H-2 NMR spectroscopy is used to study the molecular behaviour of selectively deuterated n-alkanes of variable length that serve as guest molecules in channel-forming inclusion compounds, made From urea, cyclophosphazene or alpha -cyclodextrin. In the present study H-2 NMR lineshape and relaxation experiments are performed which provide a deeper insight into the motional characteristics as well as the ordering behaviour of such spatially confined guest molecules. The analysis of these experiments reveals the presence of chain motions that are found to depend strongly on the particular host matrix.