5 Compact Gadgets That Will Help You Sleep Better When Traveling

, there’s a certain comfort in the familiar. Maybe it’s the impenetrable blackout curtains you spent months researching, or perhaps it’s snuggling into your

That familiarity can be harder to come by in a hotel room. For frequent travelers, red-eye flights, time zone changes, and strange hotel beds can wreak havoc on sleep quality, even when hotels go to great lengths to create relaxing environments. And there’s nothing quite like the anxiety of staring at a foreign ceiling at 2 a.m., counting and recounting those dreaded sheep, while fearing the jam-packed itinerary waiting for you in the morning.

As a travel writer who is sometimes on the road multiple times a month, I’ve learned that the secret to

isn’t booking the most expensive room or choosing the property with the highest thread count sheets—it’s bringing a little bit of home with me. By giving my brain a few recognizable cues, the journey to winding (and staying) down becomes a little easier. Below, you’ll find the five portable products I pack in my

to recreate some of the sensory comforts of home right in my hotel room. These small-but-mighty

work hard to help me (and those sheep) get some rest, wherever I am.

I love a cozy hotel bed as much as the next weary traveler. And while I have been known to wax poetic on the joys of a good

, the same can’t always be said for the pillowcase. Bringing my own 100% silk pillowcase not only gives my brain a tactile cue from home, but it also ensures I’m being gentle on my skin and hair. The fact that it can be tossed in the washing machine and rolled up to the size of a tiny burrito increases its brownie points, making it one of my ultimate low-risk, high-reward weapons for a strong sleep setup.

for more than four years, and while I have collected a number of perfectly acceptable alternatives from

and airline amenity kits, the Ostrichpillow is matched in performance only by the black cave that is my beloved bedroom. Thanks to the mask’s six-layer design, it truly blocks out all light—and not at the expense of pressing tightly on my face. Its fitted nose bridge and built-in elevated eye cups don’t leave me feeling claustrophobic, and its soft material is machine washable. It also comes in a few different colors, including a fun butter yellow.

Besides the affordable price, my favorite thing about this pack of night lights is that they don’t require an electrical outlet. Especially useful for international trips, you can place these lights anywhere in your hotel room without being limited by outlet placements or worrying about a

To help combat the feeling that I’m walking through a haunted house when I’m fumbling my way to a strange bathroom in the middle of the night, I tend to keep one at the foot of the bed and one outside the bathroom door. I also love that you can choose between two different brightness levels; if you’re somebody who can’t fall asleep if there’s a source of light visible, the motion sensor feature means you won’t have a glow keeping you awake all night.

Unfamiliar noises can be one of the biggest barriers to restful sleep. Thankfully, this tiny marshmallow-looking noise machine can help block those acoustic reminders that you’re far from home. Clocking in at just 2.4 ounces, it offers 15 sounds—from white, pink, and brown noise to fan sounds, rain, and ocean waves—that mask everything from hallway chatter to elevator traffic. Because it’s cordless, you don’t have to battle with your phone or smartwatch for precious outlet real estate near the bedside table, and its compact size means you’ll never have to sacrifice carry-on space. Plus, if you’re a fan of the pre-dinner hotel nap, its 30- or 60-minute timer options mean it can double as your alarm clock.

One of the less glamorous comforts of home is also one I realized I missed most when sleeping in hotels: being able to reliably predict the air quality. Hotel rooms, after all, can be surprisingly dry. I used to chalk up my post-trip dry skin to constant handwashing and the indulgence of a long, hot hotel shower. But ever since I started traveling with a portable humidifier three years ago thanks to my daughter, I’ve found that adding a little moisture to the air often leads to deeper sleep and has helped me wake up less often with irritated sinuses.

After testing a few different travel-size versions on various trips, my favorite is this Homedics color-changing humidifier, which holds 8.5 ounces of water and runs throughout the night when plugged in. (If you happen to be in a hotel room without a convenient outlet, it’ll also run for almost four hours on its built-in rechargeable battery.) It has two mist settings and a rotating color-changing feature that provides a soft ambient light to help create a cozy bedroom glow.

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