Just can't get to sleep in my tent, but love camping?

[flanagaj]

I really enjoy bikepacking and camping, but not being able to sleep in my tent is making the trips really hard and spoiling it as I am not getting the sleep I need after a long days cycling.  I have always been really bad at sleeping in strange places.  You could put me in a 5* hotel and I would not sleep well until I had been there 3-4 days

I think getting used to sleeping in the tent will take longer too, but I don't want to have to spend weekends in the garden trying to get used to it.  Are there any magic over the counter sleeping aids that might help, or do I just have to accept that it is just going to require night after night in the back garden until it just becomes the norm?

[pro_out]

Give earplugs a try.  I have a friend that lives 30' front a railroad track and sleeps through the train passings like a baby, the same friend while staying at a motel on a fishing trip can't sleep because the TV in the room next to us was to loud, I could hardly hear it. Sounds that you're not used to can/will keep you awake.

[trebor]

Have you tried benadryl by chance? I rarely use sleep aids, but a single benadryl has helped me get to sleep when I can't seem to wind down. No recollection of any morning grogginess after.

I always carry a few in my first aid kit anyway. Just in case of allergy/anaphylaxis from bee stings or the like.

[ezdoesit]

Have you tried a hammock

[flanagaj]

I think it is a combination of the following

a) strange surroundings and not being in my usual bed
b) having been riding all day I find it hard to sleep as I feel quite wired

Maybe I will try the Benadryl

But, sometimes, I think if I want to get used to camping then I just need to spend nights and nights sleeping in my tent until I get used to it.  Might sound strange, but I am one of those odd balls who can't sleep during the day no matter how tired I maybe

[FatCloud]

I find the excitement for next days ride and the adrenaline from the days before ride can keep me from sleeping too.


Usually just ends up meaning I sleep late in the morning, except when I'm stealth camping, which usually means I nap the next day. It all works out in the end.

[JRA]

Probably not the best advice but..............
try riding harder, longer and drinking heavily at the end of the day!  :-D

[Cawlin]

You could try some natural remedies to help you relax such as chamomile tea or valerian root tea. Ear plugs or even music sometimes helps me fall asleep when I'm camping alone.

[FatCloud]

Probably not the best advice but..............
try riding harder, longer and drinking heavily at the end of the day!  :-D

I will take this advice even when not sleeping in tents.

[wahday]

I would echo the benadryl option. It typically lasts 6-8 hours, so shouldn't make you too groggy in the long run. Its actually what they give to animals when they fly. Its a mild sedative. As with Trebor, I always have a few in my emergency kit for allergic reactions.

Although people often look to alcohol for a sleep aid, it actually usually results in a more fitful sleep. Now I usually bring a little hooch with me on a trip for general relaxation after dinner. But I don't expect it to help me sleep.

[Area54]

Light stretch, massage?

[james-o]

I was the same when first bivi-ing during hike/climbing trips. It gets easier the more you do it. Being familiar with your bag, tarp set up, the crinkle of the neo-air etc makes it like sleeping at home after a while.

[Payton MacDonald]

Agreed, it gets easier the more you do it.  Be careful about caffeine, too.  Many of us use it throughout the day to keep the legs moving, but it can mess up your sleep pretty badly.  I use it in the early afternoon only and try not to use it after about 3:00 p.m. 

After riding 12+ hours your adrenal system is overtaxed and it can strangely react by keeping you wired rather than letting you shut down.  What we do is cool and adventurous but not necessarily the best for the body, though it's definitely good for the soul!

Try the Benadryl, and you might also try melatonin.   The latter doesn't work for me, but does for many folks.

[woody]

Give Tylenol PM a try as well.

Woody

[AZTtripper]

To me it seems like what keeps me awake is when my mind is racing.

Lately I have been using the Breath Sutra to keep my mind focused, I only have 12 of the 16 lines memorized. I never get all the way thru it twice before falling asleep.

1. "Breathing in a long breath, I know I am breathing in a long breath. Breathing out a long breath I know I am breathing out a long breath."

2. "Breathing in a short breath, I know I am breathing in a short breath. Breathing out a short breath I know I am breathing out a short breath."

3. "Breathing in I am aware of my whole body. Breathing out I am aware of my whole body."

4. "Breathing in I calm my whole body. Breathing out I calm my whole body."

5. Breathing in, I feel joyfull. Breathing out, I feel joyfull.

6. Breathing in, I feel happy. Breathing out, I feel happy.

7 Breathing in, I am aware of my mental formations. Breathing out, I am aware of my mental formations.

8. Breathing in, I calm my mental formations. Breathing out, I calm my mental formations.

9. Breathing in, I am aware of my mind. Breathing out, I am aware of my mind.

10. Breathing in, I make my mind happy. Breathing out, I make my mind happy.

11. Breathing in, I concentrate on my mind. Breathing out, I concentrate on my mind.

12. Breathing in, I liberate my mind. Breathing out, I liberate my mind.

[nick]

Maybe you could hold your breath until you pass out

[JMW4]

Benedryl, you'll get used to it over time.

[james-o]

There's also cortisol levels to deal with, that can keep you awake or prevent restful sleep. I used to have issues with it after long rides, still do but less so. The stress of a long and high-intensity ride (beyond your regular ride levels) raises cortisol levels, a stress hormone I think, and produces a high heart rate and fitful sleep. The only way past this is to get fitter, but as I got fitter I needed the rest so I used a couple of aspirin for blood thinning, a large recovery shake right after the ride, plenty of good food that evening and nytol later if I couldn't drop off.

[flanagaj]

Benedryl seems to be mentioned a fair bit on here so will look into that.  What James-O mentions seems to be the exact issue I am talking about.  Cycling for 9-11 hours (3 more than your normal weekend ride when not bike packing) means you have stressed the body way more than normal and you end up with an elevated heart rate.  The higher heart rate and raised cortisol are most likely the reason for the poor nights sleep.

It's a bit of a double edge sword, as on a normal weekend I don't have the time to ride back to back 9 hour rides to keep up the fitness and then when I do have the time for a bike packing trip I end up riding all day and most likely too far and for too long.

Maybe on my next trip I will cut down the expected daily mileage, and keep the heart rate down as much as possible.  If that fails and I am still not sleeping I can pop a Benedryl

[james-o]

You could raise your fitness with short, sharp rides, stay within Z2-Z3 levels on longer rides and you should sleep ok. Bike-packing sleep should be the easiest, after all those miles and a full stomach in a warm sleeping bag : )