Travelling

Sleep Tips

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Sleeping while travelling can cause significant problems for some. There are a number of factors that can affect your sleep including light, noise, and changes to your routine to name a few. Here are a few tips to help you get a better night’s sleep.

1. Try to block out as much light as possible when sleeping. Even small amounts of light can affect your sleep cycle.
2. Bring something familiar from home. Your pillow might be the best thing you can bring but if that’s not possible even bringing music or photos can help.
3. Try to stick to your usual bedtime routine and avoid things like caffeine, alcohol and heavy meals right before bed.
4. Take naps during the day to make up for any lost sleep. You might not want to lose time napping but the quality of your awake time will benefit greatly.
5. Studies done at the Sense of Smell Institute showed that the scent of lavender increased the amount of time spent in deep restorative sleep.

Luggage:

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Carrying luggage can cause back, shoulder and neck pain. There are some things you can do to decrease the risk of injury.

First, choose lightweight, sturdy luggage that has wheels and extending handles.

Try to pack as light as possible to reduce the load you have to carry around with you and check your luggage as soon as possible. Finally, always lift with the weight of the luggage close to your body and USE YOUR LEGS WHEN LIFTING.

HAPPY TRAVELS

Before going on a long drive or flight be sure to remove bulky items from your back pockets! Sitting on objects like wallets can cause misalignment of the body resulting in muscle fatigue and strain as well as spinal subluxations.

The Ergonomics of Driving

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Low back pain is a common complaint when driving long distances but it’s not the only complaint. Neck, leg and arm discomfort can also happen if you’re not positioned properly and taking regular breaks. Here are some positioning tips that should help prevent the discomfort of a long drive.

Make sure the seat you’re sitting in is supportive. The seat back should be wide and high enough to support your shoulders and your headrest should be positioned behind your head.

Your seat should be positioned so that your legs are supported as well. If your seat is too far forward your thighs will be up off the seat and if you’re too far forward you’ll have to stretch to reach the pedals.

Lumbar support is also important on a long drive. The low back muscles can become fatigued if the lumbar region is unsupported causing low back pain. If the car you’re driving doesn’t have good lumbar support you can get a back rest with lumbar support.

The seat belt should be adjusted so that it is going over your shoulder. It should not rub on your neck and you should never tuck it under your arm.

Distance from the steering wheel is another important positioning consideration.

You should be close enough that your arms are slightly bent at the elbow.

Many things in a car are adjustable such as the seat, steering wheel positioning and seatbelt height. Take the time to make the adjustments before you leave and remember to take breaks about every two hours to have a good stretch and reduce fatigue.

Vaccinations

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If you’re travelling outside Canada it might be necessary to get vaccinations to protect you from diseases such as Hepatitis, Typhoid Fever or Yellow Fever to name a few. The vaccinations you require depend on where you’re traveling to.

Some immunizations can take several weeks before they are effective protection so it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor about what vaccinations you need around 6 to 8 weeks before you actually go on your trip.

For more information on necessary vaccinations when traveling check with the Public Health Agency of Canada, a travel health clinic or your physician.