My solo trip to a tiny cabin was nearly derailed by 2 items I forgot to pack. The mistake made falling asleep almost impossible.

Before I drove nearly two hours from London to a tiny 161-square-foot off-grid cabin in the British countryside that I booked for £308, around $398, I spent a full afternoon making sure I packed everything I thought I needed to pull off the stay without a hitch.

Truth be told, as a nervous traveler, I rarely go on road trips or vacations solo.

When I do, I always try to make sure I'm as well prepared as possible since the only person I can really rely on when I'm away from home alone is myself.

When it came to food provisions, I went all out. Maybe it's because I've lived in cities for most of my life, but the idea of running out of food without a grocery store nearby terrified me.

I bought enough to make two big dinners, two meals for breakfasts, lunch, and snacks, and had plenty left over on the last day to bring back home.

I was equally over-prepared when it came to most of the non-food items I packed. I brought enough clothes to last me three days, pajamas, my staple skincare products, some makeup, two books, and a journal.

But after the first night at the cabin, I realized I had forgotten some key essentials.

The few days I spent at the cabin happened to take place during a heatwave in the UK in September that saw temperatures skirt around 30 degrees Celsius, or around 86 degrees Fahrenheit.

Because the cabin is built from sustainable materials that help keep it cozy and insulated during winter, it was noticeably hot when I first entered. While I was able to cool it down during the day by opening windows, I opted to keep them closed at night in order to make myself feel safe since I was solo.

But there was a clear downside to that choice – the lack of airflow combined with the heat made it nearly impossible to fall asleep.

Having a portable fan propped up on the mattress next to me would've helped air circulate around my face and the cabin as well as provide white noise that I find helpful whenever I'm having trouble falling asleep.

It also wouldn't have been a huge investment since portable mini fans are relatively inexpensive – I've seen some on Amazon for as cheap as £9.99, or around $12. There are now options to buy rechargeable fans, so I also wouldn't have needed to pack extra batteries.

This summer in London, I saw a lot of people using portable fans on public transportation to cool down, so my regret was that much more frustrating because I'd been contemplating buying one for some time.

The cabin featured four windows in the main living space, two of which were located right by the bed.

While I appreciated how the windows created a sense of spaciousness in the day when left open, I didn't exactly love how much light they let through into the cabin at around 6 a.m.

Most of the windows did come with blinds, but they easily let light stream into the tiny home during the morning. As a sensitive sleeper, that meant I was up when the sun was.

Because my backpack was already stuffed to the brim with books and clothes (some of which I didn't even end up wearing), I thought I didn't have space for the silk sleeping mask I bought a few years ago from Drowsy for £69, or around $85.

It may sound like a lot, but the mask has worked wonders for me in the past because the material is super lightweight and it effectively blocks out the light.

When I woke up to the glaring sunrise on that first morning, I felt a pang of regret for not swapping out an extra shirt or underwear to make room for the sleeping mask that would've afforded me another hour or two of rest.

Nights at the tiny cabin were a challenge. However, as grumpy as I was from tossing and turning in the heat, I can't say it wasn't spectacular to open the front door in the morning and look out onto an unobstructed view of rolling hills, fields, and tall, leafy trees.

But I probably would've appreciated my surroundings much more if I'd woken rested and ready to take on the day.

Ultimately, I spent way too much time preparing for what I needed during the day that I completely forgot to account for essential items that would've come in handy at night.

When you're traveling, being rested is key to making a trip enjoyable. And that's a lesson I won't forget anytime soon.