Staycation Sleep Tips

Rest and relaxation do not require jaunting off to faraway destinations. Sometimes the most restorative place to be is right at home. Although sleep tourism is currently trending in the travel industry, many of us do not carve out enough time to adequately recharge in our daily lives. I personally struggle with this in terms of my fitness routine. Working out seven days a week is an excellent habit to have. However, there are weeks when I neglect to balance high-intensity workouts, like running and Tabata sets, with more low-impact exercise, such as yoga or nature strolls with my pup. The overall effects of stress on my body are noticeable in terms of increased muscle fatigue and chronic soreness. Despite feeling mentally exhausted, I often struggle with sleep quality during these times. Since I am not planning on taking a long trip this summer, I decided to get some professional advice from physician assistant and yoga professional Nora O’Reilly (PA-C, PHD) about how I could get better slumber while on my staycation. 

The sleep tips O’Reilly shared with me include: 

• Move your body joyfully for at least 30 minutes a day. 
• Calm your mind down in the evening by doing a “brain dump” via journaling. (Do this to clear your head of tomorrow’s to-dos and dial back into yourself.) 
• Try to stay on a somewhat regular schedule. (Most of us need about a 14-hour wake cycle so that our body knows when it can be expected to rest.) 
• Avoid drinking too much. (Aim to have only one drink a few hours before bedtime.) 
• Turn off all screens at least an hour before bed. 
• Keep your sleeping quarters at a lower temperature. (Approximately 66 degrees.) 
• Decrease your time tuned into social media, the news and other triggering content for the duration of your staycation. 
• Reduce mental fatigue by meditating. 

Check out these additional resources: 

1. Harvard Medical School Sleep Hygiene Checklist  
2. Insomnia Coach (a free app) 
3. Cleveland Clinic CBT-I course (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia) 
4. “Hello Sleep” by Jade Wu (a nonfiction book) 

Do you consistently get stellar sleep? Tell us more by adding a new comment here or on the TOPS Facebook page. 

Also, take a moment to review your wellness plan this Wednesday. Celebrate any goals you’ve reached so far in 2024, plus recommit to keep moving forward! 

—Rachel