Travel Tips for Safety and Comfort During Perimenopause

I’ve always had to pay attention to what I packed when traveling. I mean, I was packing for three girls and myself, so the details were important. Fast forward 20 years, and even though I pack for only myself, the details of what I pack are vital. Here are some simple travel tips I am committed to during my perimenopause journey.

Maybe it’s because I’m getting older, or maybe it’s because perimenopause has settled in, but now when I pack, I pack for comfort and for safety. Right now, my comfort focuses on my sleep health, and there are things that I cannot leave behind when I travel. While a nice vacation is always welcome, I have to have my earplugs because not every hotel is peaceful. I like to sleep with as much silence as possible, and a good pair of earplugs helps make that happen.

Silence and darkness help me create a good sleeping environment, so my eye mask goes with me too. I’m able to adjust it so it’s comfortable for me all night long, and I don’t have to wake up just because the sun is out. Last, but certainly not at least, I have to bring my magnesium glycinate. It’s new to the rotation this year, but it helps settle me while I’m working on getting the best of my perimenopause insomnia.

Now, I admit I’m getting older and some things may be taking over a little bit because of this, but for now, I’ll consider it wisdom instead of anxiety. This year, I started including a few items for safety measures when I travel. I have seen a lot of unfortunate news stories about carbon monoxide deaths in rooms and Airbnbs, both in and out of the United States. I started packing a standard-size carbon monoxide detector for every trip. Also, a door lock and alarm are now included in my travel gear.

All hotel locks aren’t the best, so this added layer of protection is what I use. The doorstop alarm slides easily under the door and arms with one click. Both the doorstop and carbon monoxide detector require batteries, but I was able to travel out of the country with them without any problems. I send them with my daughters when they travel too, so I’m a little less anxious when it comes to their safety as well. They’re not foolproof because I have had an instance of not being able to use either the lock or alarm. It was a first, and it stumped me, and I felt a little less comfortable in my space because of this, but I made it through the trip.

So, even though I’m traveling, I can have the best of both worlds. Good sleep and security make traveling while dealing with perimenopause just a little more manageable for me, and that’s all this girl can ask for.