Tips to Help Families Sleep in a Hotel
Disclosure: Our family received a free night in a Holiday Inn Express to check out the Snoozapalooza promotion. Who would turn down a great family night out, and a chance to stay in a hotel with a water slide? All opinions are our own.
Our family travels a lot and does quite a few StayCations a year in the Maritimes.
Although we love getting away, it’s not always easy for our family to stay in one room to sleep.
My husband likes to stay up very late. I like to read before I go to sleep.
Thomas falls asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow, and Daniel takes a minimum of 45 minutes to fall asleep. While Daniel is trying to fall asleep, he tosses and turns and makes a lot of noise. This is fine when he’s home in his own room, but when we’re all in one hotel room, it’s very challenging, as he keeps Thomas from falling asleep and me from reading (because he doesn’t like the light).
Over the past 10 years we have developed some tips for falling asleep as a family in a hotel!
- Move the clock. The kids say they sleep better when they can see the time. This way, they know if they can get up, or should try to fall back asleep.
- Bring a flashlight. Every time I pack, I always include a flashlight. When I am reading at night, I don’t have to use the overhead lamps. Before this, there were many times I was sitting, reading in the bathroom! Now, I try to bring my e-reader and adjust the brightness function. However, the light still tends to bother the kids.
- Bring a mask. The hotel might even have one you can have. I always pack eye masks, so the kids can block out the light from our reading, and helps them calm down.
- Bring earplugs. Same with the eye mask. They create a sensory deprivation zone and help the kids calm and block out noise from other family members. These take awhile to get used to, so you might want to try using them ahead of time.
- Have something to keep the kids quiet. Daniel needs an activity to do right before bed to quiet his mind. Also, when he wakes up earlier than everyone, he needs to have something quiet to do so he doesn’t wake everyone else up. For us, it’s a tablet where he can listen to audio stories, music, or play games in the morning.
- Set up the TV. Before parents go to sleep, set up the TV to a kids’ channel and put it on a low volume. That way, when the kids wake up, you can roll over, turn on the TV, and roll back for a few more ZZZzzzsss.
- Sleeping activities and games. We always bring a story to read so the kids can listen calmly. Sometimes we play an audio story to keep them quiet. Other times we resort to… who can go the longest without making any noise? Or in worst case scenarios, we’ll pay you $1 if you can not make a noise for 15 minutes!
Need a few more ideas?
The Holiday Inn Express is featuring a program called Snoozapalooza until December 18.
On the weekends, Holiday Inn Express hotels across Canada, the United States and Mexico will extend the hours of
their Express Start breakfast bar from 7 a.m. – noon, and extend check out hours until noon on Saturdays and Sundays. Guests are encouraged to sleep-in.
Here are 7 more Snoozapalooza Sleep Tips
1. Enjoy a “sleep sanctuary”. We sleep better in a dark environment. Make sure your shades are fully closed for complete darkness. Blue light from TV, mobile phones and laptops can interfere with sleep. Try shutting down all devices an hour before you head to bed.
2. Cool down, and wind down. Most people enjoy a cool night’s sleep. Adjust the temperature to between 15 to 20 degrees to create a cool sleeping environment. Also take some time to stretch after a long day.
In the booklet, there are a few suggestions for some simple yoga stretches.
3. Get comfy. Check out the Holiday Inn Express pillow menu. You can have your choice of Firm or Soft pillows.
4. Release your inner chatter. Some of your best ideas come to you when you lay down for the night. Use a notepad to get them out of your head, on paper, and you back to bed.
5. Find your ideal position. Remember you are not at home, so spread out.
6. Relax before bed. Take time to wind down from the day. A relaxing activity such as the colouring pages in the book can calm you down, or you can read or listen to music.
7. Make sure the noise is right. Check the noise level in your room – maybe stream a white nose sound on your phone.
Visit staysmart.com/sleep for more information.
For more information about Holiday Inn Express hotels or to book reservations, visit www.holidayinnexpress.com. Find us on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/hiexpress or Facebook www.Facebook.com/holidayinnexpress.
The next time you are booking your family night out of town, book with the IHG Group and the Holiday Inn Express.
Have a great night sleep by following the above sleep tips. And if you’re lucky, you might just get to sleep in!
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