How to Get the Best Sleep Outdoors This Summer

Getting away from the clamor of your city and finding peace outdoors can be a breath of fresh air. But if you're used to sleeping with the amenities of your home, you may have a hard time getting the best sleep outdoors. Sleeping while camping can involve a variety of barriers, from strange and unfamiliar sounds to uncontrollable temperatures and weather. With that in mind, we've explored the benefits of sleeping outdoors and how to sleep comfortably outside while you're there.

What are the benefits of sleeping outdoors?

Sleeping outdoors can impart several benefits, some of which may be intuitive while others might surprise you. For starters, getting away from artificial lights and environments can help your body reset your circadian rhythm. In fact, simply spending time outdoors can improve your mental health and quality of sleep. Your immune system may also get a boost from exposure to more natural diversity of life and elements outdoors.

If you've been having trouble sleeping indoors and spending much of the nighttime exposing yourself to artificial light, you may have negatively impacted your melatonin production. This hormone is produced by the pineal gland during darkness and facilitates healthy sleep, but its production in the body is impeded by exposure to light. In nature, once the sun goes down, the body knows to begin producing melatonin. However, if you're sitting under a bright lightbulb with a screen pointed at your eyes, your body can get confused and may underproduce this hormone.

If you're interested in pursuing the benefits of sleeping outdoors, it may be wise to strategize first. Despite the potential barriers to outdoor sleeping, you can use several tips and tricks to help your body get the sleep it needs.

5 tips for sleeping outdoors comfortably

When sleeping outdoors, there are several ways you can increase your convenience and comfort without sacrificing the benefits of outdoor sleeping. While each of the tips below aims to help you sleep outdoors, you may find some more beneficial than others and may have some of your own that aren't on this list. Still, the below tips can be an excellent starting point for those new to sleeping outdoors.

Bring the right equipment

Comfort and insulation are vital components of a good night's sleep outdoors. For this reason, campers should consider bringing a sleeping bag, sleeping pad and pillow. The sleeping bag and pad can help make the ground more comfortable while also offering insulation. The addition of a pillow can help you sleep through the night and reduce the risks of waking up with a stiff neck.

Depending on the climate and season where you're camping, you may want a sleeping bag graded for extreme cold or one that allows for more breathing and cooler sleeping. People who camp in diverse temperatures may benefit from keeping multiple types of sleeping bags on hand. Looking beyond sleep gear, bringing the right cookware can help ensure you have a tasty, filling meal before bedtime.

Find a flat surface

It's essential to identify a suitable location before setting up a tent or staking out a spot for sleep. Among the crucial factors for such a location is the grade of the slope. In short, you'll want to find a place where the ground is relatively flat and level. That can help with general conveniences like items not rolling away, but it is also good practice for your body. Sleeping on level ground is generally better for your body, and because it's more comfortable than inclined ground, it can make it easier to sleep through the night.

Keep it dry

Before bedding down for the night, ensure all your clothing and bedding are dry. If you have wet clothes, you can hang them out to dry or store them, but don't sleep in them. Take special care that your socks are dry if you intend to sleep in socks. Not only is sleeping in the damp uncomfortable, it's also a health risk because it can lead to the growth of fungi and bacteria. For instance, sleeping in wet socks can create the perfect environment for athlete's foot to grow. Ultimately, it may be wisest to keep an extra set of clothing for sleeping in and storing these clothes in dry, water-proofed storage when not in use.

Try earplugs or an eye mask

Depending on the time of year and location, you may find that bright light and loud noises are still a problem, even in nature. Imagine going camping only to discover that cicadas are beginning their summer song that night. To help with noise problems, consider bringing earplugs to sleep with. If too much light is also a problem, an eye mask can help prevent it from bothering your eyes and disrupting sleep. There are several varieties of eye masks and earplugs, so it may be wise to experiment with different types before choosing which to take.

Wind down with a book or meditation

Finally, many techniques can help with sleep, whether outdoors or indoors. For instance, reading something before sleep can help to relax the body and mind, preparing it to drift off. Likewise, meditation and breathing exercises can help calm the body and mind and place it in a near-sleep state. You can also double up on these two and bring a book of guided meditations to read at night. In a similar vein, journaling has also been shown to help reduce anxiety and stress, allowing the brain to let go of the day and prepare for sleep. 

Looking for more tips? Try Best 9 Yoga Poses for Sleep, 8 Ways to Keep Seasonal Allergies From Ruining Your Sleep and The Telltale Signs You Might Have Insomnia.