Here's seven top tips to help you drift off to the land of nod while you're in your tent
1. GET COMFY
Probably the single most important factor in getting a good night’s sleep is what you sleep on. The choices basically boil down to camp bed, airbed or sleeping mat. It’s all down to personal taste but I prefer a good quality self-inflating mat like the Outwell Dreamboat (right).
2. GET THE BALANCE RIGHT
Make sure your sleeping bag has the right temperature rating for the conditions you’re in. If the weather is warm, unzip the bag and effectively use it as a duvet If it’s cold keep your feet warm with a hot water bottle and wear a woolly hat. In the summer months, make sure your tent is well ventilated and has decent air circulation or the early morning sunshine will make it unbearably hot.
3. PILLOW TALK
Inflatable camping pillows are fine for backpacking trips when you’re trying to keep weight to a minimum, but for proper comfort take a pillow (or two) from home.
4 DRESS FOR SUCCESS
Layering is a good idea so you can remove or put on layers as your temperature changes. Thermal long johns and t shirts are good, although it’s worth having a pair of jogging trousers handy to pull on when you make an early morning trip to the loo.
5. DRINK SENSIBLY
As tempting as a nightcap might be, a late-night mug of tea or a beer will almost certainly mean you’ll be wakened in the night by a call of nature.
6. TIRE YOURSELF OUT
A surefire way of getting a good night’s sleep is to get up early and pack your day full of exertion. By the time bed-time comes around you’ll be fit to drop. An easy way to achieve this is go camping with children.
7. SENSORY DEPRIVATION
Sound is amplified on a campsite so wear earplugs to block out the inevitable noise of wakening wildlife, snoring campers, crying babies and the occasional car alarm. Wear an eye mask if you don’t want the rising sun to wake you too early. Tents with darkened bedrooms help - and look out for Coleman's new blackout rooms in 2016.
