Camping Sleep Tips! How To Sleep Well While Camping

Camping is becoming more and more popular as people crave getting in touch with nature. We always look at the world through the lens of getting great sleep. While camping can be a beautiful and soul enriching experience, it can also be a great way to ruin your sleep. From bugs and bad weather to uncomfortable sleeping surfaces, camping is not designed for luxe sleeping arrangements. However, we are going to share with you our top tips on how you can get great sleep while camping! Stick around to find out how.

Research Your Location & Season:

Anytime you are camping, even if it is near your home it is a good rule of thumb to do your research. If you are traveling away from home it is a good rule of thumb to research the location, season, and other specifics to see what you need to be prepared for.

This will help you determine what to wear, pack, and so on. If you will need bug spray, sunscreen, warm clothes, cool clothes, etc. When doing all of your research for your trip, we recommend checking the average temperature during the day and at night. Depending on the location the temperature may stay rather similar or it can vary drastically.

If this is the case you may need clothing to stay cool during the day and extra gear to stay warm throughout the night. This is going to be very important information to have if you are going to be comfortable and get good sleep throughout the night.

Pack an Eye Mask:

We are often used to being able to block out any light in order to get to sleep at night. Walls and blackout curtains allow us to really block out light any time we like, even during the day. This will not be the case during your trip. If you are especially sensitive to light, you may want to bring an eye mask with you.

This will help to block out any ambient light, light from the stars, and even daylight if you need to take a quick nap. Overall, it is a small item that can make a big different with your ability to get to sleep.

Get The Right Sleeping Bag:

If you are an avid camper, then you already know how much a good sleeping bag can make a big difference in the quality of your sleep while you are camping. However, if you are not already aware, allow us to share what we know with you.

When camping, you want to make sure that you do not simply grab any old sleeping bag or blankets and call it a day. There are sleeping bags for all kinds of climates. This is where your research is really going to come in handy. It is good to know what kind of temperature you will be dealing with in order to select a sleeping bag that will give you the right amount of heat and insulation.

Moisture wicking blankets or pajamas can be a great addition if you tend to sweat. This will help prevent you from waking up cold with sweat because you are trapped in a non-breathable sleeping bag.

Sleeping Pads:

Most of us have come accustom to sleeping on comfortable mattresses. They provide support, pressure relief, and soft comfort that makes it easy to sleep well.

Unless you are camping in an RV, it is highly unlikely that you will be sleeping on a mattress. (RV Campers: Skip further down the page to read more about our favorite Camper Mattresses!)

If you are in need of a little extra comfort, then we highly recommend getting a sleeping pad. While note as plush and soft as a mattress, a sleeping pad can be very helpful with creating comfort while camping. These pads can create a light amount of cushioning under your body to make it a bit more comfortable than sleeping on the ground.

Camping Cots:

Want a little extra distance between you and everything crawling on the ground? Try a camping cot! While these are not lightweight and do not travel in backpacks well, they are very handy for sleep. A cot can keep you further away from bugs, dirt, water and more.

It can also provide a more breathable and cool sleep surface for those camping during the summer. Overall, sleeping off of the floor is a nice upgrade that we recommend if you are wanting to feel a bit more comfortable when camping.

Mindfully Select Your Camping Location:

The more frequently you go camping, the easier it will be to be able to detect a good place to set up camp versus a less than desirable camping spot. Selecting your camping grounds really can make a huge difference in how well you sleep.

You want to find a spot that is as safe from high winds, rain, flooding, shivering cold, or blistering sun. Something else to consider is a nice even terrain so you can easily set up your tent and lay down comfortably without rolling away. Practice makes perfect with this one.

Bring The Right Pajamas:

Just because you are sweating throughout the day does not necessarily mean it will be just as hot throughout the night. Be sure to check the predicted weather for how cold the nights will become. Then you will be able to pack clothing accordingly.

We always recommend at the very least that they layer closest to your skin does a good job at absorbing and wicking away excess moisture. This helps prevent you from becoming an uncomfortable sweaty mess. Whether you are needing to pack lightweight cotton pajamas or layers of thermals and snowsuits, it is good to know what to be prepared for.

Be Familiar With Your Tent:

If you have a new tent or you are camping for the first time, there is nothing worse than finding yourself struggling to put up a tent when you are tired and out in the middle of no where. Which is why we recommend you become very familiar with how to put up and take down your tent. It will be very helpful in the future to know how your tent works.

Knowing exactly what it needs in order to be set up and taken down will make the process much easier once you are putting it in action. This will help prevent any frustration when it comes time to set up camp before bed. Instead of struggling to read directions and set up your tent you will be able to put it up quickly and get right to sleep.

Pack Bug Protection:

Have you ever tried to fall asleep while getting eaten alive by mosquitos? It is not a good time. Packing protection from the bugs will be helping during the day and evenings. Even a few pesky bug bites can make it difficult to get to sleep at night. Knowing what kind of protection will work best for the bugs you will be around is key.

This can include different bug sprays, mosquito nets, and even different kinds of clothing to keep all of the bugs at bay. Not only is this a great tip for getting great sleep while camping, but also for your health and wellbeing. Bugs can carry diseases and can make you rather ill. So make sure to pack your bug gear.

Bring Your Own Pillow:

Another way you can bring the comfort of home with you when camping is by bringing your pillow from home. Not only will this bring you the soft comfort you are used to, but it will also remind you of home with the way it feels and smells. That familiarity will help you to get to sleep a bit easier.

If you are backpacking this may not be something you are willing to carry around with you. However, if you are setting up camp right out of the car, then this will be an easy addition to bring along with you. Sometimes it is the little things that can make it much easier to get the sleep you need.

Maintain Your Standard Sleep Schedule:

Our circadian rhythm thrives off of routine. This makes it much easier to get to sleep when you wake up around the same time and go to sleep at the same time every day. If you have a consistent sleep schedule at home we highly recommend maintaining this sleep schedule once you go camping.

Tools like your eye mask can help you to sleep until your regular wake up time without be woken up by the sun. However, sometimes that is what camping is all about. So follow this advice only if it suites your needs.

Need to fix your sleep schedule? Head over to our post How To Fix Sleep Schedule to learn how.

Go Camping In A RV:

Want all the fun and excitement of traveling and seeing nature without the tent? Then camping in an RV sounds right up your alley! You can go hiking and exploring throughout the day and come back to an enclosed and sometimes even temperature controlled place to sleep!

You can also travel to new destinations in order to really enhance your traveling experience. Some folks are even turning this kind of travel into a lifestyle. Keep reading below for our favorite RV mattresses that will help you get great sleep in an RV!

Our Top Camping Mattresses:

It turns out most RVs require very specific dimensions for mattresses. This makes it nearly impossible to put a standard size mattress into your RV. Which is why we are sharing with you some of the best mattress options to put into your RV!

RV Mattresses by Brooklyn Bedding:

If you have read any of our top favorite mattress lists, then you are already familiar with the Brooklyn Bedding mattress brand! This company makes great quality and comfortable mattresses that are manufactured right here in the United States! They also make a select line of RV mattresses. We trust the comfort of the Brooklyn Bedding mattresses and think you will really enjoy the quality of these American made beds for your RV or camper vehicle.

• Wanderlust All Foam RV Mattress
• Bowery Hybrid RV Mattress
• Aurora Hybrid RV Mattress
• Signature Hybrid RV Mattress

20% OFF Brooklyn Bedding RV Coupon!

Head over to our RV Mattresses by Brooklyn Bedding post to learn more!

Mattress Insider

With all of the new custom tiny homes and mobile homes being made, there is a new need for very specific mattress sizes. The Mattress Insider creates a large variety of mattress sizes to fit your exact space. We think you are really going to love the comfort of the Mattress Insider beds. Especially because you can get a bed that will fit your RV perfectly.

• Sedona Foam RV Mattress
• Elation Foam RV Mattress
• Luxury Gel Foam RV Mattress
• All Natural Latex RV Mattress
• Park Meadow Hybrid RV Mattress

Mattress Insider Mattress Coupon HERE!

Learn more about this line of custom and RV mattresses in our Mattress Insider Review. 

Our Favorite Camping Sleep Gear:

1. Rightline Gear Air Mattress – Get your camping air mattresses at Overstock.com
2. Pendleton Yakima Camp High Ridge Blanket (Cotton & Wool) – Shop these items at Overstock.com
3. Klymit Insulated Static V Sleeping Pad – You can find these sleeping pads and many more at Overstock.com
4. Silk-weight Sleep Sack – Wakeman Outdoors 2-Season Sleeping Bag (Cotton Lining) at Overstock.com
5. Realtree EDGE Outdoor Air Mattress Bed – Get your camping air mattresses at Overstock.com
6. Goplus Self Inflating Sleeping Pad – You can find these sleeping pads and many more at Overstock.com
7. Purple + Gravity Eye Mask – Shop at Purple.com
8. Buffy Puffer Blanket – Shop this Puffer Blanket at Buffy.com
9. High Peak Outdoors Cascade -40 Sleeping Bag – Go to Overstock.com to shop High Peak Sleeping Bags
10. Costway Foldable Camping Bed Portable Cot – Get your camping cot at Overstock.com
11. Sleeping Bag for Hot Climates – Go to Overstock.com to shop Sleeping Bags

Camping Sleep Tips – Final Thoughts: 

If there is one tip we would leave everyone to walk away with in order to get great sleep while camping, it would be this… Be prepared. Yes, you could say we took this from the boy scouts however, they really know what they are talking about. Being prepped and prepared for your trip will help prevent you from ending up in uncomfortable and stressful situations. It can also make sure that you have all of the equipment you will need in order to get great sleep during your adventures. With that said we hope our advice helps you get incredible sleep on your next camping trip!