Tips for Sleeping in Hotel Beds

Does your back hurt after sleeping in a new bed? What about your neck or legs? When sleeping in a new place, most often a hotel, it can be common to wake up stiff and in pain. Because it’s a new surface, and not one your body is accustomed to, the body can have a hard time getting comfortable. Then once it does, will often be jarred out of its normal position, creating awkward placements for the muscles and spine. And because we sleep in these out-of-the-ordinary poses (for hours on end), it causes pain and stiff joints throughout the rest of the day. 

So how do we avoid these uncomfortable scenarios? After all, it’s hard enough to get proper rest while traveling, let alone when it causes us to hurt during our waking hours. With the help of proper pillows or any added accessories, however, those pains can be greatly reduced. If not eliminated altogether. 

How to Eliminate Back Pains While Traveling

The next time you travel, remember to take a supportive pillow. Use one for your neck, legs, or hips – whatever tends to hurt the most while on vacation. These pillows will help keep your body properly aligned, while adding some much needed comfort in the process. You can also talk with the hotel and inquire about extra pillows or any mattress toppers that might make your stay more pleasant. 

Another way to reduce pains can be achieved by the way you sleep. If it’s your lower back that usually hurts, it may be best to sleep on your side. And so on. Talk to your doctor about various sleeping positions, specifically those that will work best for your specific body type. A quick Google search can also provide some insight on nightly routines and how to take advantage of your next hotel stay.

Get started on these simple tips while planning your your next trip. 

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Jetlag-induced Stress Measured to Reduce Side Effects

Anyone who has ever traveled knows just how difficult it can be to adjust to a new time zone. The body just wasn't meant to switch gears so quickly. Meal times change, as do sleeping schedules. Not to mention the tired, rundown feeling we get from sitting on a plane (or in a car, or in an airport) for hours on end. And the combination of it all can lead to some serious jet lag. Jet lag that affects our moods, behavior, and our ability to fight off germs. Which is why people often become sick after traveling. That and the exposure to so many people and their respective germs.

Compiling all of these variables, however, undoubtedly leads to stress. Even the threat of jet lag is enough to cause many some seriously uneasy tendencies. Which is why one airline took it upon themselves to measure each of these stress causing factors. But what's even more interesting is how they did it. Through blankets called “happiness blankets.” 

For the experiment, British Airways compiled a plane of willing participants, and covered them each with a blanket that measured various bodily functions with nodules. Such as heart rate, temperature, etc., all of which were able to determine just how jet lagged or stressed a person had become. That data was then paired against outside causes, like length of flight, lighting, position of seats, mealtimes, and more. Then, by seeing which areas cause the most stress, they hope to adjust in order to make flights as comfortable as possible. One of the biggest finds is that it’s important to let passengers sleep for as long as possible. British Airways has been able to accomplish this by allowing seats to further recline, allowing for darker cabins, and avoiding multiple service routes through nighttime hours. 

Though flying is still likely to cause ongoing stress, airlines are looking into lowering those factors by the very way that we fly. Hopefully, by better adjusting toward jet lag-free routines, flyers of all lengths will have better experiences both before and after their traveling routine. 

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