There’s one thing about festivals: they’re knackering.
After standing all day in crowds watching your fave bands, to queueing for drinks, to not eating enough because the burgers are £25.99 each, you’d be forgiven for wanting to go sleepy bye-byes at the end of the day.
But when you’re sleeping in a tent, with other partygoers around you, plus weather and heat on top of that, too, it’s not always the easiest to get a good night’s sleep.
To help, sleep experts at Mattress Next Day have shared their top eight tips for ensuring you get an energising sleep, meaning you’ll be on top form for jumping around to your favourite band the next day.
1. Pitch your tent in the right place
It’s hard to find a good spot to pitch, but try and set up at the top of a slope and away from walkaways.
You should also pitch your tent away from busy walkways or toilets. It might be inconvenient when it comes to having to wade through a sea of tents when you want to get anywhere, but you’ll stay out of the way of busy, noisy crowds when you’re trying to sleep!
2. Prevent a hangover with the way you sleep
Go to sleep with your head higher up the slope than your feet. This way, the blood won’t rush to your head and wake you up in the morning with an even more awful headache if you’ve drunk the night before.
Sleeping with your feet further downhill than your head will stimulate proper blood flow and encourage deeper sleep. The more you know!
3. If you need to nap, time it right and do star jumps once you’re awake.
If you’re super tired and there are no artists that you’re that interested in watching, you should consider a power nap.
However, make sure you don’t sleep for any longer than 20 minutes as any longer will have meant you’ll have entered deep sleep, so you’ll wake up feeling even groggier than when you fell asleep.
Even better, you can do a little bit of exercise as soon as you wake up. Sttand outside your tent and do some star jumps for a few minutes before you head to the next act.
You’ll get your blood pumping and endorphins raised, making you feel energised and ready for a few more hours of partying! You might look a bit mad doing it, but you’re at a festival so… when in Rome.
4. Don’t forget to pack this
Earplugs will be your new best friend. You can even use earplugs during the festival to prevent headaches from loud music that will hinder your sleep. Most importantly, however, they’ll let you get some sleep without being woken by drunken antics from your fellow festival goers. Just remember to pack some spares!
5. Put on your dancing shoes
If you’ve finally got a chance to get some sleep, you don’t want to miss your only chance at some rest by laying there buzzing, ready to head back out there.
So, dance to your heart’s content! Whether that’s getting caught up in a mosh pit, shuffling to EDM or jumping up and down to your favourite pop star, tire yourself out as much as possible.
By the time you and your mates head back to your tent, your body will be desperate for some restorative shut-eye, so you’ll quickly fall into a deep sleep and be less likely to be woken by disturbances through the night.
6. Opt for still mixers
Research has shown that carbonated mixers like lemonade and Coke can get you drunk much more quickly.
This is because mixing your alcohol with carbonated drinks increases the rate of alcohol absorption in the blood, thanks to the gas in the bubbles.
If you want to avoid a hangover in the morning, try mixing your alcohol with fruit juice, or water and a flavoured cordial.
And if you drink vodka, definitely drink it with orange juice, as it can neutralise the congeners found in vodka, which contributes to an awful hangover.
7. Eat an orange before you go to bed
Fruits packed with antioxidants and nutrients are also a brilliant and practical way to get a good night’s sleep at a festival. You can easily keep a few oranges in your backpack, and munching on one in the evening has been shown to increase melatonin (the sleep hormone) production relatively quickly, making it easier to fall asleep. And no, orange gin doesn’t count.
8. Don’t drink more than 300ml before bed
Your body needs hydration for proper, restorative sleep, so make sure you’re drinking enough water throughout the day. We might sound like a nagging mum, but we promise that staying hydrated will make your sleep so much easier and more rejuvenating come nighttime.
Drinking around 300ml of water just before you go to sleep will hydrate your brain and body just enough for a refreshing night’s sleep, without waking up for a wee in the night.