It can be terribly disorientating. Laid in a different bed…in an unfamiliar layout…listening to strange room-sounds you’re not used to. Not to mention the fact you’ve been concentrating twice as hard all day meeting new people, networking through lunch and drinking one-too-many gin and tonics at the team building session that evening.
Don’t get us wrong: here at Rapid we do everything we can to make sure you have the most comfortable bed and peaceful room possible. But still, getting your head down while working away from home can be a real challenge.
It’s why we wanted to share some of our top tips to help you get a better night’s sleep. Ready? Let’s do it:
STICK TO A ROUTINE – While you’re working away, it might be your routine is knocked out-of-sync a little. But try to go to bed at the normal time you would at home. This will help normalise things a little. Or if you’re travelling for a longer period, try to at least settle into a new routine while you’re away.
CAFFEINE CURFEW – This is a major one. Even though it might seem like a good idea to take advantage of the free tea and coffee, put your feet up and turn on the TV. Don’t. Caffeine is the enemy of sleep. Avoid drinking tea, coffee or caffeine-loaded energy drinks (obviously) after 6pm. Opt for squash, water or even a hot chocolate if you must. Just. Avoid. Caffeine.
OFFSET THE ALCOHOL – Look, we’re not going to sit here and be so naïve as to tell you not to drink before bed. We understand when you’re working away on business, it’s par for the course to have a beer or two while networking with new clients or fellow colleagues. But it does play havoc with your sleep, so be conscious of drinking too much. Make sure you drink plenty of water to counteract the dehydrating effects.
TIDY ROOM, TIDY MIND – Without sounding like a nagging mother, one thing you can do to help ensure a good night’s sleep is make sure your room is in decent shape. We know, we know. It seems a little silly…but if you’ve got luggage and conference notes strewn all over the room, it’s going to disrupt you subconsciously, more than you even realise. So, make sure you spruce up the suite before getting your head down.
PUT DOWN THE PHONE – We’re all a bit guilty of this. You know how it works: you change for bed, brush your teeth and close the curtains. And then…as you get into bed…BOOM. Out comes the mobile and you spend half an hour checking all the important (not at all important) news and social media updates you haven’t missed since the last time you checked an hour ago. It’s hard, we know, but put the phone down with your toothbrush and you’ll sleep much sounder.
RELAX MIND AND BODY – Instead of blasting your brain with a load of bright, electrical noise before bed, a much better option is to peacefully tire your eyes and brain with a book. Something that takes your mind off all you’ve been thinking about that day and calmly allows you to drift off into….zzzz.
Ah. Huh? What happened there? Sorry, we must have dozed off. It won’t happen again. We promise. In fact, when you book your business accommodation through Rapid, you’ll have a travel assistant on hand all through the night, 24/7, to help you out with any problems you encounter during your stay.
So, to find out how it we work and how we can help you organise your business accommodation, call us on 0330 090 41 42.