With an expected 100,000 festival-goers set to descend on Reading this weekend, the experts at Sleepseeker have created a guide to help festival-goers ensure they get a good night’s rest.
“Sleep is an essential function that allows your body and mind to recharge,” said Karen Innes, New Product Development Manager at SleepSeeker.
“When you don’t get enough sleep, it can impair your cognitive ability and increase your risk of conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and poor mental health.
“A lack of sleep while at a festival could leave you feeling fatigued and grumpy the next day and unable to enjoy the fun with your friends to the fullest.
“However, there are several things you can do to improve your chances of getting some undisturbed sleep while at a noisy festival this summer.”
Bring earplugs and an eye mask
The noise and light coming in through thin tents can increase the time it takes for you to fall asleep, and potentially disrupt your rest throughout the night. Bring an eye mask to block out any light and ear plugs to silence those noisy neighbours.
Create a comfy space
Sleeping in a tent can be uncomfortable at the best of times, so try to create a comfortable sleep environment. It’s worth investing in a decent airbed and bringing a good pillow and duvet as this makes all the difference when trying to nod off.
Bring warm clothes
Temperatures can drop drastically overnight, especially when staying in a tent. Even if the weather forecast is warm for the daytime, make sure you bring thick pyjamas, warm socks and extra blankets to ensure the cold doesn’t keep you up overnight.
Avoid consuming alcohol right before sleeping
While alcohol might help us get to sleep quicker, it results in poorer sleep quality and duration as it reduces rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Avoiding alcohol altogether while at a festival can be tricky, however, the closer to bed you have a drink, the more it affects your sleep. Refraining from consuming any alcohol in the hour before heading to sleep will help you feel more rested when morning comes.
Give yourself time to relax
Heading to bed after a day of loud music and dancing will make it difficult to switch off and get to sleep so give yourself some time between getting back to your tent and sleeping to unwind and relax. This doesn’t have to be long, just 10 to 20 minutes of downtime is enough to help improve your sleep.
Prioritise your sleep after the festival
Recovering from sleep debt can take a few days so prioritise getting your body to get back into a good pattern after the festival. Try incorporating some exercise into your day which will ensure you have deeper and more restorative sleep, and head to bed 15 minutes earlier each night until you reach your desired bedtime, avoiding caffeine or electronics in the hour before bedtime to really help regulate your sleeping pattern.
For more information: www.sleepseeker.co.uk
