Sleep tourism is a growing travel trend. Some hotels are even offering specialized sleep perks, from sleep coaching packages to pillow menus.
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Thanks to factors like stress, poor sleep (and screen) hygiene, or environmental factors like noisy neighbors, catching a long night of Zs is increasingly difficult. In fact, according to a data dive by Comfybedss, a British company that specializes in sleep-inducing mattresses, there’s been an 809% increase in the Google search ‘how to fall asleep’.
Currently, there are around 135,000 monthly searches under those exact terms.
For travelers, the hunt for quality sleep isn’t just about rest and relaxation. It’s a necessary ingredient to enjoy a trip—especially if you’re crossing time zones and battling jet lag. But knowing how to fall asleep in hotel rooms and rentals isn’t always straightforward.
I have my own battle plan to drift off to sleep, which is based on my travel experience and whimsies—but sleep experts also have their own tips and tricks. Below, you can find some of the most beautifully strange tips to help you fall asleep from Dr. Deborah Lee, a sleep doctor and GP. Some of them might surprise you… before putting you straight to sleep.
5 oddball tips to fall asleep from a sleep expert and GP
Here are five strange tips to help you fall asleep from Dr. Lee, based on scientific research, experience, and a touch of psychology.
- Breathe through one nostril. Dr. Lee recommends lying on your side and breathing through your left nostril by gently covering the right with your finger. This could help lower your blood pressure, which will, in turn, relax your body.
- Tell yourself to stay awake. As Dr. Lee puts it, “Reverse psychology at its finest.” Instead of stressing about how you’re unable to fall asleep, repeat the phrase ‘do not fall asleep’.
- The 4-7-8 breathing method. This calming technique involves breathing in for four seconds, holding for seven, and exhaling for eight. That should activate your parasympathetic nerve system, instantly calming you.
- Review your day. To occupy your mind and keep it from stressing, Dr. Lee suggests going back to review your day. There’s just one catch: She recommends starting in reverse, slowly tracking back to your first memory of the day.
- Tense your toes. Tense your toes for ten seconds, then release for another ten seconds. Keep doing this until you feel more relaxed. According to Dr. Lee, this will help draw tension away from your body.
