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Calm · 15 min

A small kit for sleeping away from home

A hospital chair, a relative's spare room, a hotel bed: a few small things in one bag can make a strange night easier.

15 minutesFrom the library, free to readFour steps
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Many of us sleep away from home at the hardest times: next to someone in hospital, at a parent's house after a fall, on a trip we did not choose. A strange bed and strange noises keep the mind half awake. A small kit, packed once and kept ready, brings a little of home with you.

The steps

Four small steps,in your own time.

  1. Find one small bag or pouch, and put in an eye mask and a pair of soft earplugs.

  2. Add something warm and familiar: thick socks, a light scarf or a small blanket, and the top you usually sleep in.

  3. Add one thing for the hour before sleep: a paperback, a printed puzzle, or headphones with a calming recording saved to your phone.

  4. Include a phone charger with a long lead and a small flashlight, then keep the bag by the door or in the car so it is ready when you need it.

The reason

Why it helps

Light and noise are the two things most likely to keep sleep shallow in an unfamiliar place, and a mask and earplugs block much of both. Familiar textures and the same small evening routine tell the body that this is still a night for sleeping. Packing it in advance means one less decision on a day that is already full.

A gentle variation

If you are sleeping in a chair next to someone, add a neck pillow and a cardigan you can roll up for your back. Ask the staff when the quietest hours usually are, and rest then.

One hand resting over another on a wooden table

WE · TRIBE

Try itwith someone.

Make a matching kit for the person you care for if they may need a stay in hospital or respite care, with their own familiar things in it. Ask them what they would want in it.

Make it a plan in HIVELIVE, with WE

Try it today

Today, put an eye mask, earplugs and a pair of warm socks into one small bag and store it by the door.

Add it to your day

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