You might love an evening spent under the stars, but a night spent tossing and turning, checking your Timex every 15 minutes, can put a damper on your camping adventure. Too many sleepless nights will leave you slow, grouchy and a liability to your paddling mates.
“A phenomenon called the first night effect compromises our quality of rest on the first night in a new environment,” says Minnesota sleep specialist Dr. Courtney Whitney of the Whitney Sleep Center. “The exact cause isn’t known, but it may be a defense mechanism, increasing our awareness.” It’s not just your tent that creates this effect; any night in a new place, like the first night at a hotel or in a new bed, is likely to bring on sleeplessness.
According to Whitney, unfamiliar environmental factors, such as differences in temperature, comfort of sleeping surface, bug bites and unfamiliar sounds put your brain on high alert. “Even during sleep we are continually surveying our environment so we can readily respond to things, like a baby crying or a bear in camp,” he adds.
So what can you do to ensure you have a restful night cosseted in the expensive sleep system you just purchased?
This article appeared in Canoeroots & Family Camping, Summer/Fall 2013. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read the rest here.
