I’m Dr. Saema Tahir, AKA @TheNYCSleepDoctor. Here are my 5 essentials for sleeping well on vacation

“If I want to stay up and it's dark, and I know I need to go to bed in order to maximize the next day at my destination, this is where I use melatonin. Melatonin’s a timing pill or medicine. It’s not meant to help you sleep, but melatonin can be and is usually used and recommended for jet lag.

“I usually take melatonin for the first three nights at my destination city to help me fall asleep if my body is not ready to sleep yet. I usually only need it for three nights, and then I'm back on my sleep schedule. 

“The brand I use, it’s so cute and it’s called the Dream Date supplement. It has melatonin and GABA in it, and that helps really produce the calming effect. That's the one I like. The packaging is really nice too because it’s a small bottle you can easily throw in your carry-on or personal item bag. Sometimes you need it on the plane when you have a 20-hour flight, so it’s great to have it easily within reach.

“I've tried a bunch of different melatonin products. This one is new in my arsenal, and I like it, and it works. I usually try to stick with something that works. We took a little trip a few weeks ago for my kids’ spring break, and it worked, and I liked it, and I'll probably stick with it.”

“Something I always have in my travel bag is a silk sleep mask because on the plane and even at the destination sometimes, to block out that light, you really need a mask to do so.

“I've had a few of them for many years. They're lightweight. They pack. They're chic. You can throw them in your purse, whatever bag you have, and they block out the light. 

“There are so many on the market. The Slip one is just thin and easy for me to throw into my jam-packed bag. I probably should try some new ones, but they're so lightweight. They take nothing up, so it's just easy to throw in.

“I usually use them on the plane because you have the people around you opening their windows, and then the light is on when you want to sleep. So, I tend to use them often on the plane.”

“Pajamas are easy to pack. On my last trip a few weeks ago, I definitely took my Arid Blayne ones. They’re targeted to help with heat dissipation. They help with night sweats and temperature regulation at night. I tell everyone about them because they’re super comfortable.

“But it’s not just about comfort. I need to be able to breathe in them in terms of not sweating, so I need them to be lightweight. I don't like thick fabric. I don't care what season it is. I want it to feel like it's literally just a part of my skin. I can tell you that these pajamas are the only ones I’ve found that actually feel like they're just a light extra layer of my skin.

“I love them. They really truly help with heat dissipation. You do not sweat.”

“At night, if my internal clock wants to stay up now, but it's dark at the destination, I try to implement a very comfortable environment. My brain really associates sleep time with that environment that I create at home. We know that people who adhere to a nice, consistent bedtime routine tend to have better quality of sleep.

“I'm a big candle person, and they do not irritate me. I love them. I feel like my psyche just needs them to really relax, and I've been known to burn candles all day safely. 

“I love the Nest ones, the grapefruit one specifically. It's very refreshing. Again, it doesn't irritate my airways, my asthma, or my allergies.

“I also really like the Le Labo Santal 26. That one's a really luxurious one that is just another nice scent that I can tolerate, which, for decades, has been a struggle for me.”

“My wind-down activity now, instead of reading, usually what I'm doing is preparing a list for the next day. For that, I almost always have my notebook with me when traveling.

“We all have so many things to do the next day in this era of hyperstimulation and constantly seeing things that you need to do, busy schedules, and trying to do it all. I've now resorted to making lists for the activities and tasks and things I want to get done the next day, and I do that every single night.” 

“Call me old-fashioned, but I don't use a computer to type my list out. I don't pull out the notes page on my phone. Screens, after a full day of being constantly stimulated by them, almost feel like they're yelling at me at the end of the day.

“For the past over a year now, I have had my Moleskine notebook. I go through multiple of those a year, and it's basic pen to paper. I have control over pen and paper. I'm controlling what's happening. I'm organizing it. It's a way for me to control the chaos for the next day.”

“My husband introduced me to them. I was a fellow-in-training, and I was like, ‘Oh, those are so nice looking. They're chic. They're plain. I need a very clean palette, and they hold up really well. I go through…I don't even know how many of those a year, but it's my journal, my notepad, my everything book.

“They fit really nicely into my purses as well as my work bag. And they don't get messed up. The cover is bearable to my rough use, you know? I love them. They come in all different sizes. I have a few different sizes, but a smaller size is usually better because I can throw them in my purse and go