Hotels are having a bit of a resurgence now that private rental platforms are seeing pushback due to high cleaning costs and other hidden fees.
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Over the last two years, I’ve stayed at more hotels than private rentals—which is a pretty sharp deviation from previous years. I’ve enjoyed the experience, especially considering many hotels have ‘sweetened the deal’ when it comes to daily programs and wellness offers.
There’s just one catch: Hotels can be hard to sleep in if other guests are making noise, either in the hallway or in a room adjacent to yours.
As a light sleeper, it was a great reminder that I need to re-think a bout how to get good sleep in a hotel. Now that I’m staying in hotels again, I’ve got more tips and tools to help me sleep well while traveling.
Here’s how to sleep like a baby in a noisy hotel with just a few pieces of tech and reminders on good sleep habits. Again, these are tricks that I use as someone who struggles to sleep even at home.
How to get good sleep in a hotel: soundproofing, tech, and sleep habits
Use basic tech to soundproof your room
I rely on two pieces of tech to help me sleep in hotel rooms. The first are my noise-cancelling headphones. If there’s loud noise coming from adjacent rooms, especially the floor above, over-ear headphones are the only solution I’ve found to soundproofing the room.
And it’s not really soundproofing the room—it’s soundproofing your ears. Having a solid pair of over-ear headphones is also a great solution to staying sane during noisy delays, whether at a crowded airport gate or on a bus.
The second is a sound machine. I know—traveling with a sound machine probably sounds like a stretch. However, I use a sound machine at home, and have found that it helps get me into my sleep routine when I travel. Even if you don’t use one at home, keeping a small but powerful sound machine with you on the road can help you get shut-eye when you need it most.
Pro tip: If you’re a parent whose traveling with little ones, that portable sound machine could also work wonders for nap time.
Use old-school hacks to minimize noise pollution
High-quality, noise-canceling headphones and portable sound machines are two pieces of tech that will make it easier to get good sleep in a hotel. But don’t forget that you can fall back on old-school hacks, too.
Before you arrive at the hotel, call ahead to find a room that will (hopefully) be less noisy. The higher the floor and the further away from the elevators, the better. But don’t forget about busy streets. You might want to request an interior room if you’re staying in an area with busy streets.
Be up front that sleep is a priority, too. All travelers want to rest well, and concerns about sleep quality are becoming even more important. Some hotels might have programs designed to help guests get better sleep, from pillow menus to nightcap offers.
I can’t guarantee your hotel will have sleep-oriented offers available, but being clear about your priorities gives staff the chance to meet your needs before any problems arise.
Aside from communicating with staff, stuff a towel in the door crease and pop some melatonin. The more updated your hotel is, the more likely it is that door seams will be covered to minimize sound. Still, don’t forget that you can repurpose a hotel towel to give yourself a bit more soundproofing. Lastly, don’t forget to bring melatonin or another preferred sleep aid.
Use your usual sleep routine to set the ‘mood’
Here’s how to get good sleep in a hotel using psychology: Try to mirror your sleep routine at home. Even if you’re out of your usual time zone, you can zhuzh up your quality of sleep by doing what you’d normally do at home.
For me, that means bringing my eye mask with me, along with the hand lotion on my nightstand. The eye mask is obviously great for blocking out light pollution, but the hand lotion is just for the scent. That scent reminds me of bedtime at home.
Lastly, try to avoid screens. If you usually like to watch TV or scroll on your phone before going to sleep, you might feel more comfortable doing the same thing at a hotel. But, if you find you can’t sleep well after multiple days of trying, go with a book instead. Or, even better, a boring brochure—there’s usually one lying around in a hotel room
