One of the best things you can get done when in a shelter is sleep. Not sleeping often means you leave the shelter exhausted. Even if they are giving it away; take it easy on the coffee.

Bring your own pillow. Most people have a decent chance at sleeping on a cot if they have the familiar feel and smell of their own pillow. This particularly true for children. Infants will often sleep more easily if you tuck mom's pillow in next to them. Just be very careful to keep an eye on them so they don't get smothered or tangled up.

If you find yourself in shelter there will pretty much always be some noise and disturbance, they might not actually turn off the light. To allow you to relax and get some sleep bring a sleep mask and earplugs. They are both available for short money at any drugstore. Bring at least one mask and three pairs of ear plugs for each person in your party. The plugs get lost and soiled easily.

If they allow OTC drugs and you are comfortable with using such things a bottle of diphenhydramine, generic benadryl, can be quite handy. Both for anti-allergy use and as a sleep aid.

Fully expect that if you go to a shelter that they will definitely Not allow illegal drugs or weapons. Most will not allow animals. Most are not equipped to handle medical needs. Most shelter offer nothing more than a safe place to stay, a cot, access to a bathroom. Do not expect them to watch or entertain your kids. Don't expect them to provide food, medications, or things you might need.

They may provide more than that, a lot depends on how much time and money they had to work with, but don't expect anything but the bare minimum.