Sleep on Medical or Wellness Holidays

A New Understanding of Jet Lag, photo credit to Virginia.edu

Sleep on Medical or Wellness Holidays

- by Becky Mackay, special to Traveling 4 Health & Retirement .

Whether you are travelling by coach for just a few hours or embarking on a longer international journey, travelling on medical or wellness holidays can disturb your natural sleeping pattern and cause a number of problems. Without adequate sleep you may find yourself irritable, frustrated, or simply unable to enjoy the new sights and attractions found at your holiday destination. Here are a few ways that your sleep may be disturbed while on a holiday and how you can fix the situation.
Uncomfortable Seats: Whether you have a red-eye flight or an overnight train journey, you may be unable to sleep thanks to seats that won’t recline, don’t have adequate legroom or are simply too small. When you do fall asleep, neck or back pain can wake you up. To avoid this problem, considering travelling with a small neck pillow, which provides a way to relieve pressure when sleeping in a sitting position. A small cushion from home can easily do the trick, or for light sleepers, a specialised half donut shaped pillow, which wraps around the neck, providing both support and comfort. To ease the whole body bring another pillow to prop behind the back and drift off into uninterrupted sleep.

Snoring: Falling asleep on a plane while feeling uncomfortable is one thing, falling asleep on a plane if you or a partner are prone to snoring is another. Embarrassment can ensue regardless of whether you or your other half suffers from snoring, but there are ways of avoiding these noisy, embarrassing moments. Sleeping on your side and avoiding coffee, alcohol and cigarettes before and during the flight are all easy methods to decrease your chances of snoring. If these haven’t worked then try one of the over-the-counter remedies, including nasal sprays and strips. If you have found no luck with these treatments then a visit to your doctor may be in order and they will be able to provide you with simple medical procedures for the treatment of snoring.

However, if it is a stranger’s snoring affecting your travel sleep, it is always a good idea to take earplugs with you, just in case.
Jet Lag: Once you have arrived at your holiday destination, you may face one of the most frustrating travel inconveniences-jet lag. By travelling long distances over various time zones, your body clock becomes confused. The best way to avoid this is to prepare in advance. If you are travelling to the East go to bed later and wake up later to adjust to the time. If you are heading West, do the opposite, sleeping and waking up early. Once you arrive begin eating the meal of the day according to the current time zone and spend some time in the sun to align your body with the natural circadian rhythms.

Whether your sleep is disrupted on a plane, train, or even in your own hotel room, losing sleep can really put a damper on your holiday. By following these tips you can make the most of your trip and resolve any sleep disturbance issues you may face.

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Becky Mackay is an online writer, with a keen interest in health and lifestyle. For more top tips visit her twitter page @FreshHealth11.

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Related article:  A new understanding of jet lag
Study explains why biological clock is slow to reset after transmeridian travel.