Disney trip sleeping (or not)

[FutureDis]

Ok, I know there have to be many out there like me. I just CAN'T sleep the night before a trip!! I toss and turn and my brain just won't turn off. I usually take the earliest flight I can get to Disney (meaning I'm leaving the house by 4am), then I hit the parks as soon as I get there, staying until close. I can't help it, I'm a commando! The first night in a new hotel I have problems falling asleep too (especially at Disney!) Sometimes a Tylenol PM works, and sometimes it doesn't.

Anyone have any great tips for getting a good night sleep before (and during) your trip?

 

[kevind2112]

I have a horrible time falling asleep and staying asleep, even when I'm not about to go on a Disney vaca!

I find Melatonin helps a lot. I use the time release 5mg, and I can usually sleep though the night. It can be found at any CVS.

 

[kniquy]

Anyone have any great tips for getting a good night sleep before (and during) your trip?

the night before we leave is usually a bad sleep night for me too. We set about 6 alarms around the house, but still I worry we will wake up late and miss our flight.

To get a good night sleep I think you should just plan to go to the park on arrival day and leave by 8pm. This will give you time to unwind and get settled into your room. When you are on the go and running on Disney adrenaline it is often had to turn it off at the end of the night. So slowing yourself down a little earlier is beneficial.

Also prioritize your plans for the must do's, would like to do and the we can skip this time. And weed out things so you can slow down. When you pack too much into your trip trying to go from RD to close then you sometimes can not just take in the little things.

If you love Disney then I would actually get a book - one good one is the hidden magic of Walt Disney world. Reading it just gets you to slow down and notice the little things that actually make the park magical. Like finding Walt's window - truly magical all the details that have a purpose that if you run around commando you miss.

 

[FutureDis]

I have heard about Melatonin, but have not tried it. I will get some!! Kniguy, you are right about slowing down and enjoying things. I will!

 

[MikeNamez]

Alcohol does wonders.

 

[Wild4Walt]

I know, I never sleep well before leaving for a vacation. I'm always afraid I'll oversleep, I think - Did I pack everything, what will the weather be like, etc.

I usually try to put on the TV and that usually makes me relaxed and sleepy enough to stop thinking about everything and go to sleep.

 

[DLgal]

Melatonin doesn't work for me. I have the same issues OP. Melatonin simply gives me a headache, but doesn't make me sleepy at ALL.

I have found that the only OTC sleep aid that works for me is Unisom sleep tabs with doxylamine succinate (same active ingredient in NyQuil...it's an antihistamine). Maybe try those. No grogginess, no side effects the next day.

Being overtired makes it worse. Our last trip, I didn't sleep well the 2 nights leading up to the trip or the first 2 nights at the hotel. By day 3 of the vacation, I developed a horrible migraine, drugged myself up with meds (a muscle relaxer and a double dose of Aleve) and finally had a good night's sleep. I slept great the rest of the vacation.

Don't drink any caffeine if you can help it. Many people metabolize it VERY slowly and can affect your ability to fall asleep at night. Alcohol can also make things worse if you have a tendency to have insomnia. Alcohol makes my husband pass right out. Me? It makes me lie in bed, wide awake with a pounding heart and anxiety, even several hours after drinking. I drink, but keep it moderate, no more than 3 drinks a day, and I space them out on vacation. If I drink 3 drinks back to back a couple hours before bedtime, forget about sleeping.

I have also moved away from "the earliest possible flight time" and prefer to leave late morning or early afternoon. Early flights stress me out and make sleep impossible. If I don't have to set an alarm for a flight the next day and know I can sleep as late as I want, I sleep fine the day before travel.

 

[FutureDis]

I have also moved away from "the earliest possible flight time" and prefer to leave late morning or early afternoon. Early flights stress me out and make sleep impossible. If I don't have to set an alarm for a flight the next day and know I can sleep as late as I want, I sleep fine the day before travel.

I can certainly see the wisdom of taking a later flight, knowing I don't have to hit the ground running. I'm just not sure if I can bring myself to do it! I think I'll try some Unisom if the melatonin doesn't work. Thank you!

 

[Eve & Wall-e]

DH and I can't sleep the night before a Disney trip either. One of us usually yells out "I'm too excited to sleep!" It doesn't help that we lose three hours when we arrive, either. By the second night of our trip we end up going to bed early and have no problem falling asleep.