why do we find it hard to sleep in a strange bed?

When we sleep for the first time in a new environment, we often have sleep problems. This is known as the first night effect in sleep research and is a type of sleep disorder.

Trying to understand why this sleep disorder is caused, scientists have determined that a similar situation exists in birds and mammals. This situation is thought to be a defense mechanism.

In studies conducted using the polysomnography method and other brain imaging techniques where changes in the brain and body during sleep are recorded and analyzed with an advanced device, it was understood that the effectiveness of the left hemisphere of the brain was higher than that of the right hemisphere when we slept in a new environment. In the left hemisphere with reduced sleep depth, more neural activity was observed against environmental stimuli than in the right hemisphere. So when we sleep in a new environment, the left hemisphere of the brain acts like a night watcher. The first night effect can be a necessary adjustment mechanism to survive in an unfamiliar and potentially dangerous environment.

When we sleep for the first time in a new environment, it is not known exactly why the left brain is more effective than the right brain. One of the views thought to be the answer to this question is that the functional connections between the brain regions in the left brain are stronger than the right brain. This can be an advantage for faster response when a hazard is detected.