Do you have a trip planned in the near future, in which you’ll be spending some time at a hotel or motel? I have a bright idea that might be helpful in making your stay more convenient. Well, it’s not really such a bright idea. It’s more of a dim idea.

When you spend the night in an unfamiliar room, you may have to grope around to find a lamp switch or stumble around to find a light switch if you need to get up. Maybe you have a flashlight in your phone or you brought a dandy little mini-flashlight, but you have no end table on your side of the bed. Or maybe your phone with the flashlight is charging on the other side of the room.

So here’s my bright . . . or dim idea. Just pack a nightlight with you and plug it in before you go to bed. You can sleep peacefully with the knowledge that, if you need to get up during the night, you will have no problem getting around. And no one will be disturbed by your flipping a lamp on or crashing into the edge of the bed.

On more than one occasion, a fellow traveler and I have resorted to leaving a bright light in the bathroom turned on all night. It sure beats stubbing your toe in the dark in the middle of the night. But a dim night light would have been better.

Even if you’re going to be staying in the home of a friend or relative during your time away, a night light may come in handy. Your host may not have one, and it may make nighttime journeys into the darkness much easier.

By the way, if you’re traveling to a foreign country, using a night light might be a little more complicated. You may need a different kind of bulb that won’t trip the circuit breaker, and you may also need a plug-in adapter.

Oh . . . just one more thing. Don’t forget to take your night light with you when you leave. You’ll need it later