For some people, every second spent on vacation is precious and we may get FOMO if we don’t make the most of our time away. We may even get the urge of staying up all night and/or waking up early all the time to make our days last longer. Yes – I am guilty of that and it can be quite draining especially if you have a longer trip. I always say that I need a vacation after my vacation because although traveling fun, it takes a lot of energy too. And after doing it so often and needing to recover from a majority of my trips, I think it’s time to make better habits and take into consideration more self-care when traveling and get enough rest. Here’s how you can get enough sleep when traveling to make it through your trip and back home and to work (unfortunately that would be most of us) without feeling burnt out. But first, let’s look at what travel fatigue and burnout actually is.
What Is Travel Fatigue And Burnout?
I like to think that traveling and going on vacation are two different definitions. To put it simply, traveling is typically going from one place to another with the intent of exploring and going on vacation is to spend time relaxing and rejuvenating yourself from daily life. With the latter, you likely won’t go crazy with a non-stop itinerary because your goal is to literally have a leisurely time.
However, I find that traveling is what can bring on travel fatigue and burnout as it can be physically and mentally demanding. You can actually end up losing sleep, be generally uncomfortable, feel stressed and exhausted, and even get sick. Here are some items that cause travel fatigue so you can be aware of them and understand why you may feel burnt out when traveling.
- Trying to stick to a strict timeline
- Flight delays and cancellations
- Sea sickness, car sickness, or fear of flying
- Fear of missing your flight
- Not being able to sleep
- Food poisoning and getting sick
- Not being able to go to the bathroom
- Body pains from being uncomfortable
How To Avoid Travel Fatigue And Avoid Burnout
1 – Take Melatonin
To put it in simple terms, melatonin is a hormone in your body that helps promote sleep. You can take melatonin pills (between 1 – 10 grams) to help you fall asleep faster and it takes about 30 minutes to work. This is great to have especially if you have trouble falling asleep at night or if you get jetlag. This also helps regulate your body’s circadian rhythm (your body’s internal clock).
2 – Nap When You Can
I try to get in naps when traveling, starting with the plane ride. It just passes the time faster especially for a long-haul flight and since I take early flights, it helps me get some extra snooze time in so I get more energy once I arrive. I also tend to fall asleep in car rides – for some reason, they’re just so comfortable for me. And if you’re going to visit a sunny destination, taking a nap on the beach is so nice with the sun on your back and the ocean waves crashing in the background. Don’t forget to keep an eye on your things!
3 – Don’t Overdo Your Itinerary
I have a really bad habit of packing my itinerary to the fullest so I can accomplish everything I want to see and do in my new destination. When you give yourself enough time to actually take your time to see everything and to rest in between and not have to rush your meals, it makes a huge difference in being able to really relax and enjoy your vacation. My latest trip to Halifax, Nova Scotia and the surrounding areas was the first trip I had in a long time where I had so much extra time that I didn’t feel rushed or tired at all and could have even gone home half a day early. It was such a leisure trip that I didn’t even need recovery time to go back to work and I wish I could always be so laidback and unhurried during all of my trips to avoid travel fatigue and avoid burnout.
4 – Set A Routine
If you’re traveling and there’s a time change, your body needs some time to adjust. Setting a routine that your body can get used to in your new destination can help you get enough rest. You can do things like having your meals at certain times, turn off your electronics close to bedtime, and avoid hyper activities before you sleep at night.
5 – Use A Sleep Mask And/Or Earplugs
If you have a hard time sleeping and are prone to noise disturbances and light, using a sleep mask and/or earplugs may be useful to get your mind and body in a place where you can fall asleep faster. I know I’ve stayed at a lot of accommodations where the walls and doors are paper thin and you can hear every conversation and commotion through them and it either keeps me up all night or wakes me very early in the morning. Kitsch and Blissy have great silk and satin eye masks to choose from and they’re super comfortable on the eyes and face.
6 – Watch Your Caffeine Consumption
Kind of a given, but also a reminder to watch your caffeine consumption while traveling to avoid travel fatigue if you end up drinking quite a bit of say, coffee, to energize you throughout the day. It is recommended to stop taking any caffeine intake about 6 hours before bedtime to ensure that you won’t stay awake all night.
7 – Have Alcohol In Moderation
Alcohol, like caffeine can also disrupt sleep. For a lot of people, it’s always fun to drink and try new types of alcohol that you can’t get back home, but to avoid travel fatigue it’s best to drink in moderation and avoid alcohol at least 4 hours before you go to sleep. Alcohol acts like a sedative and you end up falling into a deep sleep quickly and for a longer period of time which lessens your time in REM sleep which is when your body restores itself.
8 – Eat Well
Giving your body the nutrition it needs can help you avoid travel fatigue, so try not to miss meals! And anyway, one of the best parts of traveling or going on vacation is the food. There are so many different cuisines and styles of food that I always look forward to eating when I’m in a different city or country. But if you take care of your body, it will take care of you. Just be a little more careful with street food (though it’s so amazing) so you don’t get sick!
9 – Stay Hydrated
Not only do you need to eat well, but as usual, stay hydrated to provide your body the nutrients and oxygen it needs. Carrying your own water bottle with you isn’t always convenient, but there are also collapsible water bottles or you can purchase it everywhere you go. But to make things easier and also more enjoyable, here are 8 Ways To Stay Hydrated For Great Skin While Traveling.
10 – Exercise When You Can
Although exercise takes energy, regular physical activity also delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues. Improving your cardiovascular health gives you more energy throughout the day as well and makes you feel less tired. When traveling, you may actually end up walking more than you do when you’re back home and that’s a great form of exercise. Most of the time, I prefer walking as my main source of transportation so I can stop whenever I want and really take my time to see everything. I end up walking anywhere between 15,000 to 28,000 steps a day which roughly translates to 16 to 22 kilometres in a day. Here are also 7 Ways To Stay Active While Traveling.
11 – Book Your Accommodations Well
Booking the right accommodations is so important when traveling. The best way to avoid travel fatigue and avoid burnout is to have a comfortable room with a great bed and in a location that isn’t full of noise or have paper-thin walls and doors. Although you can’t ensure that your room will be quiet, you can do your best by avoiding rooms on the lower floors and by the elevators. Also, read reviews on where you plan to stay to see if there are any complaints about noise and the comfortableness of the beds. It will make a huge difference in lessening stress and avoiding fatigue since this is the one place you come home to at night where you can wind down and really relax. And in some cases, staying in one place rather than moving to multiple hotels will help too. I prefer booking with Hotels.com since they have great prices (including secret prices if you’re a member) and the ability to redeem a free night’s stay after every 10 stays. You can also filter out the type of accommodations you want to your specific preferences too.
12 – Reduce Stress If Possible
Kind of a given but reducing stress if possible while traveling can really help you avoid travel fatigue. It also helps you have a generally better trip when something isn’t bothering you in the back of your mind and you can just be carefree and have fun. Here is more information on How To Take The Stress Out Of Traveling.
13 – Give Yourself A Day Or Two To Recover
For most of my trips, I try to take advantage of every hour I have off so I don’t come home until late Sunday nights and then I immediately go back to work on Monday morning. On a couple of my trips this year, I gave myself a day before going back to work and it made such a huge difference in giving me time to recover and get my body and mind ready for the next day. This will just give you time to adjust and not have to rush right back in.
For more travel tips, here’s How To Recover From An Adventurous But Tiring Vacation and also how you can stay energized on your trip with The Perfect Snacks For A Caffeine Boost When Traveling.