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Travel
and Insomnia
Based on my unscientific observations, it seems that people
tend to sleep better when they travel than when they are at
home.
This is especially true when they travel to places they've never
been to and are very different from home.
My theory for why this is true is that travel, especially
travel to completely new places, strongly stimulates the mind
with new sights, sounds and smells.
Also, when you travel, your usual routine or schedule is thrown
out the window. The new environment and routine gives the
brain a great deal of work to do because it needs to process
all of the new information. This causes the brain to recuperate
from this work by sleeping more soundly.
Travel Lifestyle
Therefore, if you have trouble sleeping but find that you
tend to sleep better when you travel, consider having a travel
lifestyle. For example, you could find a job that requires
significant travel. Or, of course, you can make a point to
travel on your vacations or even on the weekends.
If you want to maximize your chances of getting good sleep
when you travel, don't go to the exact same place twice if
possible. Your mind will get a better workout if you keep
it stimulated with brand new places and experiences. Not to
mention that going to totally new places if often enormously
fun.
Travel Alternative
If you are not able to travel, but would like to get some
of the benefits of it, you can watch travel TV shows. I normally
do not encourage watching TV for sleep benefits (unless it's
just before bedtime) because TV watching is often passive
and mind numbing. However, there are at least a couple of
good travel shows that are stimulating because watching them
is almost like traveling yourself. I'm mainly talking about
Rick Steves' Europe travel show and Globe Trekker.
Rick Steves' Europe travel show dives deeply into Europe's
major cities as well as small villages that few travelers
have encountered. The show helps travelers connect intimately
and authentically with Europe and Europeans.
Globe Trekker is even more exotic. Each episode features a
host who goes with a camera crew to a country and experiences
the sights, sounds, people and culture that the location offers.
The shows sometimes feature detailed city, beach, dive, shopping,
history, festival, and food guides. Globe Trekker often goes
beyond typical tourist destinations and attractions to give
viewers a more realistic vantage point of the country.
Travel can be fun, mentally and physically challenging and
help you to sleep better. Travel more in any way you can.
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