How to Make Hotel Beds More Comfortable
A client of mine told me that she was going to skip out on a reunion trip because she can never sleep while on the road. Hotel beds are just not comfortable.
Escaping from work and enjoying some R&R is an important part of keeping your time management and productivity skills sharp, so I’d hate for anyone to miss out on any length of vacation because of uncomfortable hotel beds. Additionally, if you get sleep deprived on work trips, that’s not a good thing either because your decision-making skills will be less than stellar. So, whether for professional or personal reasons, making a hotel bed more comfortable is very important.
Here are some reasons why hotel beds aren’t as comfortable as your bed at home:
*It’s different – the mattress, the pillows, the sheets, the environment.
*The mattress is too firm or too soft.
*The sheets are too hot or scratchy.
*The pillows are too high, low, firm or soft.
*The room is too hot or cold. (It’s not the bed, but it affects your sleep.)
*The surroundings aren’t quiet enough.
When you figure out why hotel beds aren’t comfortable for you, you can apply the fixes:
*Mindset – Instead of telling yourself you’ll have sleepless nights in a different environment, reframe it as an adventure or a test-drive for future mattress and bedding shopping.
*Mattress – A yoga mat can help firm up a mattress that’s too soft. (Pack your own mat.) Sleeping on a folded blanket or comforter can soften a mattress that’s too firm. You can request leaving an extra one of these in the Special Requests box when you’re reserving your room. You can also bring your own mattress top. Here are examples of inflatable and roll up travel mattress tops.
*Sheets – If you can determine your preferred material and thread count, you can find hotels that offer this type of bedding. Or you can bring your own.
*Pillows – If you need a particular type of pillow (synthetic, down stuffing, etc.) or extras for propping up your head or legs, you can request that on your reservation form. If you need to elevate your head or legs with a wedge pillow, here are some for travel.
*Temperature – Adjust the A/C or heat as soon as you enter the room to allow time for it to reach the right temperature by bedtime.
*Quiet – Invest in earplugs! Or you can pipe in white noise through your phone.
If you’ll only be gone one or two nights, you might not want to put effort into all of these, but one or two could make a big enough difference to help you sleep better. I have friends and clients who travel with a suitcase of sleep supplies. I also know of some that order these yearly for their longer vacations and have them shipped directly to the hotel. Upon their departure, they donate them to a local charity or gift them to a member of the staff.
For me personally, the only item I pack specifically for sleep is ear plugs. When I get to a hotel, I immediately do a room check:
*Are there enough pillows? If not, I request them from housekeeping ASAP.
*Is the mattress too hard? If so, I request an extra comforter.
*Is the mattress too soft? If so, I request firm pillows. Sleeping on these will firm up the bed.
*How’s the room temperature? I make any adjustments before heading out.
It’s rare that housekeeping arrives immediately, which is why I put my request in early. They can leave the delivery in the room since they have a key. Having said that, it’s also pretty rare now that I need to order anything because many hotels now already provide these amenities in the room. They’re competing with Airbnb and VRBO, so they’re keen on winning the comfort game.
Here’s to a comfortable hotel bed on your next trip!
For tips on how to make better decisions (especially if you haven’t gotten a great night’s sleep), check out The Inefficiency Assassin: Time Management Tactics for Working Smarter, Not Longer.
