Good Sleeping Quality Brainstorm

[JeanneArashi]

Hi all!!!
One thing I worry most about my hike is the sleeping quality.
During the hike (I will be doing the france one starting from early June) we probably need to share a room with lots of people.
I sleep like dead most of the time but before I do fall asleep, I'm pretty sensitive to sound.
Earplug and listening to music don't really work for me as they themselves keep me awake too.
So far I can only think of sleeping earlier than others may help...
Anyone tried any other method or any suggestion?

 

[KinkyOne]

Hi, Jeanne,

A bit longer daily distance then you think is manageable for you and a glass or two of vino tinto before sleeping time might do the trick

And no afternoon naps!

Buen Camino!

 

[CdnDreamer]

Over the counter sleeping pills? I've used them when I knew I needed to get a good night's sleep. It wasn't the other people that were the problem - sometimes I had just walked so far that my legs, hips and feet would wake me up every time I moved during the night.

 

[Jun Meng]

Walk long, drink more, think less.

 

[Kanga]

No afternoon sleep! It can be hard to resist falling exhausted into a coma after a long walk, its a disaster if I want to sleep at night.

I’m not very sympathetic to those who expect silence in the afternoon so they an sleep and then wake everyone with their pre-dawn bag rustling.

 

[nycwalking]

I too sleep like the dead. I never had a problem falling asleep.

Only awakened twice in five camino due to someone screaming in their sleep.

Buen camino.

 

[Anamiri]

At home my husbands snoring drives me nuts, on the Camino I sleep like the dead. The snoring and sounds didn't bother me at all, they were sort of comforting. Good long walk, no afternoon nap, food and drink do the trick. You could try earplugs.
The only thing that broke through my sleep was the damn rustling of a supermarket bag, by a guy who started at 4am. Why?

 

[KinkyOne]

I'll jump in again on this thread because I remember something I wrote couple of years ago on the same forum and I got a lot of likes as I remember but that thread might be long forgotten.
I'm always last to go to bed (and last to leave the albergue too...) and usually I don't have any problems with falling asleep. But I do help myself a little with a certain technique if there is a lot of snoring in the dorm. First I chuckle for about 15 minutes because different styles of snoring (and barfs, farts, talking in dreams etc.) just makes me laugh. Then I pick the most annoying snoring sound and try to find a rhythmic pattern in it. I Try to adapt my breathing according to it. Then I pick the second most annoying snoring and repeat the process with adding it into primary pattern. I can't remember if I added the third most annoying snoring ever. It lulls me to sleep because I think my brain understand it as a form of music or natural rhythm and with my breathing adapted to this... no problem. Try it

Buenas noches

 

[Kurt5280]

I found that if I went a longer distance...and stopped with enough time to clean up before dinner...that I never had difficulty falling asleep after I ate dinner...however...being awoke way too early in the morning by other Pilgrims was another subject!

 

[november_moon]

I agree with the advice to walk a bit longer and avoid napping in the afternoon - that will help you fall asleep faster. Also, if you have any type of pre-sleep routine that you can also do on the Camino, that can get your body and mind into sleep mode. I almost always read before going to sleep, so I did that on the Camino too.

 

[Tony Murray]

I brought my own pillow cover/slip last year. It was a bit of a 'comfort blanket' -- but hey you need something. It helped me rest at ease not thinking about who and what was alive and living in the pillow.

 

[LesR]

Vino Tinto!,,

 

[Elle Bieling]

I can't do too much vino tinto, because then I will WAKE UP at 3:00 am and bother all the snorers because I have to use the bathroom! Then I have difficulty returning to sleep.

However, I do like, and have used the technique of moving into the rhythm of the snorer, after years of practice sleeping with my own husband. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Ha ha!

I use silicone ear plugs, which you might try over the foam ones. They seem to work better for me, although for you they might be bothersome as well.

Valerian Root is a nice herbal sleep aid and also Melatonin may help restore a sleep cycle if you suffer from jet lag. I have used both and they both work!

Buen Camino!

 

[tomnorth]

Hi all!!!
One thing I worry most about my hike is the sleeping quality.
During the hike (I will be doing the france one starting from early June) we probably need to share a room with lots of people.
I sleep like dead most of the time but before I do fall asleep, I'm pretty sensitive to sound.
Earplug and listening to music don't really work for me as they themselves keep me awake too.
So far I can only think of sleeping earlier than others may help...
Anyone tried any other method or any suggestion?

Be aware that at most albergues the lights out time is 10 pm. If you turn the lights out before then don’t be surprised if others turn them back on. My trick is playing white noise over ear buds, holding the ear buds in with a buff.

 

[Sunbun]

I can't do too much vino tinto, because then I will WAKE UP at 3:00 am and bother all the snorers because I have to use the bathroom! Then I have difficulty returning to sleep.

However, I do like, and have used the technique of moving into the rhythm of the snorer, after years of practice sleeping with my own husband. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Ha ha!

I use silicone ear plugs, which you might try over the foam ones. They seem to work better for me, although for you they might be bothersome as well.

Valerian Root is a nice herbal sleep aid and also Melatonin may help restore a sleep cycle if you suffer from jet lag. I have used both and they both work!

Buen Camino!

Just so people know, about 20% of people have a contralateral stimulant effect from Valerian. California Poppy can be a good choice for those folks at home, although it’s likely not available in capsule form. As always, try at home first!

 

[Sunbun]

Silicone earplugs didn’t work for me until I used a huge wad, and then they were great.

 

[JeanneArashi]

I'll jump in again on this thread because I remember something I wrote couple of years ago on the same forum and I got a lot of likes as I remember but that thread might be long forgotten.
I'm always last to go to bed (and last to leave the albergue too...) and usually I don't have any problems with falling asleep. But I do help myself a little with a certain technique if there is a lot of snoring in the dorm. First I chuckle for about 15 minutes because different styles of snoring (and barfs, farts, talking in dreams etc.) just makes me laugh. Then I pick the most annoying snoring sound and try to find a rhythmic pattern in it. I Try to adapt my breathing according to it. Then I pick the second most annoying snoring and repeat the process with adding it into primary pattern. I can't remember if I added the third most annoying snoring ever. It lulls me to sleep because I think my brain understand it as a form of music or natural rhythm and with my breathing adapted to this... no problem. Try it

Buenas noches

This sounds like a yoga lesson to me...

 

[JeanneArashi]

I should try the silicone earplugs before I go. See if it works

By the way I saw this in facebook
https://global.rakuten.com/en/store/matsucame/item/tsu4821/
It claims that it absorbs 126% of sound compared to urethan and block 99.9% of light XDDDDD
If I have money and strong I would buy one and bring it lol

 

[KinkyOne]

I should try the silicone earplugs before I go. See if it works

By the way I saw this in facebook
https://global.rakuten.com/en/store/matsucame/item/tsu4821/
It claims that it absorbs 126% of sound compared to urethan and block 99.9% of light XDDDDD
If I have money and strong I would buy one and bring it lol

126%???
What would an appropriate slogan for the add be?
"With our aid you will hear less than nothing!"
or
"You won't even hear your thoughts!"

 

[simeon]

If there is only one snorer. Breath in time with them... Works for me...

 

[oldskills]

I'll jump in again on this thread because I remember something I wrote couple of years ago on the same forum and I got a lot of likes as I remember but that thread might be long forgotten.
I'm always last to go to bed (and last to leave the albergue too...) and usually I don't have any problems with falling asleep. But I do help myself a little with a certain technique if there is a lot of snoring in the dorm. First I chuckle for about 15 minutes because different styles of snoring (and barfs, farts, talking in dreams etc.) just makes me laugh. Then I pick the most annoying snoring sound and try to find a rhythmic pattern in it. I Try to adapt my breathing according to it. Then I pick the second most annoying snoring and repeat the process with adding it into primary pattern. I can't remember if I added the third most annoying snoring ever. It lulls me to sleep because I think my brain understand it as a form of music or natural rhythm and with my breathing adapted to this... no problem. Try it

Buenas noches

I hope I have done the quote thing correctly.
I need to make copies of this and give to anyone who shares an albergue with me as according to my nearest and dearest I go for gold in the snoring department.

 

[oldskills]

Oh wow! It worked.

 

[KinkyOne]

I hope I have done the quote thing correctly.
I need to make copies of this and give to anyone who shares an albergue with me as according to my nearest and dearest I go for gold in the snoring department.

Ahem, me too...
Sometimes I sleep like I don't breathe at all and sometimes it's chainsaw/freight train/airplane takeoff combined

 

[Prentiss Riddle]

By the way I saw this in facebook
https://global.rakuten.com/en/store/matsucame/item/tsu4821/
It claims that it absorbs 126% of sound compared to urethan and block 99.9% of light XDDDDD

I suppose you could sleep with your head in your backpack!

 

[Prentiss Riddle]

Earplug and listening to music don't really work for me as they themselves keep me awake too.

I wonder how you’d do with SleepPhones? I haven’t tried them but some people swear by them. Perhaps with white noise or surf sounds if you can’t sleep with music.

 

[trecile]

I wonder how you’d do with SleepPhones? I haven’t tried them but some people swear by them. Perhaps with white noise or surf sounds if you can’t sleep with music.
View attachment 41226

I just use my regular earbuds to listen to podcasts. I've found that for me, listening to something is more effective than trying to block out sound.

 

[JeanneArashi]

I hope I have done the quote thing correctly.
I need to make copies of this and give to anyone who shares an albergue with me as according to my nearest and dearest I go for gold in the snoring department.

You may like to try this
https://global.rakuten.com/en/store/sleepmaster/item/1679/

If it works we should have a fund raising event for the albergues so that they can purchase few each.

 

[JeanneArashi]

I wonder how you’d do with SleepPhones? I haven’t tried them but some people swear by them. Perhaps with white noise or surf sounds if you can’t sleep with music.
View attachment 41226

I'm curious too. Maybe something like the sound of the rain is better coz it's continuous and I won't nervously wait when will the next sound happens...
US$40 though