Sleep routines
Sleeping badly the first night away? What the research says and a simple arrival plan
Poor sleep on the first night in a hotel or a new bed has a name, the first-night effect. What a 2016 Brown University study found, and an arrival-day plan built around daylight, a familiar pillow and a quiet room.
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In this guide
You arrive somewhere new, tired and ready for bed, and then you lie awake. Or you sleep, but lightly, and wake at every sound. It is common enough that researchers have a name for it: the first-night effect.
This guide covers what one well-known study found, and then gives a short arrival plan. The research is from a single source we read directly, and the plan is our own suggestion.
What the research found
Neuroscientist Masako Tamaki and colleagues at Brown University published a study in Current Biology in 2016, which STAT reported on 21 April of that year. Thirty-five young, healthy volunteers slept in a soundproofed lab chamber while wearing electrode caps, and the team combined the recordings with two kinds of imaging to map brain activity.
On the first night, the left side of the default mode network, the brain’s “screen saver” system for when no task is underway, stayed more active than the rest of the brain. The volunteers also reacted more readily to beeping sounds that night. Both effects faded once they were used to sleeping in the lab. Tamaki suggests that this partial vigilance lets the brain watch for danger in an unfamiliar setting.
Two caveats from the same report matter. It is a first glimpse only, and the sleep type measured fades with age, so the results may not apply to everyone. And it explains the effect without offering a fix, so people may still feel groggy the next day.
What that suggests for a first night
None of the following is from the study. It is our own reading of it: if the brain is on watch for unusual sounds and unfamiliar surroundings, the sensible aim is to make the room less unusual and the day less demanding.
| Step | What to do | Why we suggest it |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Get daylight on arrival | A gentle walk outdoors before evening | Our daylight-first plan for jet lag explains the timing |
| 2. Bring one familiar thing | Your own pillowcase or a small item from home | Reduces how unfamiliar the bed feels |
| 3. Check the room before dark | Where is the light switch, the air vent, the noisy ice machine? | Fewer surprises at 2 a.m. |
| 4. Mask the odd noises | A steady, low sound or earplugs; see white, pink and brown noise | The study’s finding was about reacting to unusual sounds |
| 5. Cool and dim the room | See bedroom temperature for sleep | A hot, bright room makes a bad first night worse |
| 6. Keep the next morning gentle | No early meeting if you can avoid it | A groggy morning is common, per the reporting |
The arrival-day walk
Most of us arrive tired and want to lie down. A short walk outdoors in daylight is a better start, and our guide to morning daylight and sleep explains how to get light without burning. If you land somewhere sunny, shade makes the walk easier. Calm Eden’s guide to portable shade for city walks covers the options when a street has no trees.
A note on gear
Lumuwala shares an owner with Calm Eden, which sells the Haven Umbrella. According to the seller’s listing it has an SPF 50+ canopy that blocks 99.99% of UV, folds to 40 cm (15.75 in), weighs about 390 g and opens and closes with one press. A light umbrella like that is one way to carry shade on an arrival walk. We have not tested it, and nothing in the research above depends on it.
Short version
- The first-night effect is a documented, lab-measured pattern: lighter sleep on one side of the brain and quicker reactions to unusual sounds.
- In the study it faded by the second session.
- Get daylight on arrival, bring one familiar thing, mask odd noises and keep the next morning light.
- If poor sleep lasts beyond a few nights, look at light, noise, temperature and caffeine.
Source: STAT, April 2016, reporting the Brown University study in Current Biology, read on 26 October 2026. The arrival plan is our own suggestion. This is general information, not medical advice; if sleep problems persist, speak to a health professional.
Common questions
Why do I sleep badly the first night in a hotel?
One explanation comes from a 2016 Brown University study published in Current Biology. As reported by STAT, 35 healthy volunteers slept in a lab wearing electrode caps. On the first night the left side of the default mode network stayed more active than the rest of the brain, and the volunteers reacted more readily to beeps. Both effects faded once they were used to the lab. The lead author, Masako Tamaki, suggests this partial vigilance lets the brain watch for danger in an unfamiliar setting.
Does the first-night effect happen on the second night too?
In the study the effect faded by the second session, and the participants adapted to the lab. That is a lab result with 35 young, healthy people, so your own experience may differ. If your sleep stays poor for several nights, look at light, noise, temperature and caffeine rather than the first-night effect alone.
Can I stop the first-night effect?
Not entirely, according to the reporting on the study. It explains the effect and does not offer a fix, and people may still feel groggy the next day. The steps below are practical suggestions for a more comfortable first night, not a cure.
Does the study apply to everyone?
Not necessarily. STAT notes it is a first glimpse, and that the type of sleep measured fades with age, so the results may not apply to everyone. Treat it as one useful explanation, not a rule.
Should I walk in the sun on the day I arrive?
Daylight on arrival day is a common recommendation for resetting your routine, and our jet lag guide covers it. If the sun is strong, take shade with you and keep the walk gentle; Calm Eden's guide to portable shade for city walks covers what to do when the street has none.
Sources & editorial notes
Sources and linked product information checked October 26, 2026. This is a researched guide; we did not conduct product trials or assign performance scores.
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