Can't sleep on vacation? An expert says you're probably making these mistakes

OAKLAND, Calif. - Vacation is supposed to be a time to unwind — but for many travelers, a good night's sleep is the one thing they can't seem to pack. 

Between overexcited kids, thin hotel walls, and unfamiliar beds, rest can feel impossible the moment you leave home.

Chrissy Lawler, a licensed family therapist and author of "The Peaceful Sleeper," says the struggle is real — but fixable.

What you can do

What they're saying:

"There's nothing that's going to make you grumpy and less joyful than not sleeping well," Lawler said. "Sometimes we're like, fun, fun, fun, I'll sleep later when I get home — and that's really not worth it."

She recommends packing a few key items to help recreate the comfort of home. 

A portable white noise machine can drown out unfamiliar sounds and help streamline the environment. A pillowcase from home offers a familiar sensory anchor. A sleep-specific fragrance — lavender or spearmint, for example — can signal to the brain that it's time to wind down. 

And Lawler is a firm believer in dedicated travel pajamas.

"I love luxury-feeling pajamas to just kind of trick your brain into knowing, this is what I do to sleep," she said.

The other side:

Once you're in the room, the single biggest mistake travelers make, Lawler says, is doing everything in bed.

"You're relaxing in bed, you're checking your email in bed, you're maybe even eating breakfast, lunch, or dinner in bed," she said. "The most important thing you can do when you're traveling is preserve the bed only for sleep."

For those crossing time zones, Lawler points to two tools: melatonin and sunlight. 

A low dose of melatonin for one or two nights can ease jet lag. But the most effective natural reset, she says, is getting outside.

"When you wake up in the morning, drink your coffee on the balcony, go for a walk in the later evening so that your body can adjust," she said.

Sun exposure triggers the brain's natural wake-sleep chemical signals — helping the body sync to a new time zone faster than willpower alone.

Quit stressing

Dig deeper:

Perhaps the most surprising piece of advice Lawler offers is this: stop catastrophizing. 

Travelers who lie awake telling themselves they'll never sleep often make the problem worse.

"Sometimes we think, I'm not sleeping, this is going to be awful, it's going to be terrible," she said. "If you can instead just tell yourself it's going to be hard to sleep for a day or two and then I'm going to bounce back — that actually helps."

Her bottom line: accept the adjustment, get outside, stay out of bed when you're not sleeping, and trust that the body will catch up.

"If I didn't sleep well last night," Lawler said, "I bet I will sleep better tomorrow."