How to get a great night’s sleep away from home this Christmas

The fear of sleeping away from home is linked to the so-called “First Night Effect” (FNE). This is a well researched phenomenon surrounding how the first night spent in an unfamiliar environment generated negative changes in sleep patterns, such as a decrease in total sleep time, reduced REM sleep, longer REM latencies (i.e., the needed time to enter the first REM stage after falling asleep), and a low sleep efficiency. The FNE can occur in any unfamiliar environment, even in a hotel room. This can be worse when you are away from home during the Christmas season.

Different environmental factors also play a part in changes to your sleep pattern, such as a change in lighting, sound, smell, feeling, and bed partner. Any slight variable that is not the same as your usual sleeping place can negatively affect your sleep.

However, if you can’t sleep away from home, do not fear! In this guide, we’ve provided you with tips and tricks to obtain a great night’s sleep while you’re away from home this Christmas.

Tips for getting a great night’s sleep away from home

Getting to sleep away from home can be tricky for everyone, even for those of us who usually fall asleep not long after our heads hit the pillow at home. Here are eight tips you can try to help you get a better night’s sleep when you’re not at home during the Christmas season:

Carry something with a familiar smell

Being away from home over the Christmas season can be extremely tough. However, carrying something with you that smells like a person (or pet) that you are fond of can make you feel more at ease. A recent study showed that sleeping with an object that smells like our partner or loved one can increase sleep efficiency by more than 2% on average - an effect comparable to melatonin intake. It can also improve the subjective quality of sleep.

Try not to overeat

Overeating is very common during the Christmas season due to all the festivities. While you should still enjoy the food offerings that are available during this time, like pigs-in-blankets and roast turkey, it is important to ensure that you do not overeat if you want the best quality sleep. As everybodies food intake is different, it will also differ in how long it may take to digest before you begin to feel sleepy, so it’s important to find the perfect balance for you.

Don’t drink too much alcohol

There’s no surprise that alcohol intake usually increases during the month of December, as people celebrate the lead up to Christmas. Drinking alcohol before you go to sleep can give you an irregular sleep cycle and prevent you from entering the REM stage of sleep. 

These effects may worsen if you are away from home during the Christmas period, so cutting down on the alcohol intake might do wonders for your sleep.

Herbal tea

Drinking herbal teas can have great benefits for your sleep when you’re away from home. Chamomile tea is one of the most popular herbal teas, as it has natural sedative properties, making it perfect for sleep. 

During the Christmas season, relaxing with a hot cup of chamomile tea by the fire before you go to bed might be just the trick to cure your poor sleeping habits away from home. 

Enjoy your holiday but prioritise sleep

If you are away on holiday during the Christmas season, it is important to enjoy yourself but you also need to look after your sleeping pattern. During Christmas there is always the chance of suffering from social jetlag, or when there are big differences in sleep timing between work and free days leading to a considerable sleep debt on work days. 

There are ways to avoid social jetlag, such as keeping a sleep schedule, taking care of your sleep hygiene, getting enough sunlight and exercise, and having more power naps (less than 30 minutes).

Get as much daylight as possible

Spending some time outdoors each day and being exposed to daylight can improve your quality of sleep. It can correctly set our circadian clock, or internal 24-hour rhythm, which will, in turn, allow us to get a better night’s sleep. So, doing your Christmas shopping or going on more winter walks should have a positive effect on your sleep pattern, even if you are sleeping away from home.

Maintain a good heating level

During the Christmas season, it is more tempting for people to turn up the heating where they sleep to combat the cold winter nights, especially if they are away from home and don’t need to worry about the bills. However, if the bedroom is too warm it can actually have a negative impact on sleep quality. A room temperature between 18 - 21°C is ideal for a good night’s sleep. 

Wait 2-3 hours after eating

Waiting 2-3 hours after a meal will allow your body to digest your food so you’re not up at night with an upset stomach, indigestion, or acid reflux. So, after your Christmas dinner, try not to hit the hay straight away and give it some time before you decide to sleep.