Photo by Eugene Quek on Unsplash
This article brought to you by sleepadvisor.org
Is there anything better in life than loading up the RV and hitting the open road for a few days, weeks, months, years of freedom? If there is, I for one don’t know what it is.
Life on the road is just simpler. Sure you don’t have all your home comforts with you but you soon realise you don’t need as much as you imagine. Plus being able to feast on Mother Nature’s bounty, more than makes up for whatever you’ve left behind.
One part of life in an RV that isn’t always the most fun however is getting to sleep. Sometimes when on the road it can just be difficult to nod off. A poor night’s sleep not only makes the next day no fun for you. It will probably make you grumpy and no fun to be around.
If sometimes you find it a little ticky to get your fill of vitamin Zzzzs when away from home, you’re certainly not alone. It’s a common complaint. Don’t despair however, I’ve got you covered. Below are 5 top tips on how to improve your odds of getting a good night's sleep in your RV.
Stick to your routines
When you are away from home it can be all to easy to fall out of your usual routines. Which is perfectly natural, half of the point in hitting the road is to get away from the monotony of home life. That said, there is one routine your body loves – bedtime.
Yep, despite what you might think, bedtimes are definitely not just for kids. Regularity more than anything else encourages healthy sleep. So, if you want to increase your chances of getting to sleep on your trip, try where possible to keep to the same bedtime routine as would at home.
Black it out
Ok, I’ve got an experiment for you. Go to your RV right now. Close all the curtains or pull down all the blinds. Hold your hand out in front of your face. Go, on. I’ll wait.
Could you still see your hand? If the answer is yes, then your window coverings are not doing their job properly. Humans sleep better in darkness, that’s simply how we evolved. If your RV is not perfectly black when you bed down you are not doing your sleep any favours.
The solution, well you could install some proper well-fitted blackout blinds, or you could save yourself a chunk of cash and just pick up a nice eye mask for a couple of dollars.
Bring some home comforts
Researchers have discovered that when we sleep anywhere new for the first time a section of our brain refuses to go to sleep. This so-called ‘night watchman’ region stays primed to respond to any external stimuli that could be a risk.
This obviously makes sense from the standpoint of evolutionary survival but it’s damn annoying if it means you wake up everytime the wind blows outside your RV.
There can be a way to fool the brain and that’s by bringing along as many familiar things as possible. Sleeping on the same sheets will help as will wearing the same pajamas.
Use sleep aids
If you use any sleep aids at home, like a white noise machine, earplugs or supports for aches and pains then obviously bring these along too. Your RV should feel like a home away from home.
If you sleep in one particular position, you can get supports designed specifically to help. These will allow you to sleep far more comfortably. Life in the RV is of course about getting back to basics but it’s not about depriving yourself of all comforts.
Location, location, location
Not all campgrounds are created equal, especially when it comes to getting a good night's sleep. Choosing where to camp can obviously have a big impact on how well you sleep that night. A night spent next to a group of guitar wielding boozehounds is probably not going to end in an early night.
So what can you do? Well, the first port of call is research. Get online and read reviews of campsites, see what other campers have said. Now, this is not an exact science as obviously the same campers aren’t going to be there every night. So it’s always going to be a bit of lottery. But it can certainly help a little bit.
Next up, you can try and make sure you arrive early and find a nicely hidden away spot where the mere layout of the campsite will prevent nosy neighbours spoiling your night.
Finally, if you do rock up later, think like a detective, don’t just jump into the first space you see. Ask yourself, who would Sherlock Holmes park next to if himself and Dr Watson were on holiday in their RV and wanted a good night’s rest? Park up and go for a wander on foot. Check out potential neighbours, keep a beady eye out for guitars, mounds of liquor, etc.
Well, there you have it – my top 5 tips to help you get a good night’s sleep the next time you head out in your RV. Give them a whirl and hopefully your next night under the stars will be a dream and not a nightmare.