First Night Syndrome

EvelynD2

EvelynD2

Sweet Shoppe SugarBabe
I have had to deal with this problem for years and now I know what it actually is. Thank you, Dr. Google! First Night Syndrome- The "first-night syndrome," scientifically known as the first-night effect (FNE), is a natural phenomenon where you experience disrupted, poor-quality sleep the first time you sleep in an unfamiliar environment(like a hotel, new apartment, or sleep lab).
 
Uhhhh I have had a lot of those with all the travel I did the second half of June. And now we are taking the trailer out for the July 4th weekend so another FNE coming up. No wonder my sleep has been so poor - but I have been having fun :)
 
JillW said:
I've never heard of that! I am sure that happens to me! But then again ... I have chronic insomnia so I guess it really doesn't matter WHERE I am, I just don't sleep well.
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Jill, I have started taking Melatonin to help me sleep. I think my mind just keeps churning and dwelling on things. I was also interested in those sleep apps. I might try them sometime. As it is, I have to sleep with earplugs because Tod still makes noises even with his CPAP mask on. Not every night but just let me forget to put my earplugs in and there he goes! :)
 
Sherly said:
That's what my husband has when we go on holiday and he has to sleep on a new-to-him bed. Now I know...
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I just found out on this trip that this was an actual thing. I thought it was just me having problems sleeping in a different place.
 
EvelynD2 said:
I just found out on this trip that this was an actual thing. I thought it was just me having problems sleeping in a different place.
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I thought he was just being fussy... Apparently it is a big deal for him. I am glad that our children are more adaptable than him, otherwise, I don't think I can deal with more than 1 fussy sleeper.
 
EvelynD2 said:
Jill, I have started taking Melatonin to help me sleep. I think my mind just keeps churning and dwelling on things. I was also interested in those sleep apps. I might try them sometime. As it is, I have to sleep with earplugs because Tod still makes noises even with his CPAP mask on. Not every night but just let me forget to put my earplugs in and there he goes! :)
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I'm sorry you struggle as well! I've been on sleep meds for nearly 15 years now, but they don't work the best and I refuse to up the dosage. (They really aren't sleep meds - they are for depression - which I don't have, but they make me relax.) I can't even imagine crawling into bed, falling right asleep and waking up when it was daylight - lol.
 
JillW said:
I'm sorry you struggle as well! I've been on sleep meds for nearly 15 years now, but they don't work the best and I refuse to up the dosage. (They really aren't sleep meds - they are for depression - which I don't have, but they make me relax.) I can't even imagine crawling into bed, falling right asleep and waking up when it was daylight - lol.
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I've been praying for you about your eyes. I will pray you get better sleep, too! ((((((HUGS))))
 
We are planning to take the trailer out for the first camp trip of this summer. We are going to hike to a lake as well. We are going to a new area so hopefully it won't be too crowded and we will enjoy it.
 
Ugh I’ve been experience that for two nights now as I’m back at my parents house with my girls for vacation. There’s the jet lag for sure so I’m super tired during the day but can’t seem to stay asleep for more than an hour at a time at night. I’m exhausted and very uncomfortable on this harder than usual bed and it’s hot too without AC. The older I get the harder it is to travel. I just hope it won’t be like that for the next 2 weeks!
 
JillW said:
I've never heard of that! I am sure that happens to me! But then again ... I have chronic insomnia so I guess it really doesn't matter WHERE I am, I just don't sleep well.
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This is totally me!! Doesn't matter where I am...and I'm soooo jelous of my BF!!
As soon as he sees his pillow he sleeps :oops::sleep:
 
I used to fall asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. Until I hurt my back. With chronic pain, it's highly unusual for me to sleep more than 3 or 4 hours in a row. Most of the time, I wake up within an hour of going to sleep, but I can go back to sleep. After doing that a few more times, I'll get up and read in the living room in my recliner, or I cross stitch and watch an old movie. It's very hard to be at the top of your game when your sleep is so interrupted.

I know that I've experienced the first night syndrome and the reverse first night syndrome. Two weeks ago, I went to visit my aunt and was there two nights. Then Jay and I went to Georgia to pick up his mom, and I had one night there. Both times I had a hard time sleeping while there, and even when I got home.
 
Those first nights anywhere else is a real thing. I didn't know it was something with a name, but I know I had this as a child as well. Now with the hormones rushing up and down, I can't remember to have a proper nights sleep of 8 or more hours. I think I'm happy when I get 4 hours, go to the toilet and fall back asleep again, without being awake and on my phone for at least an hour... The recent heatwave didn't help either...
 
I've never noticed it because I have trouble sleeping even at home but I'm sure I experience it when I go on vacations. This last trip had me in a different hotel almost every night. 1 night in Vancouver, the next night on a train. 3rd/4th nights in Jasper, 5th night in Lake Louise, 6th/7th nights in Banff and 8th night in Calgary. The pillows are the issue for me. I have a cervical support pillow at home and getting a regular pillow to work for me is hard.
 
Never heard of that but it does make sense.

I often struggle with sleep too. My brain goes into overdrive when I'm not doing anything else and that keeps me awake. I have to be towards the over-tired stage as in cannot keep my eyes open any more, before I try and get to sleep.

The worst thing I have about sleeping in hotels is the inability to control the temperature. Most have windows locked shut for safety reasons which I struggle with most, I have my window open even a little year round, I like to have fresh air in the room.

It's strange to see so many of us have issues and quirks with what is a natural bodily function!
 
JillW said:
I'm sorry you struggle as well! I've been on sleep meds for nearly 15 years now, but they don't work the best and I refuse to up the dosage. (They really aren't sleep meds - they are for depression - which I don't have, but they make me relax.) I can't even imagine crawling into bed, falling right asleep and waking up when it was daylight - lol.
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Have you tried magnesium?
 
porkchopsmom said:
Have you tried magnesium?
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Thanks for the info! I haven't tried it but I definitely will!!

Last night was brutal. I took my evening bath (like I do every night - that helps me relax a little ... usually) at 9 so was in bed by 9:30 - 4AM this morning, still not asleep. I tossed and turned and was up and down and up and down. It's so aggravating! I don't have any worries or woes to think about ... it is like my body just won't physically relax!
 
Leablahblah said:
Ugh I’ve been experience that for two nights now as I’m back at my parents house with my girls for vacation. There’s the jet lag for sure so I’m super tired during the day but can’t seem to stay asleep for more than an hour at a time at night. I’m exhausted and very uncomfortable on this harder than usual bed and it’s hot too without AC. The older I get the harder it is to travel. I just hope it won’t be like that for the next 2 weeks!
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Hoping you can find your sleep rhythm and get some rest Lea!! I hope you have a great time, albeit the sleep issues, on your trip!!
 
Wow! It's an actual thing? I am like this every time we sleep in a hotel! However, not on the Disney Cruise ship. But their beds were so amazingly comfortable (and we were exhausted from going, going, going).
 
EvelynD2 said:
Jill, I have started taking Melatonin to help me sleep. I think my mind just keeps churning and dwelling on things. I was also interested in those sleep apps. I might try them sometime. As it is, I have to sleep with earplugs because Tod still makes noises even with his CPAP mask on. Not every night but just let me forget to put my earplugs in and there he goes! :)
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My husband snores and we had an agreement from our first night married, if he wakes me up snoring, I nudge him or bump him some. He will usually role over and go right back to sleep. But it stops the snoring so I can finally fall asleep. Works for us!
 
fruitysuet said:
Never heard of that but it does make sense.

I often struggle with sleep too. My brain goes into overdrive when I'm not doing anything else and that keeps me awake. I have to be towards the over-tired stage as in cannot keep my eyes open any more, before I try and get to sleep.

The worst thing I have about sleeping in hotels is the inability to control the temperature. Most have windows locked shut for safety reasons which I struggle with most, I have my window open even a little year round, I like to have fresh air in the room.

It's strange to see so many of us have issues and quirks with what is a natural bodily function!
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Why is it that hotel air conditioners never seem to work properly? We don't have AC in our home, but we have ceiling fans, stand fans and window units. I would take any of those in a hotel, just to be able to have more control of the air!
 
aussiegirl said:
Why is it that hotel air conditioners never seem to work properly? We don't have AC in our home, but we have ceiling fans, stand fans and window units. I would take any of those in a hotel, just to be able to have more control of the air!
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I frequently take my own fan with me and an extension cord because the power sockets are rarely next to the bed!
 
fruitysuet said:
I frequently take my own fan with me and an extension cord because the power sockets are rarely next to the bed!
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We just brought USB-charged mini fans on a trip (for use out and about) and my husband set them up on the nightstand between the beds, plugged into the wall USB charging ports, while we slept. I need to remember to do this every trip from now on because I was wedged into the corner with no other airflow.
 
Interesting! That is why I always bring my own pillow & usually crank the AC down to freezing as soon as we get into our hotel room! lol
 
And the longer I lay there, the more my mind wanders. . .are there bed bugs? What happened in this bed on these sheets before me? Then I start to itch. lol I have a 10 hours box fan as a Spotify playlist, so I crank that up and try to relax while drowning out the weird noises. I'm going to travel again this summer with the kid who props her feet up on her suitcase and sleeps at the airport. I don't know how she does it.
 
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