+1 on Earplugs

"Regarding pillow's: If you use a water bladder, blow air back into it to inflate it to the desired firmness, then cover it with your buff, or some unworn piece of clothing. Super comfy."

That's a stellar suggestion and yet another use for a Buff :)

I find that the number one important thing for me is to not try to fall asleep or be concerned with how much sleep i get. If you try to force yourself to sleep it won't happen. you dont NEED a full nights sleep to function the next day or even walk 16 miles

also I agree with the previous comment that getting up at night halfway through sleep is beneficial. you can check out the stars, unfamiliar noises, pee, drink a bit of water and then settle back in bed.

I find that if i think of a story or narrative in my head it helps get me into sleep mode as well as reading a book (same concept).

A comfy mattress is key to me. havent tried a foam mattress, and probably won't for good reason.

the thing is though, everyone is different. your gonna have to find what works best for you. but benedryl sure doesnt hurt ;)

I sleep so good when backpacking, but I have spent a lot of time outdoors. I always sleep like a baby. I am up and down with the sun, and just hike all day. I am usually tired when I lay down, and simply fall asleep. At home occasionally I will have something in my head that keeps me up, and I find concentrating on a black void of nothingness puts me out pretty quickly. Try it.

Ben,

I've noticed the altitude usually bothers me more than I think it will. Living in Nebraska, my default location to camp & hike has been Colorado (RMNP to be specific). The altitude change has always bothered my sleep during the first night or two. I've even had altitude sickness when I attempted a 14er after my first night at basecamp elevation.

When time permits, my recent trips have tried to allow for some altitude adjustment time for at least the first day to day and a half where I don't do any major hikes or additional significant elevation gain from my first night sleeping altitude. That has also helped me but it's not always possible.

I think you're on the right track with trying a wider sleeping pad too. There have been some other great suggestions in this thread that you might want to try. I'm sure you'll have the process figured out soon.

Good luck!

Edited by bcrook007 on 03/29/2012 10:11:56 MDT.

If I sweat a lot while hiking and don't replace the salt/electrolytes, I have a terrible time sleeping, even at home in my regular bed.

For years, I thought my problem was dehydration, so I drank lots more water. That made things worse - not only did I have to pee several times per night, the extra water was taking more salt out of my system.

Now I make sure to take salty foods on the trail, and add electrolyte capsules (SaltStick Caps Plus) for hot weather. Makes a big difference for me!

Some nights I can't sleep from the aches and pains of being out-of-shape. If it's bad enough, I'll take plain Tylenol.

I don't want to take antiprostaglandins (aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen). Prostaglandins cause pain, but they also signal your muscles to get stronger - "no pain, no gain" is true for me. Tylenol (acetaminophen, paracetamol) is not an antiprostaglandin.

Some people like Advil PM or Tylenol PM to help sleep. The "PM" is Benadryl (diphenhydramine), which makes most people sleepy. Not me, Benadryl keeps me awake at night.

I can't sleep on thin foam pads any more. Short Therm-A-Rest 40th Anniversary Edition pad works for me, and it's much warmer.