Miles, meals and melatonin: Rethinking employee travel health

While jet lag and convenience foods can take their toll on employee travel health, this is often balanced by the energizing change of scenery. In fact, business travel may improve mental and physical wellbeing, with 52% of business travelers reporting a positive impact on mental health, and 46% experiencing a positive physical impact.

Yet without adequate support from employers to maintain healthy habits on the road, business travelers can suffer the physical downside of work trips. This is particularly important for the most frequent business travelers. A Harvard Business Review analysis found a correlation between traveling away from home more than 14 nights each month and statistically higher chances of high blood pressure, along with the productivity-sapping effects of sleep disruption.

Based on this info, we decided to further explore how business travel affects employees. In our recent survey, business travelers from the US and UK were asked whether work trips have any impact on their wellbeing. Here are a few key findings:

• Sleep disruption was named as the most frequently reported challenge, experienced by 60% of business travelers.
• This was followed by changes in eating habits, with 48% of business travelers falling out of sync with meal plans and timings.
• On the other hand, most business travelers reported either no change or even an increase in physical activity. Only 36% reported being less active than usual. 
• 70% of business travelers found work trips to have a neutral or positive impact on productivity.

What do these survey results mean for businesses and travelers? Let’s dive into the details below. 

The impact of business travel on health and performance

Why are sticking to a regular sleep routine and maintaining a healthy diet so important for business travelers? Multiple studies show the link between a healthy diet and improved mental performance. When business travelers can’t find the fresh, whole foods they are used to, they may not be performing at their cognitive best. And nine out of ten workers link a good night of sleep to improved work productivity, which means sleep disruption can hinder business travel goals.  

But how frequently do business travelers feel impacted by changes in routine? Our survey results indicate that as individuals, not all are affected the same way. 

Eating and activity habits

Travel days and packed itineraries can make it difficult to stick to the usual routine. Nearly half of business travelers in our survey (48%) reported disrupted eating habits, whether indulging in less healthy options (19%), eating less than usual due to a busy schedule (12%), or eating at irregular times (28%).

Our research also showed that US business travelers were slightly more prone to choosing less healthy options due to the prevalence of convenience options, at 23% compared to 16% of UK business travelers. By contrast, UK respondents were slightly more prone to skipping meals (13%) than their US counterparts (11%). 

At the same time, many business travelers find it easy to find healthy food on the road. In fact, 40% stated that their eating habits were either unchanged or that they made a conscious effort to eat more healthily while traveling. 

When it comes to physical activity, the survey results are even more positive. Just 36% of travelers reported reduced physical activity. Some (7%) are even more active than usual, and 57% experience no change or a slight increase in activity levels.

Businesses can help keep their team members on track by supporting healthy habits:

• Book business hotels offering 24-hour gyms, complimentary breakfasts and healthy onsite restaurants
• Provide per-diem allowances or reimbursements for nutritious meals and fitness while traveling
• Build flexibility into travel itineraries, leaving time to pursue wellness endeavors.

Tips for business travelers: How to eat healthy during business travel and keep active

1. Plan meals ahead

For business travelers, a little research goes a long way to quickly find healthy food options near your hotel or meeting spots, starting with grocery stores. Use food-finding apps like Instacart to order groceries to the hotel room, or HappyCow to find veggie-friendly restaurants around the world.

2: Keep working out while traveling simple

When a packed itinerary leaves little time to visit the gym, stick to short hotel-room travel workouts or walking breaks to stay active. Working out while traveling doesn’t have to be time-consuming. Even a few minutes here and there makes a difference – a daily six-minute circuit workout can improve functional strength by 20% in just four weeks, with travel-friendly bodyweight exercises alone.  

3: Pack smart snacks

Avoid relying on unhealthy convenience stores and vending machine options by carrying your own water and portable, nutrient-dense snacks like nuts, fresh fruits, and minimally processed protein bars.

Sleep disruption

Of course, meals and activities are only part of the puzzle. According to the “Sleep Doctor,” Dr. Michael Breuss, “sleep is the third pillar of health along with diet and exercise.” 

Most of us have struggled to sleep while traveling, and there could be an evolutionary reason behind it. Dubbed the “first night effect” by psychologists, it’s caused by our brains being wired to remain alert in an unfamiliar location. 

This tends to disappear by the second night, but if combined with unfamiliar noises and uncomfortable bedding, it all adds up to productivity-sapping business travel fatigue. 

And as our study shows, this is the aspect of business travel health that workers are most likely to experience. Of those surveyed, 60% list some level of sleep disruption while traveling, whether only occasional (45%) or a more consistent struggle (15%).

Not everyone feels the impact of business travel fatigue. In fact, 12% find it easier to sleep or even sleep more soundly than usual during business travel, perhaps due to full days of activities and comfortable hotel beds. 

Sleep disruptors and solutions differ slightly by region. US travelers value comfort factors like bedding quality, with 53% making this their top priority. UK business travelers placed climate control at the top of the list, with 49% requesting better temperature regulation. This regional disparity could be due to the wider availability of air conditioning in the United States, making it less of an issue. 

We found gender disparities as well. Male travelers were far more likely to experience no change to their sleep patterns while traveling for business, compared to female travelers (31% vs. 18%).

While this is an area for further research, experts suggest it may be partially due to hormonal differences, stating that women are twice as likely to experience insomnia than men once they’ve reached puberty. 

Poor sleep is linked to lower energy, focus, and performance, making it difficult for business travelers to receive and process new information during important work events. To help prevent this from happening, build these strategies into your travel policy:

• When facilitating hotel searches, filter the options with features like quality bedding, blackout curtains, and quiet hours. 
• Use all-in-one booking platforms like Booking.com for Business to identify wellness-aligned accommodation
• Monitor employee wellbeing data to adapt travel policies with a balance of comfort, cost, and productivity

Tips for business travelers: How do you treat travel insomnia? 

1: Shift your schedule early

According to Charlene Garmaldo, Medical Director at the Johns Hopkins Center for Sleep, it takes one day per time zone for your body to adjust. Business travelers can ease this transition by adjusting sleep schedules a few days before travel, moving their regular bedtime by one hour each day. 

2: Bring products for better sleep

Use tools like eye masks, white noise apps, or melatonin to help fall asleep on flights or in hotels. Melatonin has been shown to be most effective when treating jet lag on eastward journeys, and should be taken at your target destination bedtime.

3: Stick to a bedtime routine

Wondering how to sleep better in a hotel? Make it feel like home. Whatever your usual wind-down habits, from meditation and skincare to reading and herbal tea, follow the same pre-sleep routine to invite relaxation. 

What businesses can do to support traveler health

When tailoring your business travel program to best meet employee needs, it’s also helpful to take a closer look at what travelers want. . 

Our survey reveals some key environmental influences on healthy habits, namely a lack of access to healthy food and gyms with flexible, 24/7 opening hours. Overly structured work schedules can also keep travelers from maintaining their routines on the road.

When asked what would help most, respondents gave the following suggestions:

• 49% want healthy food onsite or nearby
• 47% want access to fitness centers while traveling
• 54% value healthy complimentary breakfasts

To help settle in, comfort is also a top priority for business travelers. When asked how to sleep better in a hotel, business travelers mentioned: 

• 48% want an improved mattress or bedding quality
• 48% prefer a quieter environment
• 47% would like proper lighting control or blackout curtains

To support worker wellbeing, businesses should consider flexible travel policies that include these sleep-friendly features. 

The business case for prioritizing travel health and wellbeing

As data shows, healthier, more rested employees come to work focused, productive, and satisfied. In fact, companies with a dedicated wellbeing program can see a productivity increase of up to 20%. Yet without supportive policies in place, business travelers may not be able to follow their usual self-care routines. So, what can your business do to help employees maintain healthy habits while traveling? 

Armed with business travel health insights to guide travel policies, your company can better support its employees. In turn, workers will be better able to maintain healthy routines and combat business travel fatigue, performing at their very best from any location.

With a combination of employee education and wellbeing-focused travel policies, business travelers will have all the tools needed to succeed on the road. This includes travel management tools like Booking.com for Business that enable smarter business hotel choices. From climate-controlled rooms with blackout blinds to 24/7 gyms for easy travel workouts, wellness facilities benefit both business and travelers.

Methodology

To complete this research, Booking.com for Business surveyed 1029 business travelers from the UK (513) and US (516) markets between February 6 and February 17, 2025. All those surveyed were 18 and over and employed full-time. They had traveled in the past year and were expected to travel for business in the year to come. 

Business traveler demographics represent a natural fallout of department size, industry, and job roles. We also used a representative mix of business travelers according to age and gender.