Have you ever travelled somewhere and couldn’t sleep well the first night? If so, you are not alone. This common experience is known as the First Night Effect (FNE).
What is the First Night Effect?
Healthier Sleep spoke with Dr. Björn Rasch from the University of Fribourg, Switzerland, a psychologist specializing in the sleeping brain. He tells us FNE was noticed years ago. People recorded significantly poorer sleep the first night compared to the second and subsequent nights in a sleep lab. This first night effect is significant enough that sleep lab data from the first night is usually dismissed as an adaptation night, and only data from the second and subsequent nights are analyzed. Sleep labs may have been the first environment where FNE was recorded, but it can occur in any new environment. With newer equipment, sleep can be tested outside of sleep labs making it possible to track FNE regardless of location. Any change in environment, especially new or unknown environments, can affect your sleep the first night.
Why Does it Happen?
Dr. Rasch explains, “One can think of it as an old mechanism that enables us to wake up more easily if we don’t know if we’re in a potentially dangerous environment.” It may sound odd when most sleeping environments are safe, but those adaptive mechanisms are part of human nature. This is why FNE causes difficulties in falling asleep, frequent awakenings, and other changes in sleep architecture.
Whom Does First Night Effect Affect?
Not everyone will experience FNE, and those that do may experience it to varying degrees. Researchers don’t know exactly why this is. It may be genetic, or it may follow your ability to sleep well. If your sleep is generally good, you may not notice any change in your sleep regardless of your environment.
If you do notice poor sleep the first night in a new environment, it is not something to worry about. Most likely the second and third night will be better. In fact, worry is a key factor in not getting good sleep. If you want to reduce FNE, Dr. Rasch recommends:
- Don’t anticipate a night of poor sleep. Worring about it only makes it worse.
- Reassure yourself that it is safe to sleep – this can be done through relaxation or meditation.
FNE should weaken over time for those who often find themselves in new environments.
Conclusion
The First Night Effect is a natural response to being in a new environment. While it can be frustrating, knowing why it happens can make it easier to manage. If you experience poor sleep the first night in a new environment, don’t worry, good sleep will likely return the second night. It is part of human nature – keeping you safe.
Dr. Björn Rasch is a professor in the department of Psychology at the University of Fribourg in Switzerland and has been researching sleep for over 20 years.