The “first night effect”: Why can’t we sleep in a new environment?

Have you ever been on vacation or gone to a friend’s house and the first night you get into bed you end up looking at the ceiling? These difficulties that we go through every time we leave our own bed have a name and are proven by scientists. It is the so-called “first night effect”. Scientists have been studying what exactly happens in our body and especially in our mind when we are in a different bed than usual. What is happening has to do with our survival! According to experts who have studied the brain reactions of people, when we are not in the room we are used to and in the bed we know then half the brain is asleep and the other half remains awake. Why is this happening; Because it scans the environment to see if there are security issues. People fall into one of two categories: the ones who can’t sleep at all and the ones who sleep but usually quite lightly and wake up with the slightest noise. All these noises are the “threats” that the brain recognizes and wakes us up so that we can deal with them. The next morning we are usually not so rested even if we have fallen asleep because we have not gone through the phases of the so-called REM sleep (deep sleep). It is worth mentioning that whales and dolphins have a similar mechanism, which allows them to protect themselves from a threat as soon as they perceive it and wake up.

How to sleep like a log

-Try to do your usual night time routine. Even the side of the bed you counts! -Bring a pillow, a blanket or anything else you usually use in the familiar environment. This will calm the reactions of your brain. – Do something relaxing before bed, such as a shower, meditation and turn off the electronic devices  early. -If possible, make changes to the lighting, temperature and noise in your new room to feel more comfortable. Giota Florou Sources: wellandgood.com, huffingtonpost.gr Recent Articles