help you to sleep.
“If you can play white noise before you travel, you can help train your brain to know when it’s time to sleep too.”
Adeel also recommends wearing travel socks to bed – even if you don’t typically wear them at home.
According to the expert, this is because the socks warm up your feet, causing the blood vessels to dilate, which causes heat to release through your skin and lowers your core body temperature, letting your brain know that it’s bedtime.
Three Ways to Avoid Jet Lag
HERE are three easy ways holidaymakers can avoid jet lag when flying long-haul.
Use pink noise
Sounds such as waves or strong winds are classified as pink noise, and listening to these noises is a commonly-used sleeping technique. Sleep expert Max Stevens at the Sleep Checklist previously said: “If you have listened to white noise on a plane and it didn’t work for you, try pink noise as it could help you to settle quicker and sleep for more of your flight.”
Avoid drinking alcohol
If you want a good night’s sleep on your next flight, make sure to avoid a glass of fizz in the departures lounge. Max said: “Drinking alcohol will decrease your sleep quality as you spend less time in the Rapid Eye Movement stage of sleep. This means that even when you wake you will feel tired and sluggish.”
Wear the right clothing
The temperature on a flight can vary from one moment to the next, so wear the right clothes to help you sleep. For most people, a temperature between 18 and 20 degrees is ideal for a good night’s sleep.
Another way to improve sleep when you’re flying is by using an eye mask on your next flight.
The masks aren’t the only things travel experts rely on to help them sleep on planes, with some flight attendants swearing by this affordable item for a good snooze.