Touring - sleepin in tent is oh so hard.

what i find really hard on tour is trying to sleep at night ,i find the night to be oh so long can never get comfortable no matter how i try:mad:
my exped down mat and sleeping bag is spot on but i find i need a home pillow to have any chance of sleep.
so do any of you folk have this problem and how do you cope with it thanks.

1. Take an inflatable pillow.

2. Ride enough to get tired.

+1 to an inflatable pillow. Aside from that HTFU.

I sleep fine on tour. I am generally plenty tired.

I put some clothes under the mat in the small of my back and along the edge if sleeping on a slope.
For a pillow, I use a small nylon stuffsac full of clothes.

Flask of whiskey.

i was plenty tired believe me and i had not one but two inflatable pillows, didn't work still awake all night.
nah i just can't seem to settle or relax ,
ah well thanks all .

I gave up sleeping on the ground quite a few years ago. Now I hammock camp exclusively and have have never slept better. I sleep like a bay and wake up refreshed and revitalized. My hammock and tarp weigh just a fraction of my old tent set up. Once you move up to the trees you will never go back to the ground!

I've not had a problem. If the inflatable pillows didn't work for you, try folding a shirt or two to use as a replacement. Is there a chance you were over tired from too strenuous of a ride the day before? If so try shorter days.

Talk to you doc an get a mild sleeping aide. Try not to use it everyday. If you only away for a couple of weeks it is not going to hurt you but of course confirm with the doctor. You are away from home outside your comfort zone. That is plenty to give many people sleeping issues.

Alcohol is a poor sleeping aide. The effects wear off quickly and you will be up in the middle of the night, possibly with a headache.

6 hours of pedaling, stuff sack of clothes for a pillow, and a not-too-interesting book for a sleep aid does it for me.

Rx sleeping pills would do it short term if the doc will allow and they don't leave you with a hangover.

So bring your pillow from home. If you need it for a good night's sleep, you can make room for it. Doesn't seem like a big deal to me.

Lots of red wine.

Ride Hard...Put up your tent.. Take 2 aspirins...Sleep.

For me, the first couple of nights can be difficult. Along with the above recommendations for a make-shift pillow, Tylenol PM and a good book works. Wouldn't recommend alcohol. YMMV....

I have not used a pillow at home for almost 15 years. So, sleeping in a tent only requires that I get my head on the same level as my shoulders.

I had trouble sleeping in my Eureka Backcountry one and two man tents because they only had one door. The ventilation wasn't good enough nor was the view to the outside. I got another side entry rectangular dome with doors on both sides and I sleep much better.
The side entry feature is important because with end entry tents all I see is tent when I lie in them.
I have also noticed that I sleep better in larger tents than smaller tents so no more one man tents for me.
I'm sleeping under a tarp for my next tour. I'm pitching it as an a-frame using hiking poles. The canopy is 12x10 and the ground sheet is 8x10.
80sq ft verses 40sq ft for my tent yet the weight is about the same. Comfortwise there's no comparison.
I'll hang an Off Clip-On over my head for mosquito protection.

I had trouble sleeping in my Eureka Backcountry one and two man tents because they only had one door. The ventilation wasn't good enough nor was the view to the outside.

These work Great..$6 to $10 at Kmart-Lowes

http://www.aftproducts.com/5_Desktop_Fan_90287ad3202696afd1.item

Insulated Air mattress + a pillow

I use one of my panniers as a pillow. Very lumpy, and I sleep fine.

My routine is more like:

Ride hard ... take a nap ... put up the tent ... try to eat something before I fall asleep.

A sleeping pad and some clothes under my head for a pillow are optional. But then I'm the guy who tried to mow his lawn the other day following a long shift at work and fell asleep on my riding mower.

You could try a hammock. The hardly noticeable rocking movement should calm humans and help them getting to sleep, some research said... Aside from that, you always have a view of your surroundings as soon as you lift up your head. You can watch the stars when there's no need for a tarp and you're not on the hard, cold ground.
I have both a tent and hammock and carry one depending on destination, usually don't have sleeping problems though.

I'd advise against alcohol, it might help you get to sleep but the quality of sleep is lower and you might wake up in the middle of the night... Alcohol also dehydrates so drink enough water when using.

You could try a hammock. The hardly noticeable rocking movement should calm humans and help them getting to sleep, some research said... Aside from that, you always have a view of your surroundings as soon as you lift up your head. You can watch the stars when there's no need for a tarp and you're not on the hard, cold ground.

While hammocks are great to sleep in, you have to remember, the air is plenty cold, if less hard than the ground. Without some sort of insulation from the air, a hammock can get chilly on all but the balmiest of nights.

excellent advice everyone i think i might just ask the doc for some light sleepers on my next trip.
i never tried the hammock but to be honest i don't think i would fancy it sorry .
when i went to Britain last year i did bring a small pillow which worked a treat but clean forgot it on this short trip.

Do you have a mind that is racing even though you are tired and feel you are ready to sleep? Are you a nervous type, hyperactive, thinking or worrying about the next day or next week?

Applying some mind-calming techniques might be useful rather than taking sleeping pills.

Inflatable pillows are OK. As are pillows we have available in Australia that have a lightweight stuffing that allows the unit to pack down quite well. I can't stand putting clothes inside a bag and using that soley as a pillow -- the clothes inevitable pack down to a rock-like feeling, and there are creases and seams to deal with, too. But an inflatable or stuffed pillow as mentioned above on top of a bag of clothes gets my head to a good height.

A pillow slip might be useful, too

no better way to sleep than a hammock... www.hammockcamping.com for starts... I have several that I have made myself!


I usually take a foam pad with me in case I cannot find a place to hang the hammock and I sleep on the ground... also on chilly nights I put it in the hammock.... no better way to sleep, period.

I am a side sleeper and stomach sleeper and I do just fin in the hammock.

robi

I practice for a few days before going on a tour by sleeping on the floor with my pad and pillow. The thin stuffed pillows that compress work very well for me as well as a small radio to listen to for a little while before bed. I use ear plugs and find that in this part of the country that a small battery powered fan is a godsend, due to the heat that lingers into the night. :twitchy:
As was poster before, I don't use much of a pillow any more, even at home.

I share your concern about having a good pillow. Memory foam solved it for me. It is quite compressable and mighty comfy! On short tours where I have more room I take the small plush covered memory foam pillow I bought at a local store, but I have also used a small piece saved from a mattress cover. Get a nice soft zippered bag sewn (or buy one if you can find it) with enough room for both the foam (about 2 inches thick) and a shirt or fleece to bring it up to the required height. Zzzzzzzz......

There are numerous ways to stay warm while using a hammock. Pads, under quilts are two methods that come immediately to mind. Check out www.hammockforums.com (http://www.hammockforums.com). It s probably the definitive source for information on camping with a hammock.

Thermarest pillows are really nice, firm enough for support but roll up to a fairly small size for travel. You just have to store them unrolled at home and only roll them for the trip.

From what I have read, the Exped mat that antokelly already has is about the best you are going to get for comfort without spending yet more on a hammock and associated paraphenalia. It really does sound to me to be mind-based rather than comfort-based.

One question, anto -- how rehydrated have you been when you finally retire for the evening? Do you have an urge to get up during the night to pee, or have to?

The reason I ask is that on long randonnees, I can be absolutely exhausted, but have trouble slipping into the most comfortable beds you could find and getting to sleep. My mind keeps racing, and I think some of it has to do with being dehydrated.

From what I have read, the Exped mat that antokelly already has is about the best you are going to get for comfort without spending yet more on a hammock and associated paraphenalia. It really does sound to me to be mind-based rather than comfort-based.

One question, anto -- how rehydrated have you been when you finally retire for the evening? Do you have an urge to get up during the night to pee, or have to?

The reason I ask is that on long randonnees, I can be absolutely exhausted, but have trouble slipping into the most comfortable beds you could find and getting to sleep. My mind keeps racing, and I think some of it has to do with being dehydrated.
Rowan you could have hit the nail on the head, i'm a tea/ coffee addict so i end up getting up 3 maybe4 times a night .i have all the best gear exped down mat exped pillow great s/bag ,i find it very hard to lie flat to be honest and the pillow thing is a problem as well.
mind you i'm a good cyclist and enjoy the Craic as we say here in Ireland, so it's not all bad if only i can sort this sleeping thing out all would be rosy in the garden..

Yes, I thought Craic would be on the list somewhere. It would be irresistable to an Irishman!

That tea/coffee thing might be a significant issue, both in terms of getting up to pee (and the dehydration) and keeping you awake.

Experiment next time -- have a coffee early in the evening, but drink water before bed. It might help.

Thermarest pillows are really nice, firm enough for support but roll up to a fairly small size for travel. You just have to store them unrolled at home and only roll them for the trip.

Ditto on the Thermorest. When pitching a tent on a snow bed I use a closed cell pad in addition to the Thermorest. Forget the lumpy "clothes" pillow. Get a pillow stuff sack and put a down vest in there. You will have the nicest pillow! Once I started to do that I got a much better sleep on the hard. A down vest compresses to nothing and is nice on chilly mornings.

Thermarest pillows are really nice, firm enough for support but roll up to a fairly small size for travel. You just have to store them unrolled at home and only roll them for the trip.

I've tried compressible pillows in the past. All they do is compress or squish out so that my ears are covered but they aren't doing much 'pillowing'. Big Agnes (http://www.bigagnes.com/Products/ProductFinder/Accessory/filters/42) sells air filled pillows that are adjustable, firm as you want them to be and stuff down to a very small size.

I've tried compressible pillows in the past. All they do is compress or squish out so that my ears are covered but they aren't doing much 'pillowing'.
The same here. I found all of the compressible camp pillows had that problem and were stupidly expensive to boot. I find that a regular pillow from a fabric store maybe 1/4 the size of a bed pillow costs 1/5 as much, compresses about as well, and is firmer. They typically can be jammed in a compression sack with the sleeping bag and still have it compress to the same size.

Lately I have been taking a very small pillow case and a down vest as a pillow. It weighs about the same as the pillow and can be worn for cold weather as a vest.

Sleep out more. It gets easier the more you get used to it.

There have been three times that I've had trouble sleeping in the wild:
1. This last April, the campsite's tent area was on a barren peninsula, jutting into the lake. The wind was making a lot of noise whipping my tent walls around.
2. Last summer, I packed an old tent with hardly any ventilation. Way too hot for sleep.
3. Camping with the family when I was about 11 years old. One night, I insisted on setting up my own site, down the trail a bit. I had a blanket and a tarp lean-to. At one point, I heard a critter rustling the leaves on the back side of my lean-to. I was afraid to peek around to see what it was and spent the rest of the night, flat on my back, eyeballs darting side-to-side and chin slightly quivering.

I've tried compressible pillows in the past. All they do is compress or squish out so that my ears are covered but they aren't doing much 'pillowing'. Big Agnes (http://www.bigagnes.com/Products/ProductFinder/Accessory/filters/42) sells air filled pillows that are adjustable, firm as you want them to be and stuff down to a very small size.

Just ordered the deluxe pillow from your link.
Thought I'd upgrade from the bag of clothes or lumpy pannier method...
Thanks cycco

as i said i did bring a home pillow last time out used the compression sack to pack it in worked a treat, just this time i clean forgot it.
rowan the CRAIC is an everyday word here in Ireland but you know that already.
thanks folks for all the advice much appreciated.

Camping is pretty much impossible without a thermarest-style self inflating pad. You only need a short 47" one under your torso, your legs don't really need support unless you're a fatty. I use my fleece jacket and pants in a stuff-sack for a pillow.

Ride a tandem with your wife. I have no problem going to sleep in our double bag. Pillow, smillow. Gimme a warm back anytime.

carbonfiberboy would love to tour with the wife but cycling is not for her sorry to say.
my god i seem to be the only one that suffers insomnia when camping, i was full sure there would be loads of other suffers who knows what exactly i'm going through.

I've had a few restless nights when the temp was below what my sleeping bag (or pad) was rated.....other than that I sleep OK if I have a decent pillow.

Just ordered the deluxe pillow from your link.
Thought I'd upgrade from the bag of clothes or lumpy pannier method...
Thanks cycco

I've had mine for about 5 years now. It's nearly perfect. With the Big Agnes sleeping bag, it is perfect since the bag has a pillow pocket:thumb: No more nocturnal pillow chasing around the tent;)

Inexpensive "alternative" pillow: Get a stuff sack and stuff it full of those grocery store plastic bags that otherwise would end up in the landfill. They compress down quite nicely for travel but fluff up to make a nice pillow as well. Experiment with the amount of stuffing until it's where you like it. Cover the whole thing with your fleece or some other type of soft clothing. Works great and costs nothing if you already have the stuff sack.

Inexpensive "alternative" pillow: Get a stuff sack and stuff it full of those grocery store plastic bags that otherwise would end up in the landfill. They compress down quite nicely for travel but fluff up to make a nice pillow as well. Experiment with the amount of stuffing until it's where you like it. Cover the whole thing with your fleece or some other type of soft clothing. Works great and costs nothing if you already have the stuff sack.
ah you cant get them bags for free on this side of te pond they cost 10 cent each .

i dunno, but I would think grocery bags would be awfully "crinckly" as in sound crinckles.

My big secret is that my bed at home is really hard. As a result sleeping in a tent is about the comfort I am used to. A nice grassy field and it could even be an uptick. I normally carry a pile jacket, I just roll some other stuff up in it, and use that as a pillow. I can't really explain it, but I am more pillow sensitive at home.

I've always been a stomach-sleeper, and it's hard to figure out where to put my head in a mummy bag. It makes sleeping in a hammock somewhat tricky, too. I'm working on training myself to sleep on my back, but I feel so vulnerable that way - anything could fall right on my face, you know?

I've always been a stomach-sleeper, and it's hard to figure out where to put my head in a mummy bag. It makes sleeping in a hammock somewhat tricky, too. I'm working on training myself to sleep on my back, but I feel so vulnerable that way - anything could fall right on my face, you know?

I too sleep on my stomach at home. However, I use a hammock when camping and like you have had to adjust to back sleeping. You may be familiar with this -- some hammocks offer flat lies if one sleeps on the diagonal. While not flat enough for me to be comfortable on my stomach, I can sleep sideways in the fetal position in my hammocks. I've found that to be a good alternative to the back position on some nights.