Your business might keep you away from home for weeks, even months, which means you have to adapt to different cultures, time zones, and customs every time you travel. Attending business meetings and social events while you’re away from home could prove stressful and tiring, especially if you have trouble sleeping in a new hotel bed every night.
Luckily, there are plenty of ways to better adjust to the changes dictated by your business and lifestyle, and this starts with enjoying a good night’s sleep no matter how often you lie on a hotel bed rather than on your own.
Avoid over-the-counter sleeping pills
Whenever traveling to a different timezone, you might be tempted to take sleeping pills or muscle relaxers to force you to go to bed at the same time as anyone else. However, these medications may stick in your body for up to 72 hours, making you feel dizzy, foggy, and woozy in the next days.
Thus, we don’t suggest opting for sleeping pills if your trip only takes a few days because it may affect your biorhythm in the long term.
Create a similar sleeping atmosphere to the one at home
Hotel rooms are cold and impersonal, so resting in them could be difficult. Try to create the perfect sleeping environment and keep it as close as possible to the one you have at home.
Bring some scented candles with you that will remind you of home to help you relax. Your own pillow, blanket or your most comfortable pajamas can also recreate the atmosphere from the bedroom and allow you to fall asleep easier.
Exercise
Whether we’re talking about a simple cardio routine, jogging first thing in the morning or going for a complete boxing workout session, physical exercise will help you better adjust to your traveling routine.
You can hit the local gym or simply borrow a good stand and a punching bag to blow off some steam. The good thing about most hotel gyms is that they are open until late if not 24/7, meaning you can go there while fighting with your jet lag.
Go with the local flow
Whenever possible, it is best to try to adjust to the local hours. In other words, try to adjust to the local times – if you land in the morning, keep yourself busy during the day and even try drinking an extra cup of coffee to keep you going until evening.
You may feel grumpy, tired, and even agitated or irritated during the day but you’ll get your well-deserved sleep at night just like the rest of the locals, which will help you better adjust to the new timezone.
Eat right
Traveling can be extremely stressful and, most of the times, you may be forced to skip a meal or grab “a quick one” on your way to your next meeting. Add that to the fact that your stomach is trying to adjust to the new hours, and you probably won’t feel hungry.
Unfortunately, most business people forget the importance of a good meal and exactly how much a good diet can fight against sleeping disorders caused by different time zones. Therefore, you should avoid greasy and fast foods as much as possible because they won’t do you any good in the long term.
Replace them with as many fresh fruits and vegetables as you can, as well as with milk and lightweight meals. Opt for salads and fish rather than steaks that might take hours for your stomach to break. Lastly, one glass of wine right before bedtime can help relax your muscles and your brain and help you get a good night’s sleep.
