Any advice on getting sleep in hotels would be appreciated

[NightWatcher]

I have tried Benadryl, beer and alcohol, valerian root, noise makers.... I dont have access to any Rx pills and try to stay away from them regardless.

I used to love staying in hotels but not anymore (unless I'm on vacation). They are expensive (sometimes it costs 100$ to find a decent place and clients hate seeing 100$ a night for expenses)

I will be travelling with work for the next 5-7 days and the 3 hours that I got last night simply will not cut it. I am trying to suck it up and get through a week of hell (4am-4pm in the car without a break) so that I can pay bills and try to kep my head above water

[barb162]

1. You can get sleeping pills over the counter I think.

[fizzgig]

2. is anything in particular keeping you awake?

i always bring my pillow when i travel and i find it makes a big difference. a trick i use for falling asleep is to either concentrate on my breathing and count it out as i do or count in multiples of three, four, whatever. after a bit i'm out like a light.

[NightWatcher]

3. the only thing that goes through my head is "hurry up and get to sleep"

and "if I fall asleep NOW, I will have 4 hours of sleep......"

[fizzgig]

4. i deal with that a lot, too

i think that's why the breathing and counting help because it distracts that part of my brain.

i hope you're able to figure out something

[gristy]

6. How tired are you the next day?

Are you stressed with concern that you won't do a good job the next day because of lack of sleep? Has that been the case in the past? Is it this stress that keeps you from falling asleep?

Depending on your answers to the above, you might try considering not worrying or caring if you aren't falling asleep. Read a magazine (or a couple) so you don't get bored lying there, and be confident that you'll do a good job the next day and that the next night you'll probably sleep better.

[supernova]

5. Try a warm bath

just before bed. Or the steam room, if the hotel has a spa.

I second the suggestion about bringing your own pillow. Sometimes a small reminder of home is a great help.

[Longhorn]

7. I have a white noise machine that we use at home

because of my husband's snoring. But we also bring it with us whenever we travel and it makes a BIG difference. It sounds like a steady fan -- just air noise but enough to cover the slamming doors, loud mouths, flushing toilets, and TVs enough that we sleep better. Mine was about $50 from amazon and we've used it every night for more than two years with no problems. We put it on a seven-day timer so we don't have to remember to turn it on and off. It took us about one night to get used to it.

Hope this helps! :hi:

[Manifestor_of_Light]

8. Earplugs or a white noise machine.

I have an air conditioner in the bedroom and that makes good white noise.

[trof]

9. You might try melatonin.

I used it for changing times zones when I was a pilot.
Helped me.

[The Straight Story]

10. Sex helps

:)

[NightWatcher]

14. my gf would kill me

[kath]

11. Highly recommend those foam earplugs - they block out the noisy AC or heater,

hallway noise, toilets flushing, neighbors taking showers, etc, but you can still hear the phone ring or the alarm go off. I NEVER travel without them -- otherwise, it's VERY hard for me to sleep.

[Lars39]

12. Tylenol PM might help.

The equivalent is Benadryl and Tylenol taken together.

[NMDemDist2]

13. put the TV on CSPAN

works for me

:shrug:

[ThomCat]

15. Do you know any basic meditation techniques?

When my mind won't stop racing and that's what's keeping me awake then breathing exercises and calming my mind usually helps me get to sleep.
:)

[MonkeyFunk]

16. Pick up a woman in the bar

you'll get a good night's sleep.

The downside is you wake up in a bathtub full of ice and a kidney missing.

[cordelia]

17. I'm in the bring your own pillow contingent

I've been in a couple of sleep studies (apnea), and one criterion for participation was to bring your pillow from home.

Good luck, and sweet dreams.

[mokawanis]

18. if you have room

do what I do and carry a box fan in the car. I put that baby right next to my head and turn it on full blast. It drowns out environmental sounds and I sleep well. Call me weird, but it works.

[pitohui]

19. you have two issues here

one issue is that hotel prices are thru the roof and if your clients think it's still 1997 and you can get a hotel that isn't a crack selling den for 69 a night, at some point, you are going to have to get more reasonable clients or find a different line of work

the reasonable clients know that hotel costs have soared and that per diems are no longer as low as they once were, the clients that are not reasonable and don't want you to make money are clients that you need to "fire"

benadryl/unisom plus ONE alcohol beverage (ONE beer or ONE whiskey, say) usually works but if you overdo on the alcohol then you have bad dreams and don't sleep deeply IME

good luck and hang in there

but i think you will sleep more peacefully in the long run if you don't allow yourself to be panicked and you insist on clients paying a fair price for your hotel or else don't accept jobs from those clients any longer

[Skittles]

20. Ambien

as someone does TDYs for work and works 6PM to 6AM and sleeps in hotels DURING THE DAY I find medication to be the answer

[yvr girl]

21. Just don't think about

what you could see with an ultra-violet light.

:scared:

[AwakeAtLast]

22. I suggest buying the least expensive body foam mattress you can find

I fall asleep on that thing faster than anything else. It is not especially travel friendly, but if you are going to be away or a long time, it might be worth it. I saw them on sale at Target once for $35, so you might be able to find something affordable.

The only other thing I can think of is lavendar linen spray. Bath & Body sells it I think, or some other body care place.

Hopes this helps - sweet dreams! :hi:



edit to clarify: I'm talking about memory foam mattress pads - I wasn't clear, sorry!