Does anyone find they sleep LESS in the woods?

[Bob Salcedo]

While I go to sleep quickly and often wake for my four hour bladder emptying (only con of staying well hydrated), when I see it getting light, I most often start to get up. It is my absolute favorite time to be a voyeur while out and about. The problem is I love poking a fire (when it's allowable) before bed and in summer…. it can get late so I have to turn in early cuz sunrise is coming.

Bob

[Jake D]

"I usually sleep poorly the first night or sometimes two. By the 2nd or 3rd night I'm pretty darn tired and I'll have a great sleep"

+1. on the Long Trail we got in the routine of being asleep by 9pm and up at 5am and hiked until 5pm. first night i was mostly amped up about the trip.. 2nd night we had a big tstorm but after that I was dead to the world until the sun came up.

for short trips i'll bring my IPod touch to read some if i wake up in the middle of the night

[Eric Blumensaadt]

I used to have that problem when I was young (30s & 40s).

But now that I'm a geezer I fall asleep for an hour as soon as my tent is up, then I cook dinner and hit the sack soon after for a good 8 to 9 hours of solid sleep, arising at 5:30 AM.

On the trail I'll nap after lunch until everyone decides to hit the trail again.
So "Jist you wait, sonny." As you age you'll sleep better. Of course a nitecap of Jim Beam can help you to dreamland. Booze for medicinal purposes only, mind you.
That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

[Elliott Wolin]

Although I wake up a lot at night at home I usually fall back asleep. In the woods I think the discomfort of a thin pad and old bones wakes me up more often and makes it harder to fall asleep again. Also a heightened sensitivity to noises (weather or wind change, animals, etc). I purchased NeoAir's recently for my wife and me to help with the comfort factor, haven't tried them yet.

I thought I'd have a much better time in Denali two years ago, what with the uber-soft and comfortable tundra as a mattress. But the damned light all night (August) kept me awake instead! ;-)

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