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Struggle to sleep in hotels on the first night? This is why

EuroNews · 🇫🇷 public France · · 766 words · By Dianne Apen-Sadler
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What to know about Struggle to sleep in hotels on the first night? This is why

The phenomenon is believed to have evolutionary routes, but there are ways to ensure you get a good night’s sleep even in an unfamiliar place.

Claims checked 9
Techniques found 0
Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left14%
Center72%
Right14%

7 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

The phenomenon is believed to have evolutionary routes, but there are ways to ensure you get a good night’s sleep even in an unfamiliar place.

Why it matters

Hotels put a lot of effort into ensuring guests have a good night’s sleep, with luxury brands investing in seriously pricey mattresses and sheets, and even offering pillow menus.

Common ground

But that can’t stop the impact of what sleep specialists call the “first-night effect”.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.euronews.com/travel/2026/08/11/have-trouble-sleeping-in-hotels-this-…

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 9 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 7
verified Verified 1
help Insufficient Evidence 1
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Claim 1: “Sufferers [of the first-night effect] find themselves taking longer to fall asleep and waking up more often during the night”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent web sources confirm that the first-night effect leads to lighter, shorter sleep, including taking longer to fall asleep and waking more often.
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web search NEUTRAL — The increase of REM sleep in the sleep: REM sleep latency on the first night was reduced first cycle is a typical feature of depression; however, it is compared to the second and third nights.
https://www.academia.edu/115709140/First_night_effect_in_dep…
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web search NEUTRAL — Sleep apnea can cause daytime sleepiness and morning headaches. Being overweight or sleeping on your back can make sleep apnea worse. Sleep apnea is a disorder where breathing stops and starts during …
https://www.verywellhealth.com/sleep-apnea-overview-3014774
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web search NEUTRAL — The first-night effect causes lighter, shorter sleep in unfamiliar settings, averaging 20–30 minutes less sleep and greater nighttime alertness. It may reflect adaptive vigilance and is influenced by …
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-night-effect.html
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Claim 2: “Anna Wick [is] a senior sleep researcher at the University of Freiburg in Switzerland”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources identify Anna Wick (or Anna Wich) as a senior sleep researcher at the University of Freiburg in Switzerland.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — EasyJet plc is a British low-cost airline and package holiday multinational group headquartered at Luton Airport. It operates domestic and international scheduled services on 927 routes in more than 3…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EasyJet
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This article is for major events and other topics related to classical music in 2025.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_in_classical_music
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web search NEUTRAL — According to Anna Wich, a senior sleep researcher at the University of Freiburg (Switzerland), this is a kind of adaptive mechanism: the brain remains alert in an unfamiliar environment while sleeping…
https://vsh25.net/en/news/d-pervuyu-noch-na-novom-meste-poch…
+ 2 more evidence sources
verified
Claim 3: “Ahmad Mayeli [is] a psychiatry professor and sleep researcher at the University of Pittsburgh”
VERIFIED
Official university profiles and news reports confirm Ahmad Mayeli is a Research Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and sleep researcher at the University of Pittsburgh.
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web search NEUTRAL — Ahmad Mayeli, PhD. Research Assistant Professor of Psychiatry.Below is a roundup of recent original research on adolescent neurodevelopment, aging and cognition, and the association between sleep and …
https://psychiatry.pitt.edu/about-us/our-people/faculty/ahma…
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web search NEUTRAL — Research Assistant Professor, University of Pittsburgh, Department of Psychiatry. Verified email at pitt.edu - Homepage. EEG Sleep Circadian Rhythm Multimodal Brain Imaging Signal Processing.
https://scholar.google.co.in/citations?user=BNzNIHgAAAAJ&hl=…
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web search NEUTRAL — Ahmad Mayeli, a psychiatry professor and sleep researcher at the University of Pittsburgh, said most people experience it, and even those who may not notice it probably do on a small level. On average…
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-night-effect.html
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Claim 4: “His research found that the frontal lobe, an area associated with the deepest stage of sleep, was more active [during the first-night effect]”
CORROBORATED
Cross-references and web search results confirm that research indicates increased activity in the frontal lobe (specifically the left inferior frontal gyrus) during the first-night effect, associated with alertness.
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web search NEUTRAL — The first night in a new place is always the same for Robinson Leoni: He takes longer to fall asleep, wakes up more often during the night and gets less sleep overall. At home he averages seven hours.
https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2026/have-trou…
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web search NEUTRAL — Sleep researchers call it the first-night effect. Research has found that people tend to sleep less soundly in an unfamiliar environment, with changes including taking longer to fall asleep, waking mo…
https://m.dailyhunt.in/news/india/english/mathrubhumi+englis…
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web search NEUTRAL — "The first night effect is grounded in the brain's evolutionary response to new or potentially unsafe environments," she says.Research shows that heightened activity in the left inferior frontal gyrus…
https://www.whjsygd.com/news/what-is-the-first-night-effect-…
+ 1 more evidence source
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Claim 5: “Lisa Strauss [is] a psychologist specialising in cognitive behavioral treatment of sleep disorders”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results or cross-references regarding Lisa Strauss.
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Claim 6: “evidence suggests the effect fades after the first night”
CORROBORATED
Independent sources confirm that the effect typically diminishes or fades after the first night as the environment becomes familiar.
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web search NEUTRAL — Does the first night effect happen at friends' houses? Yes, but typically less severely than in completely unfamiliar environments. Partial familiarity - knowing the people, the general environment - …
https://www.mattressnut.com/first-night-effect-sleep/
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web search NEUTRAL — The first night in a new place is always the same for Robinson Leoni: He takes longer to fall asleep, wakes up more often during the night and gets less sleep overall. At home he averages seven hours.
https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2026/have-trou…
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web search NEUTRAL — While the first night effect is a natural response, there are strategies to help mitigate its impact and promote better sleep, even in new environmentsIt's worth noting that the first night effect typ…
https://www.flybodies.com/post/navigating-the-first-night-ef…
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Claim 7: “The phenomenon has been confirmed by dozens of studies”
CORROBORATED
Two independent news sources (NBC and VSH25) explicitly state that the phenomenon has been confirmed by 'dozens of studies'.
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web search NEUTRAL — Sleep researchers say the first-night effect phenomenon has been confirmed by dozens of studies and is believed to have evolutionary roots.
https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/health/trouble-sleeping-new…
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web search NEUTRAL — This phenomenon has a scientific name — the “first‑night effect”. Dozens of studies confirm it, and experts believe its roots go back to evolution.
https://vsh25.net/en/news/d-pervuyu-noch-na-novom-meste-poch…
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web search NEUTRAL — However, the “first-night effect” (FNE) may weaken the reliability of all 1-night PSG recordings.Hasegawa et al.16 recommended that in clinical practice when the first night of PSG revealed signs of l…
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6086957/
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Claim 8: “The effect is more pronounced in children, adolescents and older adults, and it typically worsens with age. Those in their 20s are the least affected.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm the effect is more pronounced in children, adolescents, and older adults, and least pronounced in those in their 20s.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The is the definite article in English. The, or THE, may also refer to:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_(disambiguation)
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Impossible (Spanish: Lo imposible) is a 2012 English-language Spanish biographical disaster drama film directed by J. A. Bayona and written by Sergio G. Sánchez. It is based on the experience of M…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Impossible_(2012_film)
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is th…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 9: “On average, people sleep about 20 to 30 minutes less in a new environment”
CORROBORATED
The specific figure of 20 to 30 minutes less sleep is reported across multiple independent sources including NBC, AsiaOne, The Independent, and Onedio.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The .30-30 Winchester / 7.62×52mmR (officially named the .30 Winchester Center Fire or .30 WCF) cartridge was first marketed for the Winchester Model 1894 lever-action rifle in 1895. The .30-30 (prono…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.30-30_Winchester
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — 30 for 30 is a series of documentary films airing on ESPN, its sister networks, and online highlighting interesting people and events in sports history. This includes four "volumes" of 30 episodes eac…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/30_for_30
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Forbes 30 Under 30 is a set of lists published annually by Forbes magazine since 2011 that recognizes 30 notable people under 30 years old in various industries. The American list consists of 600 peop…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forbes_30_Under_30
+ 4 more evidence sources
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.