Travel Sleep Hacks: Snooze on the Move with Olympian Matt Weston

When we travel, it’s normal for our sleep to become disrupted. But with a few simple tricks and tips, you can get things back on track so you can snooze soundly, wherever you are in the world.  

We’re joined by professional athlete Matt Weston, who will be going for gold in skeleton at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games. With a packed schedule competing all over the world, Matt is familiar with disrupted sleep schedules and snatching a few minutes of shut eye whenever he can.

In this article, he’ll share his expert advice on making your sleep a priority while you’re travelling. 

From overcoming jet lag and time zones to sleeping in some unusual places, snoozing on the go isn’t easy. Whether you regularly travel for work or you’ve got a big trip coming up, there are plenty of ways to prepare yourself to ensure you don’t miss those Zzzs. Together with our Team GB ambassador Matt Weston, we’ll explore building your perfect sleep kit, preparing your space for rest, and the trusty two-day rule. Let us explain… 

“If you’re going to be staying somewhere fewer than two days, try and keep to your own schedule. By the time your body adapts, it’ll be time to come home,” says Charlene Gamaldo, medical director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Sleep. 

If you’re travelling for fewer than two days, try to ensure any meetings or commitments take place during your usual waking hours at home, if possible. 

If you’re travelling for more than two days, time shifting might be a better option for you. This involves gradually altering your sleeping pattern in the run up to your trip to sync with the time zone in your destination.  

This is something Matt Weston uses to his advantage when travelling: “I usually do some time shifting before I go away as well if I can and I’m not racing, to try and ease in.” 

For example, if you’re travelling east, start waking up and going to bed earlier than usual. If you’re travelling west, go to bed and get up a little later as your trip approaches.

Matt Weston’s no stranger to travelling by plane, van, or sled! With that comes a knack for sleeping in unfamiliar positions, which is something you can practice at home to ready your body for any cramped conditions you may find yourself in. Why not try a guest bed for a night or two, or even a bit of shut eye on the sofa? For Matt, learning to sleep while sitting has become particularly useful… 

“I’ve slept in a lot of weird positions, like in vans, when we’re travelling from place to place. You might go straight from a race to driving for 10 hours and you’re just exhausted, and you’ve got bags and kit all around you, and you have to sleep in some awkward positions. You get used to sleeping sat down, which is useful when you’re on a plane as well.” 

When you’re frequently on the move, your hotel room can become your one-stop-shop for working, eating, relaxing, and sleeping. Wherever possible, Matt Weston advises keeping your bed just for sleeping, so that when it’s time to unwind, your body can recognise the shift.  

“I’m not somebody who chills in my bed; I keep it very much as my sleep area,” Matt says, though he appreciates this isn’t always easy. 

“On season that’s hard because you only have really a bedroom, so I just try not to lie down on my bed unless I’m there to sleep, because otherwise it comes your chill out area, not your sleep area.  

“When I’m in bed and I know I’ve got my pillow, my sheets, my duvet, my brain knows it’s time to sleep. When I’m away, I try and keep it the same.” 

Picture this: After a stressful flight, you race through the airport to catch the last train to your hotel. The carriage is packed but you squeeze in, clutching your carry-on. When the doors finally open, you brave the rain, bumping your case along the few streets from the station to your hotel. When you finally check in to your room, all you want to do is throw yourself down on the bed and go to sleep. 

What if we told you that’s not such a good idea? 

In Matt Weston’s experience, trying to sleep when you’re pumped full of adrenaline from a busy day is a recipe for disaster… 

“When I’m racing, say at six or seven at night, I need to be pumped up and ready to go. When I get home, even if it’s late, I’ll take an extra half an hour or 45 minutes to deliberately wind myself down. That could be with meditation, going for a walk or speaking to people back at home, just deliberately taking that time to wind down. 

“If I got home, showered and jumped straight into bed, I’d still be wide awake! So I need to deliberately take that extra bit of time to calm down. 

Next time you travel, try these tips from Matt Weston to make sure you don’t compromise your sleep whilst you’re on the move. Whether it’s prioritising time to wind down or bringing something meaningful from home, you’ll be able to enjoy more restful sleep even while you’re away from your beloved bed. 

Dreams will be backing Matt Weston, our Team GB ambassador, at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games, where we’ll once again be the Official Sleep Partner of Team GB and ParalympicsGB.