How to Sleep on a Boat: Tips From a Full Time Cruiser
As I await the arrival of our newest crew member, I’ve decided to invite a wonderful friend and fellow cruiser, Joyce, to carry on the blog in my absence. She has way more miles under the keel than I do and is the perfect person to keep you happy and healthy while cruising. See you in a few weeks! - Kristine
After five years of living on a boat, I can say I’ve had the best and the worst nights of sleep in that time. New cruisers are often disillusioned to think that sleeping on a boat is peaceful - the gentle rocking of the boat culling them to sleep each night. The reality is that your sleeping environment, weather, diet, and other boats can impact the amount of z's you get. There are ways you can optimize your body and the environment to ensure you get the precious sleep you pictured when you decided to lay your head down in your berth. This approach to your physical space and emotional awareness will leave you with energy to enjoy the cruising lifestyle. With many days ahead full of swimming, snorkeling, and of course, sailing!
Create a Space for the Best Sleep
Making your berth a space for optimal sleep is the first step. When space is at a premium, we often want to use every inch of the boat for two or more things. In this case, the bed should only be used for two things, sleeping… and… ya know ;). Reserve it for these two situations and keep the space sacred. Don’t use your bed as a reading nook or as an escape when you get mad at your partner.
Use the Sun for Better Sleep
Use light to your advantage when getting sleep. When you get up in the morning, expose yourself to the sun for at least 20 minutes (not difficult when you are on a boat). The sun’s rays tell your body it’s daytime and to be awake and alert.
Let the sun set your internal clock. “Cruisers Midnight” is a term often used around 9pm when cruisers are yawning, ready to put the dominoes away, and go to bed. We’re so in tune with nature’s alarm clock that the lack of light naturally gets our bodies to wind down for sleep.
Invest in some good black-out curtains for your berth. You want to create an environment that’s nice and dark. The moon can also disrupt your sleep when you’re in a secluded anchorage. I suggest getting a sleep mask like the one I use, HERE. It’s affordable and I was able to get it in my favorite color.
White noise
Boats make lots of different noises. Those noises can tell us if something is wrong, but most of the time, it’s nothing. Running a fan or a white noise machine can block out the inconsistent clanging and creaking of your boat so you can sleep better. I’m partial to Caframo fans like this one HERE. You can even try ear plugs. I know some cruisers that swear by ear plugs, but I find them distracting to sleep in. Play around with it and see what works for you.
Turn Off Your Phone
One of the best things I’ve done for my sleep is to leave my phone in a different part of the boat overnight. I was becoming a social media zombie and getting all riled up while trying to wind down for sleep. I also found myself waking up in the morning, rolling over, and farting around on my phone before getting out of bed. This is not why I moved onto a sailboat. Phones are distracting, the light tells your brain to stay awake, and it disturbs your sleep. Turn your phone off every night and leave it in a different room. Start your day by waking up organically without alarms (if you can).
Loose the Booze
Drinking alcohol is a short term fix. It’ll get you to fall asleep, but it doesn’t help you stay asleep. I get that the “cruising lifestyle” is like an eternal vacation with nightly happy hours, beach parties, and get-togethers. I encourage you to cut back or give up drinking all together, especially if you are struggling with sleep.
Read more: Swimmer’s Ear
Exercise
One of the biggest misnomers amongst soon-to-be-cruisers is that cruising is an active lifestyle. It’s absolutely not, unless force is involved. It’s extremely easy to become sedentary while cruising. Lazy mornings lead into naps in the afternoon, which tumble into beach happy hours, dinner, then off to sleep. Get motivated to exercise daily. Swim, hike, paddleboard, and yoga on the deck are just a few ways to exercise while living on a boat. But you have to get yourself to do it regularly. Get your crew and other boaters involved and make it a part of your daily activities. Being active every day in some form or another will definitely help you sleep more soundly at night.
Diet Effects Your Sleep
It’s obvious that caffeine and sugar effect sleep. If you’re struggling with sleep, try eliminating or reducing caffeine, sugar, and alcohol. It can be extremely challenging to part with these vices. Try giving up one at a time and take note on how it helps your sleep after a few weeks. After all, feeling energized and alert after a great night’s sleep is the best drug there is.
Uncomfortable vs. Dangerous
Calm anchorages are easy, but you’ll have to ramp up your sleep practices on offshore passages or in bad/scary weather. Something I’ve learned over my years of cruising to help keep my anxiety in check is to differentiate “uncomfortable” situations from “dangerous” situations. High winds rattling the rig can be extremely unsettling, even downright scary. Nine times out of ten, it’s just the sound that’s scary. The same goes for rain, rocking of the boat, etc. The boat will be fine and so will you. If you’re truly in danger, feel free to panic, but check in and assess the situation. Are you just uncomfortable? Learning this technique can reward you with many nights of uninterrupted sleep without worry and anxiety keeping you awake.
Read more: Seasickness…Barf!
Choose Your Anchorage Carefully
This is a hot topic in the cruising community and I could devote a whole article on just anchoring and etiquette. For the sake of this topic thought, I’ll keep it brief.
Choose where you anchor with care - Pick anchorages that allow you enough swing room so you’re not worried about hitting other boats if the wind changes. Anchor in the lee of land and be aware of the weather and what’s coming. This ensures you’ll be tucked into a gentle anchorage, especially if rough weather is rolling through.
Know how to anchor properly - Learn how to properly set your anchor. Back down on it to make sure it’s dug into the sea floor. Wait for your boat to settle and make sure you’re clear of other boats and the shallows.
Trust your anchor and ground tackle with your life - My oversized Mantus anchor is what I call “my sleep insurance”. We spend most nights of the cruising season on anchor. I want to have complete trust in my anchor, and I do. Size up your anchor from what’s recommended. This insures confidence in your ground tackle.
What helps you sleep on your boat? Comment below to share your success stories. Happy cruising!
Capt. Joyce Gauthier has been a full time liveaboard with her husband since 2017. She cruises the Bahamas in the winter and spends her summers working as a tour boat captain in the Chesapeake Bay. She’s also a licensed massage therapist and former yoga instructor. In her free time, she loves to exercise, watch TV, and of course, go sailing!
