I've flown in 40+ flights. Slept in countries across the world...

Here's what I can tell you about getting some decent shut-eye without the Gravid blanket if you're travelling this summer...

Because we can't take our precious Gravid Blanket everywhere we go :) - Not to forget the jetlags!

And we certainly wouldn't want you to be half awake while climbing the Great Wall of China on your trip.

BUT you can technically pack your Gravid Blanket as most airports have a max weight of 40lbs, but I'm sure most of you won't.

So here's the 4-step travel hack for sleeping anywhere you are. We added a bonus recommendation at the end.

1. Strategic Sleeping

Your pre-flight plan makes or breaks your sleep when you travel.

3 days before you fly, sleep one hour earlier than regular (assuming you have a consistent sleep schedule, which I don't).

This way your body is already in a state of adapting to a new sleep schedule which will smoothen the transition if you're flying to a country with different time zones.

3 days before you fly, shift your bedtime an hour earlier than normal to smoothen the transition.

2. Jet Lag Strategy

You'd be surprised at how many people actually stay up on flights! (It's one of the worst decisions for sleep)

Now I'm not saying don't watch a few movies or watch the clouds on board but make sure you're getting;

- Minimum 1hr of sleep if the local timezone is 2-4hrs ahead

- Minimum 2-3hrs of sleep if the local timezone is 4-6hrs ahead

- Minimum 5-7hrs of sleep if the local timezone is 2-4hrs ahead (Make sure you synchronize your sleep with your destination's local night-time)

Here's the hard part.

When you land DO NOT sleep if it is daytime no matter how tempting it may seem. It's gonna take 2x longer for your body to adjust to the local timezone if you decide to even nap in the daytime.

"What can I do to stay awake?"

Good question;

1. Get a cup of coffee or tea

2. Open a pack of gum

3. Go for a long walk in the sun

This leads us to the next point about getting heat...

3. Get Hot

Maybe you hate sweating or you get hot easier at night, but heat's very beneficial for sleeping at night.

The reason is that heat exposure 2-7 hours before bed can help trigger your circadian rhythm, which helps you fall asleep easier.

Take a hot shower or bath and as mentioned earlier, get in the sun. (Unless you're in a desert in Dubai)

4. SPA Visit

This one's kind of optional since these can cost a lot and you don't find them everywhere you go...

However, SPA massages are proven to help ease your body to sleeping in unfamiliar beds.

Bonus - Sleep Products That Are Portable

The REM pillow + Climagel sleep mask will not only help you sleep on the flight but in any bed because we all know how uncomfortable hotel pillows can be.

But if you're not such a sleepy head, round foam pillows and cotton sleep masks are great.