I never sleep really well on my first night in any bed other than my own - it's not just when on holiday or when I changing time zones. On the other hand, unlike many people I can doze off easily on a plane - even on a daytime flight. Not a deep sleep but enough to get me through a longhaul flight. One of the things that I do do, is that as soon as I board the plane I change my watch to local time at my destination. I find this particularly helpful when going to Cuba - it helps me lose track of the fact that I'm landing at getting on for 6pm or even later UK time with the result that I do manage to stay up until at least 10pm local time even though I'll have been up for in the region of 24 hours by then! I've noticed that the people who arrive at the homestay and fall straight into bed seem to take longer to adjust to the time difference. So I always accept the offer of light meal from my hosts, then head out for a drink on the terrace of the Casa Granda and only after that hit my pit. :-)

I also reset my watch as soon as I get on the plane.Not sure it works for me though! If i am heading west I can sleep very easily on my first night as I need to stay awake for far longer. I remember New Orleans and Bourbon Street on our first night- could have passed for an extra on the Walking Dead!!If I am heading East I dont feel too bad. Get to sleep easily enough and then find I am wide awake a couple of hours later!
Hopeless jet lag at home as well. It just seems to get worse instead of better day by day on the first week back.
I often waken up on the first morning back disorientated.

Above they suggest taking your pillow from home? What? 😀

About 4 years ago I started taking my pillow, well not exactly my pillow straight off the bed. When I renewed our pillows I bought a extra one and a space saver bag. I suffer with spondylitis in my neck and finding the right pillow for my bed was trial and error...and wasting money.

I have stayed in different star ratings of hotels and I have never found a pillow that supported my neck to give me a good nights sleep. I have woken up with neckache and a banging headache.....duck down, goose feather or synthetic lumps, it made no difference.

I've just had a week away and I thought about leaving my pillow at home and for a week I would manage......I'm so glad that Dave told me to take it........The hotel pillow on the bed, one was flat and useless, and two would be too much and they slip away during the night making things even worse.

So yep my pillow travels with me. 😁

Sanji x

Never had a problem, in fact probably the opposite, I am always tired on the first night, even if it is only a few hours flight. I like to get to bed early or early (ish) then that is me up early for the remainder of the holiday.

Never taken my own pillow on holiday; too many shoes and clothes lol! Since my late 40s I've been an erratic sleeper, wherever I am.

Lots of factors can affect how you sleep on holiday. Unfamiliar surroundings, poor bedding, temperature as well as the usual things like jetlag and flight departure time. I've managed to sleep through afternoon thunderstorm in Barbados, been wide awake in Cyprus at 2am watching electric storm or fallen asleep on sunbed at 10am after overnight flight. It used to take me about 3 days on arrival to wind down which isn't much good on a week's holiday, but think that was down to stressful job. Have found afternoon siesta helps on longer holidays.

Frequent flyers change watches to destination time as soon as they board flights. Luxury hotels now have pillow menus so that you can find what suits you best. I've also heard that This Works sleep spray helps but haven't tried it myself.

After driving 750 miles in 36 hours including an overnight ferry crossing, falling asleep on the first night isn't a problem even if it is in a tent with a dodgy mattress and paper thin pillows (I might just take my own this year).