The
first
night
in
a
new
place
is
always
the
same
for
Robinson
Leoni:
He
takes
longer
to
fall
asleep,
wakes
up
more
often
during
the
night,
and
gets
less
sleep
overall.
At
home
he
averages
7
hours.
The
first
night
away
—
with
or
without
earplugs
and
regardless
of
the
bed’s
quality
—
his
smartwatch
tells
him
he
gets
about
5.
“I
feel
normal,
you
know,
no
stress,
nothing,
but
it’s
just
I
notice
I
wake
up
continuously,”
said
Leoni,
a
sales
director
for
a
tech
company
who
travels
once
or
twice
a
month
for
work.
He
is
a
victim
of
what
sleep
specialists
call
the
first-night
effect.
The
phenomenon
has
been
confirmed
by
dozens
of
studies
and
is
believed
to
have
evolutionary
roots,
said
Anna
Wick,
PhD,
a
senior
sleep
researcher
at
the
University
of
Fribourg
in
Switzerland.
“It’s
assumed
to
be
an
adaptation
response
that
the
sleeping
brain
remains
vigilant
in
this
unfamiliar
environment,”
Wick
said.
You
Stay
Alert
While
Sleeping
Ahmad
Mayeli,
PhD,
a
psychiatry
professor
and
sleep
researcher
at
the
University
of
Pittsburgh,
said
most
people
experience
it,
and
even
those
who
may
not
notice
it
probably
do
on
a
small
level.
On
average,
people
sleep
about
20
to
30
minutes
less
in
a
new
environment.
His
research
found
that
the
frontal
lobe,
an
area
associated
with
the
deepest
stage
of
sleep,
was
more
active,
indicating
a
sense
of
alertness.
In
other
words,
not
only
do
people
sleep
less,
but
also
less
deeply.
“They
are
saying
that,
like
in
dolphins,
part
of
the
brain
is
awake
when
you
are
sleeping,”
Mayeli
said.
“It’s
not
exactly
like
dolphins,
but
still,
studies
show
part
of
the
brain
is
sleeping
less.”
He
noted
that
age
makes
a
difference.
The
effect
is
more
pronounced
in
children,
adolescents,
and
older
adults,
and
it
typically
worsens
with
age.
Those
in
their
20s
are
the
least
affected.
“Maybe
it’s
the
sweet
spot,”
he
said.
Anxiety
Can
Play
a
Part
Mayeli
suspects
that
the
brain
may
be
wired
to
be
wary
of
new
places
because,
historically,
they
were
the
most
dangerous
to
rest.
“It
doesn’t
matter
if
it’s
a
Marriott
hotel
or
it’s
the
savanna,”
he
said.
“Your
brain
hasn’t
gotten
the
memo
that
this
place
is
completely
safe.”
Wick
said
evidence
suggests
the
effect
fades
after
the
first
night.
Lisa
Strauss,
PhD,
a
psychologist
specializing
in
cognitive
behavioral
treatment
of
sleep
disorders,
said
several
factors
can
impact
sleep
in
a
new
place
beyond
evolutionary
vigilance.
Travel
itself
can
have
a
negative
effect,
even
within
the
same
time
zone.
Environmental
factors
may
get
in
the
way,
like
a
flashing
smoke
alarm
light
in
a
hotel
room.
Relational
tension,
perhaps
while
visiting
family
members
you’re
not
close
with,
could
also
contribute.
Strauss
noted
that
some
people
may
sleep
better
the
first
night
if
they’re
tired
after
a
long
day
of
travel
or
if
the
location
provides
a
sense
of
disconnection
from
daily
stressors.
And
people
who
have
trouble
sleeping
at
home
might
fare
better
because
they
don’t
associate
the
new
place
with
a
history
of
difficulty
sleeping.
While
anyone
can
experience
the
first-night
effect,
Strauss
said
those
who
are
more
anxious
at
baseline
are
especially
vulnerable.
It
becomes
a
self-fulfilling
prophecy
—
the
worry
about
whether
they
can
sleep
is
what
keeps
them
awake.
Leoni
acknowledged
there
are
times
he
goes
into
the
first
night
thinking
about
how
he’ll
sleep.
“Sometimes
the
thoughts
come
automatically,”
he
said.
“You
talk
with
your
colleague,
and
you
say,
‘I’m
going
back
to
the
room,
but
I’m
not
going
to
sleep
anyway.'”
How
to
Sleep
Better
on
the
First
Night
Strauss
recommends
general
sleep
hygiene
practices
such
as
going
to
sleep
in
a
cool,
dark
room
at
the
same
time
every
night,
following
a
nighttime
routine
and
turning
off
screens
well
before
going
to
bed.
Those
are
especially
helpful
if
you
start
(or
restart)
doing
them
in
the
days
or
weeks
before
an
important
trip.
She
suggested
people
try
to
make
the
environment
their
own
by
spending
a
little
extra
time
in
the
new
bed.
They
could
read
or
do
another
peaceful,
familiar
activity
to
make
the
experience
less
novel.
They
could
also
bring
familiar
objects,
like
a
favorite
pillow
or
blanket.
For
someone
who
is
particularly
anxious,
Strauss
recommended
they
visualize
themselves
in
a
safe,
familiar
environment
out
in
nature,
such
as
on
a
favorite
hike
or
beach.
They
should
notice
the
anxiety
they’re
feeling,
then
repeat
positive
phrases
to
help
lower
feelings
of
hypervigilance.
Her
suggestion:
“May
you
know
that
you
are
safe.
May
you
know
that
you
are
loved.
May
you
be
at
peace.”
Mayeli
said
the
first-night
effect
is
not
really
anything
to
worry
about,
and
people
can
easily
make
up
for
missing
an
hour
or
two
of
sleep
for
one
night.
But
he
recommends
arriving
a
day
early
to
acclimate
if
you
have
an
important
meeting
or
event.
“If
tomorrow
matters,
get
there
a
night
early,”
he
said,
“so
you’ll
sleep
like
yourself
when
it
counts.”
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