A patient was telling me recently how much she had enjoyed her holiday in Spain – but also how it took her several days to get used to the harder bed! So here are a few handy travel tips:
My own experience of beds abroad (Greece and Spain in particular) is that they can be very hard. Also, they are often single, even if they have been pushed together to simulate a double.
There are normally some spare blankets or fleeces in the wardrobe, so I take a couple of these, fold each in half so as to fit, and lay them over the mattress, underneath the bottom sheet. This gives a layer of yield which can be most helpful.
Likewise, if you are sleeping on your back, having a pillow (or two) under your knees. This mimics lying on a contoured recliner, and helps take the pressure off your weary lumbar spine.
*
If you are on a coach holiday, try to vary which side of the coach you sit, so that you are not always turning your head the same way to look at the view. Our necks can get quite tight always looking the same way, so it’s a good idea to alternate, or at least vary it every now and then. The same principle applies to long train journeys.
*
A long-haul flight? Here a foam neck-collar is your friend – the kind that wraps all the way round so that you can rest your chin on it. Those horse-shoe cushions don’t support your chin very well, so that your head can loll around most uncomfortably while you are sleeping.
And ergonomically, it’s more comfortable for your back to push your suitcase, rather than pull it. Try it.
*
Most travelling (whether planes, trains or automobiles) involves a lot of sitting, as well as strange beds and pillows. Hotel pillows are often far too thick. If you are with your own car, it can be good idea to take at least one of your own pillows (if not two).
And even a travelling mattress topper, if you have the space.
Driving of course means lots of sitting. You know those long-handled cotton tote bags? I have one with a 12″ cushion inside it, and it’s slung around the headrest in my car, giving me handy lumbar support that doesn’t wander around too much. Should I need a cushion while I’m out and about (eg sitting in a restaurant or concert), I have one to hand! This has proved extremely useful on many an occasion – it has even made a useful pillow.
A potential problem-maker for necks, upper back and shoulders can be the air-con in the car, so take care with positioning the direction of the cold air.
*
And if you are travelling long-haul, then do bear in mind that cranial osteopathy can be great for easing your jet lag. The ideal is to have a session before you travel, and then another session as soon after you get back as we can manage.
Text me on 07535 350 343 to book a pre-holiday loosen-up, or post-holiday recovery package.
I am here to help you enjoy your summer – have a great time!
Clinics in Baldock, SG7, and Bromley, BR1