100 Night Sleep Trial
0% Buy now, pay later
Let’s face it, when you’re rushing forward to the barrier to see your favourite artist in person – dancing and screaming the lyrics to every song at full volume with all your friends – the last thing on your mind is how you’re going to get a full eight hours of sleep that evening.
However, when it does come time to find your tent and get some shut-eye, chances are you can’t get to sleep anyway because of the adrenaline and excitement still pumping through your system, leaving you waking up groggy in the morning after only a few hours curled up in your sleeping bag.
But the good news is that there are actually plenty of tips and tricks you can try to make sleeping at festivals a dream, giving you as much energy as possible for a fun-filled day as soon as you wake up.
So, without further ado, here are our top 10 tips for how to sleep at festivals!
1. Sleep with your head higher than your feet
If you’ve been to a few festivals in your time, you probably know that you’re more than likely going to wind up pitching camp on a slope. This is why you should absolutely take a little more precaution about which way round you sleep.
We recommend you sleep with your head higher up the slope than your feet. That way, the blood won’t rush to your head and wake you up in the morning with an awful headache. Basically, sleeping with your feet further downhill than your head will stimulate proper blood flow and encourage a deeper sleep.
And if you can, try to pitch your tent as high up the slope as possible so that, if it rains, your tent won’t get flooded.
2. If you nap, nap properly
If you’re super tired and there are currently no artists performing that you’re interested in watching, why not try a 20-minute power nap? Just make sure you don’t sleep for any longer than this!
Napping for any more than 20 minutes will have you feeling groggy and wanting to sleep more, rather than energised. Instead, taking the perfect length of power nap will give you the energy to get through the day, even if you’re not getting enough sleep at night.
Even better, you can do a little bit of exercise as soon as you wake up – such as standing outside your tent and doing 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!
3. Pitch your tent away from walkways
No one is going to a festival thinking they’ll get the best sleep of their lives (and if you were, we’re sorry to break it to you but that’s not happening). But if you are planning on sleeping as soon as the main acts end, you should take precautions so as to not be disturbed by those party animals staying up all night.
Make sure you pitch your tent away from busy walkways or toilets. This 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.
4. Make sure you pack earplugs
Ear plugs will quickly become your new best friend once you hit the festival grounds, protecting you from getting deafened by loud music and blocking out the drunken antics of your fellow festivalgoers. Just remember to pack some spares!
5. Look for a quiet camp
Nowadays, you’ll probably find that a lot of festivals have designated ‘quiet camps’ for people who prefer a more sensible festival experience. Glastonbury, for example, is popular with families of all ages, so have a few spots that tend to be quieter.
It’s best to research your festival camping situation first, so you know exactly where you’d like to go.
6. Party hard to wear yourself out
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, if haven’t planned to already, 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.
7. Drink plenty of water
No matter what you’re doing during the day, 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 parent, but we promise that staying hydrated will make sleeping at festivals so much easier and more rejuvenating come nighttime.
Just remember to not drink too much before bed. A glass of about 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 you up for a wee in the night.
8. Snack on fruit full of antioxidants
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.
With their natural packaging, oranges are a great addition to your camping gear, and are a practical, super-efficient way of giving your body some needed nutrients quickly so long as you don’t forget about them at the bottom of your bag!
9. Recreate your usual routine
We doubt you’re packing your humidifier, favourite blanket, and white noise machine for a festival, but you should absolutely try to recreate as much of your usual bedtime routine as possible.
Laying out a good nighttime routine will signal your brain and body that you’re settling down for sleep. While you might be excited and full of adrenaline, starting to brush your teeth, wash your face, and put some comfy clothes on will let your brain know that it’s sleep time, which will make it much easier to drift off when you do get into your sleeping bag and settle down.
10. Bring the pillow from your bed at home
At the end of the day, if you’re sleeping at festivals regularly, there’s no reason why you can’t bring a duvet or pillow from home to snuggle up with - the comfier and more at home you feel, the more relaxed your body will be and the easier it’ll be to doze off!
In fact, we’d recommend taking some form of bedding from home with you - your brain will associate the smell, feel, and comfort of the pillow or duvet with your usual sleeping pattern, and actively want to sleep.
How to wake up energised at a festival
Snuggled in your sleeping bag wishing you could have a couple more hours before the first act of the day? Try these tips to feel instantly energised in the morning:
1. Prevent your hangover if you can
There’s nothing worse than waking up with a hangover at a festival, and the last thing you want to do is rise from your tent and go and listen to some loud music, which makes preventing a hangover essential.
Here, the number one thing to do is eat. Fatty foods will stop your body from absorbing too much alcohol, as well as stabilise your glucose levels. Red meats such as a burger or kebab are great choices, as they contain zinc which helps your body break down alcohol faster, preventing a hangover.
2. Raise your adrenaline levels with excitement
Adrenaline causes your blood vessels to send more blood to your brain and muscles, which makes you more alert and raises your blood sugar levels to give you more energy to move with.
You will have felt adrenaline as you got excited about the festival, so try to stimulate that effect again by reminding yourself of how much fun you’re having or will have. Sit up in your sleeping bag and chat with your friends about which acts you’re going to see and make a plan for the day – the excitement will get your heart pumping and adrenaline flowing, which will wake you up in no time!
3. Try an energising supplement
If you find that you’re so sleepy during the festival that you’re just not enjoying yourself, consider taking a natural supplement for energy, like vitamin B12. You can find slow-release B12 supplements in your local health store – you just take one tablet a day, with your breakfast, and it’ll help to promote normal levels of energy in your body and reduce fatigue.
You can also carry a vitamin B12 oral spray with you, which you can quickly spray whenever you feel tired, up to four times a day. An oral spray will enter your bloodstream faster than a pill, giving you a much-needed ‘oomph’.
Or, alternatively, if you’re struggling to get to bed on time, you can take a natural sleep supplement instead to get you snoring fast!
Enjoy great sleep with MattressNextDay
So, those were our top tips for how to sleep at a festival. If you can, try to get as much good sleep before the festival as possible. That way, if you accept that your sleep isn’t going to be the best for the weekend, you’ll be much less grumpy or groggy, meaning you can have more fun dancing around with your friends!
And, of course, if you want to make your sleeping arrangements at your next festival as comfortable as possible, then make sure you check out our range for all the best pillows and bedding. In fact, you could even consider taking one of our Jay-Be folding beds to seriously upgrade your festival sleep setup!
