Lovely lavender oils...
Carry some aromatherapy lavender oils in a tiny bottle. Learn how many drops to use in your evening soak and how many to put on your pillow case. Lavender is known for its lovely ability to help you relax and sleep like a baby.

P.S. I always wrap my own bottle in a plastic cling material like Saran™ before putting it into my cosmetic bag. If the bottle should leak everything in the suitcase would smell and smell and smell like lavender. Not good!

Stay calm, not wired...
Coffee, tea, chocolate and wine are all stimulants and will keep you awake if you're susceptible to them. In the evening, I try to drink calming teas like chamomile and I keep my wine intake to a minimum. Of course, drinking wine can be a pleasure but especially when travelling solo or during an important business dinner, I want to be fully alert and be able to think clearly about where I am and what I am saying.

P.S. I always carry chamomile tea bags as well as an assortment of other decaffeinated teas in my backpack. These are my beverage of choice on long haul plane rides, as well.

Late dinners are not winners...
Part of the enjoyment of travelling comes from all the different foods we want to try. As a result, we usually eat more and differently than we normally do at home. Just try to remember that overindulgence at dinner makes your body work very hard well into the night.

The alternative is to have your largest meal at lunch which is a far better idea for several excellent reasons. (1) Even the most exclusive restaurants in town serve an affordable lunch menu. This allows you to test many high-end dining spots rather than just a few. (2) At lunch there will be many other solo business diners and you won't feel conspicuous eating alone. (3) You'll have all afternoon and evening to walk off the extra calories you've consumed. Eat lightly at dinner and you'll sleep like a baby!

No messages after ten o'clock...
One time in New York I agreed to do an interview on early morning television. I was going to be on air at 8:00 A.M. which meant they would send a car to pick me up at 6:30 A.M. I prepared by going to bed earlier the night before and fell asleep immediately. An inexperienced junior researcher working through the night at the TV station called my room a half hour later and woke me to get some biographical material he needed. Of course, once awakened, I couldn't get back to sleep until after midnight and I struggled with the interview the next morning.bThat incident taught me a valuable travel lesson. I always leave word with the front desk that with the exception of an emergency, no calls are to be put through to my room after 10:00 P.M.

Finally, learn to meditate...
If what seems like a thousand uncomfortable thoughts are screaming through your mind and not allowing you to drift off to sleep, use the pink balloon trick. It's like counting sheep. With your eyes closed, take a few deep breaths. Then picture yourself lying in the warm sun, a gentle breeze is in the air and you can hear the sound of the water lapping at the shore. Continue breathing deeply while you gather each of the concerns that were keeping you awake. One by one put each of these worries into a pink balloon. As the problem enters the balloon give yourself permission to let that issue go (at least until the morning). When all worries are safely tucked away, simply let go of the cord and watch the pink balloon disappear into the bright blue sky. Sweet dreams, everybody!