How important is sleep when you travel?

Sometimes we feel like we don’t need as much sleep when we’re traveling, because the excitement and energy we get from our new surroundings and adventures is enough to keep us going. I’ve heard travelers romantically recount exhausting stories about traveling and, due to situation, not sleeping for days at a time. I’ve even told a few of these stories myself. These situations crop up from time to time on the road. It’s as if the exciting part of these stories, however, is the long sleepless stretch more than anything else.

Both on and off the road, the general consensus for healthy sleeping is to get a regular number of hours rest each night – 7 to 8 being the numbers repeated most often. People’s bodies are different, however, and it’s good to be completely honest with yourself. Some people are going to need a little more sleep than most to feel good in the mornings, and others are satisfied with a few less hours. Not only is it important to get a regular number of hours rest each night, it’s also important to take these hours at regular intervals, so that you are sleeping during the same hours each night. The last part can be a little tricky when you’re on the road. Additionally, exhaustion can show up in places like muscle aches, headaches, and crankiness, none of which you want to have hampering your travels.

But I’m wondering if this sleeplessness has ever significantly dampened one’s travel experiences. Many travelers are open enough to find the uniqueness in each situation, and perhaps that’s why we can view extreme exhaustion as just another new, fun experience. But has it ever taken a toll on your travels? Have you ever decided to skip out on an opportunity on the road because you were simply too exhausted?

In the last few years, I’ve taken greater care to maintain a better sleeping pattern while on the road and it has made a healthy difference in my travels. If I’m passing through a city, even if only for 10 or 12 hours, I make sure to book a hostel and get some sleep before flying, or sailing, or taking a train out of the city the next morning. Before, I would “sleep” in the train station, airport, or ferry terminal, though these nights never consisted of sleeping so much as shivering in my seat and waiting for the hours to pass. It was a slight adjustment to make, but it made a difference the next day during my travels or entry back to work.
How important is sleep to your travels?