Health
Sleep and travel don’t always mix: Here are 7 tips to help you rest on the road
More than half of U.S. adults plan to take a summer vacation this year, surveys have found — but for many, the time off may not be as restful as they’d hoped.
Whether traveling for pleasure or business, it’s common for people to experience sleep struggles away from home, experts say. Yet there are some ways to improve your rest while on the road.
Why does travel interfere with sleep?
For most people, struggles with sleep on the first night of vacation are part of a natural survival mechanism, expert say.
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“Our brains enter ‘protector mode,’ especially when we’re traveling with family,” said Martin Seeley, CEO and sleep expert at Mattress Next Day in the U.K., in an email to Fox News Digital.
“In an unfamiliar place, our brains become instinctively more alert, increasing adrenaline to keep us awake and ready to defend ourselves or our loved ones.”
Jet lag, trip logistics and changing schedules can interfere with sleep, experts agreed. (iStock)
Dr. Chelsie Rohrscheib, a neuroscientist and sleep specialist at Wesper in New York, agreed that sleeping in a foreign environment places the brain on high alert, and often results in light sleep and poor sleep quality for the first couple of days.
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An unfamiliar environment can also throw off a person’s sleep cycle, she told Fox News Digital, as the bed and sleeping area may be much different than at home, which usually requires an adjustment period.
“You have almost no control over the type of mattress, pillow and bedding you’ll have while traveling, and you may find it uncomfortable,” Rohrscheib said.
Experts shared seven tips to help improve sleep while traveling. (iStock)
If traveling to a different time zone, that can disrupt the circadian rhythm, which is the body’s 24-hour biological clock.
“You may find it very difficult to adjust to your new sleep and wake time, which causes poor sleep for up to a week,” the doctor noted.
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All of these factors can add up to daytime sleepiness, cognitive impairment, low energy and moodiness, the expert warned.
Changes to diet and exercise routines, modified schedules, and stress and anxiety about trip logistics can also affect the ability to sleep, according to experts with the Sleep Foundation.
7 tips to get better sleep while traveling
“Luckily, there are ways to ‘trick’ your brain into reducing levels of adrenaline and feeling more relaxed,” Seeley said.
1. Bring familiar items from home
Seeley recommends taking something from your bedroom at home that your brain will associate with sleeping in a safe environment.
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“The pillowcase from your bed won’t take up any room in your suitcase, and it will smell like your laundry detergent — this makes it ideal for relaxing your brain and body,” he suggested.
Smells are very powerful when it comes to triggering memories, the expert noted.
“So if you’re surrounded by the same smells of your bed at home, your brain will more than likely start to feel more safe and relaxed.”
2. Mimic your home environment
Seeley recommends setting up your sleeping area to resemble your home environment as closely as possible.
One expert recommends bringing your own pillow, as well as a sleep mask and earplugs, to help promote better rest. (iStock)
This might include bringing a small nightlight if you use one at home, adjusting the room’s temperature to your liking, and using a white noise machine to block unfamiliar sounds, he suggests.
“These small adjustments can help make the new space feel more familiar, which will aid you in falling asleep quicker,” Seeley said.
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Rohrscheib also recommends bringing your own pillow, as well as a sleep mask and earplugs.
“You can’t be sure your accommodations will have sufficient blackout blinds or soundproofing,” she said.
3. Stay active during the day leading up to your first night
Seeley recommends spending time outside during the day to help regulate your body’s internal clock.
“Whether it’s swimming, hiking or exploring local sights on foot, physical exertion can help promote better sleep at night,” he advised.
If traveling to a different time zone, that can disrupt the circadian rhythm, which is the body’s 24-hour biological clock, experts say. (iStock)
“Also, natural sunlight exposure helps reinforce your circadian rhythm, making it easier for you to fall asleep at night.”
Once you arrive at your destination, it’s important to continue to get ample exposure to sunlight within the first hour of waking at your travel destination, Rohrscheib noted, as this will help reset your internal clock.
4. Stick to your usual bedtime routine
Maintaining your usual bedtime routine sends a signal to the brain that it’s time to wind down, according to Seeley.
“Engage in the same pre-sleep activities you do at home, whether it’s reading a book, taking a warm shower or listening to calming music,” he advised.
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“This consistency helps cue your brain to prepare for sleep.”
If traveling with children, Seeley recommends encouraging them to stick to regular routines as well — such as brushing their teeth, reading a bedtime story or cuddling with a favorite toy — to help them feel more secure and ready for bed.
If traveling with children, experts recommend encouraging them to stick to regular routines to help them feel more secure and ready for bed. (iStock)
“Anything that your brain associates with your normal bedtime environment will make it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep,” he said.
5. Stay active during the day leading up to your first night
Spend time outside during the day to help regulate your body’s internal clock, experts recommend.
“Whether it’s swimming, hiking or exploring local sights on foot, physical exertion can help promote better sleep at night,” Seeley advised.
“Also, natural sunlight exposure helps reinforce your circadian rhythm, making it easier for you to fall asleep at night.”
6. Adjust your schedule
If you are traveling out of your time zone, Rohrscheib recommends adjusting your sleep schedule in the days leading up to your departure to make the transition easier.
“You can also help reset your biological clock by taking a low dose of melatonin at the time you wish to sleep while traveling,” Rohrscheib suggested.
Experts recommend avoiding the use of electronic devices at least an hour before bedtime. (iStock)
“Taking melatonin for a week before you leave can help you reset your biological clock faster.”
7. Limit screen time
“Avoid using electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets or laptops at least an hour before bedtime,” Seeley said.
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“The blue light emitted from screens can interfere with your body’s production of melatonin, the hormone that regulates our sleep.”
Rohrscheib also recommends avoiding bright lights — especially from electronic devices — the hour before you go to sleep at your destination.
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An accidental lab discovery has opened the door to entirely new ways of preventing the flu.
While investigating how influenza replicates, researchers discovered that different flu strains use completely different strategies to infiltrate human cells, SWNS reported.
By targeting the specific molecules the viruses rely on, scientists found that they could block them from entering new cells and halt their replication altogether.
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Researchers say these “fundamental insights” into seasonal influenza highlight a clear path toward developing better preventive medications.
“The hope is that fundamental, curiosity-based research like this helps to pave the way for novel strategies to treat and prevent influenza infections,” principal investigator Dr. Emily Bruce, from the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine, said in the SWNS report.
While investigating how influenza replicates, researchers discovered that different flu strains use completely different strategies to infiltrate human cells. (iStock)
While several flu strains cause illness, H1N1 and H3N2 influenza A viruses are the most common. However, current flu tests cannot differentiate between them, and clinical treatments are identical for both.
Although vaccines and antivirals are available, Bruce noted a “dire” need for better medications to stop the virus from spreading cell to xxcell.
“You don’t get sick when a virus is in one cell,” he noted. “You get sick because a virus replicates itself and goes into many more cells.”
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The study, which was published in The Journal of Virology, originally aimed to map how viral RNA segments are transported within cells to create new viral particles.
The team used H1N1 and H3N2 viruses isolated from the nasal passages of positive patients in 2022.
Clinical treatments remain identical for both primary strains of the flu virus. (iStock)
During the investigation, the team unexpectedly stumbled upon a cellular pathway that blocked the virus from entering lung cells, SWNS reported.
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The data revealed that when a specific human protein called Rab11B was depleted, H3N2 viruses failed to enter human lung cells. H1N1 viruses were completely unaffected.
Using reverse genetics, the team mapped this defect and uncovered a brand-new, H3N2-specific role for Rab11B during viral entry.
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This discovery challenged the scientific assumption that all flu viruses enter cells the same way.
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“Viruses are like pirates from different countries hijacking someone’s ship,” Bruce said. “Different viruses, like different types of pirates, use different methods to get onboard.”
This discovery challenged the scientific assumption that all flu viruses enter cells the same way. (iStock)
“We had previously thought that all flu viruses used the same way to get into a cell, but we discovered that this is not true,” she went on. “H1N1 and H3N2 need different proteins to get in, and if you get rid of the right protein, a specific virus can’t get in.”
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While these findings identify a critical cellular pathway for viral entry, the study was conducted using isolated cells, the researchers acknowledged.
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Further research is needed to determine whether blocking the protein is safe and effective within a live, complex human respiratory system.
Bruce and the team hope to conduct further research to determine whether this Rab11B-dependency is a fundamental property of H3N2, or if it’s a trait unique to currently circulating flu strains.
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Eating processed meat like ham, sausage and bacon may be linked to a higher risk of certain types of cancer, according to new research.
While health organizations have already confirmed that processed meat can contribute to colon cancer, this study looked closer at cancers in the upper digestive tract, where the link has historically been less clear.
To understand these connections, researchers from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), one of the world’s largest long-term nutrition and cancer cohorts, tracked the health and diets of 450,112 people across Europe for an average of 14 years.
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The study group included 131,426 men and 318,686 women, according to the study’s press release.
During the follow-up period, 876 people developed stomach cancer and 215 people developed esophageal adenocarcinoma, which is cancer of the tube connecting the mouth to the stomach.
For female participants, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk of developing the disease. (iStock)
Researchers tracked where the stomach cancers grew, separating them into the upper part of the stomach near the throat and the lower part of the stomach.
The researchers also sorted the tumors into two categories based on how the cancer cells appeared under a microscope: intestinal, which forms more organized structures, and diffuse, in which the cells are more scattered throughout the tissue.
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After adjusting for other lifestyle factors, the researchers found that for every extra 30 grams of processed meat a person ate per day, their overall risk of stomach cancer went up by 9%. Eating that same extra 30 grams a day was also linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma.
A standard single slice of regular deli-sliced ham or lunch meat averages around 28 grams, according to USDA data and nutritional tracking databases.
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken and turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach. (iStock)
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken or turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach, the researchers noted.
The study also revealed differences between men and women. For male participants, only processed meat showed a clear, statistically significant link to a higher risk of stomach cancer. For female participants, however, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk.
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These findings align with global health benchmarks, particularly those established by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer.
The agency has long classified processed meat as a known human carcinogen, primarily due to its strong, well-documented links to colorectal cancer.
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However, health organizations have also consistently pointed to a potential, yet less definitive, relationship between these meats and cancers of the stomach.
Eating 30 grams of processed meat a day, or the equivalent to one slice of ham, was linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma. (iStock)
Further scientific investigation is needed to confirm the findings and to account for other underlying risk factors, such as certain stomach infections, which could interact with dietary habits.
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A key limitation of the study is its reliance on self-reported diets, which can sometimes lead to inaccuracies in how participants recall their meat consumption over time, the researchers noted.
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The findings were published in the International Journal of Cancer.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers requesting comment.
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