Hi jashnimal:
Thanks for the interesting question.
First, rest assured that your sleeping problem is not "weird" at all.
Many people, including myself, have the same problem to varying
degrees. Trouble getting to sleep in strange surroundings can stem
from a combination of physical, psychological and environmental
reasons. Two terms I found that relate to your problem include:
* transient insomnia
* adjustment sleep disorder
However, I don't think it is necessary to run to your doctor in a
panic at this time. There are some (non-pharmaceutical) things you can
try first. I did some research for you and found the following
excellent sites. If you read them with the "filter" of how the
suggestion apply to being in an unfamiliar bed, then they are even
more helpful.
Sleep Tips: How To Beat Insomnia
URL: ://www.google.ca/search?q=cache:HBm3mropHXIJ:talkaboutsleep.com/disorders/insomnia/tips_insomnia.htm+%22transient+insomnia%22&hl=en&ie=UTF-8
Notes: I especially suggest: Eat a high carbohydrate, low protein
snack; Drink a glass of warm milk or a cup of herbal tea; Listen to
soothing music; Avoid lying in bed awake longer than 30 minutes; and
the Relaxation Techniques listed. See website for details.
Are You Flight Ready?
URL: http://www.quinwell.com/vaca/flightready.html
Quote: "SLEEP
Create good sleep patterns and stick to them. Try to get as many hours
of sleep in a twenty-four hour day, while you are on a trip, as you do
in a twenty-four hour day at home. Reduce your sleep debt before you
go. If you start your trip deprived of needed rest, things can only
get worse.
Control your own environment whenever you can. Bring your own pillow
for familiarity's sake, wear an eye mask or ear plugs to block out
unwanted light or sound, and take along lotions and eye drops to
prevent excess dryness.
Make yourself drowsy before you sleep. Develop a pre-sleep routine -
something you can take on the road with you. When you are staying in
strange hotels or trying to sleep against your time clock, your body
will have something it is accustomed to and sleep will be better. Take
a warm bath, listen to relaxing music, or engage in light reading.
Regardless of what avenue you choose, go to sleep only when you feel
tired.
Avoid worrying. Obsessing over your inability to sleep can only make
your problem worse. If you are not asleep in fifteen to thirty
minutes, get out of bed and try some activity to make you sleepy."
Notes: I DEFINITELY recommend the advice of bringing your own pillow.
This was the "cure" for my travel-induced insomnia. There is nothing
more relaxing than the familiar feel of your own pillow - and nothing
more disturbing than a pillow that doesn't "fit" your head. The
improvement in sleep you find will more than make up for lugging a
pillow around. Another biggie is avoiding trying to "force" yourself
to sleep when you are not comfortable. Better to stay up and make
yourself really tired. You may not sleep longer, but you'll certainly
sleep better and feel more rested.
Cures for Insomnia
URL: http://www.chs.edu.sg/gep/insomnia/cures.html
Notes: This website has several excellent recommendations, including
herbal/aromatherapy cures and interesting "self-help treatments". I
highly recommend their suggestion, "Taking a walk or performing mild
exercise such as yoga before going to bed."
Some other recommendations I ran across during my research centered
around making sure that your unfamiliar environment was dark and
quiet. Because you are often unable to control these factors in a
strange environment, I suggest buying a "face mask" and ear plugs. In
fact, there are products that do both!
Hibermate Sleep Mask
URL: http://www.hibermate.com/
Sleep Master
URL: http://www.sleepmaster.bigstep.com/
The last thing I'd like to leave you with is a recommendation to buy
yourself a buckwheat husk filled pillow. I know it sounds weird - but
I've been sleeping on one for 10+ years and take it everywhere with
me. It helped my insomnia as well as some neck/shoulder problems I was
having. Some examples of these types of pillows include:
Sobakawa Pillows
URL: http://www.earthfriendlyfinds.com/earthfriendlyfinds/allnabupiinn.html
Makura Buckwheat Pillow
URL: http://www.wonderfulbuys.com/relaxation_and_massage/makurapillow.html
I hope this information helps with your research.
If you need any clarification of the information I have provided,
please ask using the clarification feature and provide me with
additional details as to what you are looking for. As well, please
allow me to provide you with clarification(s) *before* you rate this
answer.
Thank you.
websearcher-ga
Search Strategy (on Google):
"transient insomnia"
sleep travel "own pillow"
sleep mask
buckwheat pillow |
