Stay Comfortable And Well-Rested Throughout Your Road Trip In Colorado
Travelling is fun, exciting, and often life-changing depending on where you decide to go. Sometimes you don’t have to go far to have your own unique, profound experience. There are places within the continental US that are borderline magical. Colorado is a hotspot of such destinations. That being said, the only way you’ll get the full experience of Colorado is if you’re well-rested. Here’s how you can achieve that while traveling the Centennial state!
Choose Your Destinations Wisely
Whether you’re going straight for the Rockies, or you plan on experiencing Denver’s vibe first, you should always plan your travels as much as you can. That way you won’t get blindsided if something unexpected comes up. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you should micromanage every single second of your day. There should always be some room for randomness in your life.
The type of planning relevant to this short guide has to do with your lodging situation. Almost every popular and not-so-popular tourist destination in Colorado offers a variety of hotels, motels, and other types of lodging. This goes for any place from places such as Aspen to the wonderful, yet often underrated Frisco, Colorado. What you should be looking for is a quiet place that is clean, and has decent bedding. The higher the quality of the bed/mattress combo, the better you’ll feel in the morning.
Stick To Your Sleep Pattern
As much as traveling is fun, it can also be disruptive. That being said, the level of disruption will mostly be under your control. In other words, you can choose to completely mess up your routine, or you can try and fit your activities on the road around said routine. The former is arguably the easier of the two, but it’s hard to emphasize how much your sleep pattern matters.
Some studies have shown a small but noticeable spike in cardiac emergencies on a global level every year during Daylight Saving Time shifts. That’s a one-hour difference in someone’s sleep that is causing a noticeable impact on their lives.
While your chances of actually experiencing any health-related issues if you wake up one hour earlier during your stay in Colorado are minuscule, there are other issues you could face. Sticking to a static sleep pattern is a great way to avoid any of that. If you don’t have an established pattern, you can always decide on one using a sleep cycle calculator or similar tools. Once you find what works for you, try sticking to it for a few weeks and readjust as necessary.
Make Frequent Stops
It’s no secret that Colorado is best experienced via car. No matter what destination you decide to visit, there will always be a bunch of interesting things to visit along the way. That’s why road trips through Colorado often take way longer than planned, thanks to all the detours.
While driving through the state of Colorado is fun, it can also cause fatigue. Hundreds of people lose their lives every year due to driving. It’s extremely easy to doze off, especially if everyone else in the car is already asleep. The best way to counter this is to make stops and make them frequently. When you do make a stop, don’t stay in the car. Go outside and walk around for a few minutes at least. Walking will get your circulation going and bring fresh oxygen to your brain and other essential parts of your body.
It’s recommended that you make a stop every 2-3 hours for at least 10 minutes. The good thing is that rest stops don’t have to be boring. Remember those awesome detours? You can make your stops there.
Eat Light
If you plan on doing a lot of driving during your stay in Colorado, you’ll want to plan your meals accordingly. The idea is to eat light if you’re about to jump in the car and take a long drive somewhere. Eating a large meal, especially one packed with calories, can make you feel sleepy during your drive. A light meal, preferably something containing fresh fruit or vegetables, will keep you full without making you feel tired.
How are heavy meals causing you to feel sleepy? When you eat plenty of protein and carbohydrates, your body moves into a state of digestion. This triggers a variety of chemical reactions, some of which cause increased production of serotonin. Serotonin is generally known for its effects on mood, but it is also one of the key chemicals that affect your sleep pattern.
Eating food rich in carbs and protein right before taking a long drive exposes you to a chemically induced state of tiredness. Time your meals around your driving if you want to feel well-rested on the road.
Altitude Issues
There’s nothing better than going to sleep on a mountain and having a room full of that fresh mountain air. However, the further up you go, the more trouble you’ll have sleeping. As you go up in altitude, you’re moving from a high-pressure zone to a low-pressure zone. The air at high altitudes contains less oxygen than air near sea level.
If you live on a coast somewhere, and you’ve decided to spend a week at Breckenridge — Colorado’s highest ski resort, make sure to give yourself enough time to adapt. Drink plenty of water and take it easy until your body adapts to the new environment. You could potentially have trouble sleeping as your body is used to denser air, but don’t worry. Given enough time, you’ll acclimate.
Leave Enough Time to Rest
At the end of the day, being well-rested as you navigate the awesome landscapes of Colorado comes down to your ability to plan ahead. Give yourself enough time to rest, both on the road and off the road. Avoid excessive use of alcohol if you have a long drive ahead of you the next day. In other words, be mindful of your body’s needs and the environment you’re going to be visiting, and you will have a great time relieved of any stress.
