10 tips for sleeping on a plane
Oh, if we could just click our fingers and fall asleep when we needed wouldn’t life be so much simpler! And getting a little bit of shut eye on a long-haul flight can be the difference between arriving at your destination happy or starting your holiday in a foul mood. We’ve taken a look at the best way to get shut eye when you’re travelling overseas and come up with these 10 tips.
1. Choose seat wisely
Where you end up sitting can make a huge difference in terms of your ability to get some sleep. Everyone has their opinion on where the best place is, but we recommend choosing a window seat so you’re not woken up every time the person sitting next to you scrambles for the bathroom.
2. Avoid alcohol and caffeine
Booze is a popular solution for light sleepers on long hauls, but it’s actually not such a good solution. Alcohol contributes to dehydration and waking up with a mid-flight hangover is just about as fun as it sounds. Also, a triple shot espresso is probably not on the path to relaxing sleep on a plane.
3. Dress for comfort
Long haul plane travel is not exactly a fashion contest, as you’ve probably already noticed walking through an airport terminal, but some people make things more difficult than they need to be comfort-wise. Dress comfortably and avoid clothing like stiletto heels and studded leather jackets.
4. Recline the right amount
There’s science behind finding the right level of recline for sleep, which is good news for you but maybe not so good news for the person directly behind you. Research from the British Chiropractic Association has found the optimum recline level for sleep is 135 degrees.
5. Resist the urge to watch TV
Even if the documentary you chose as inflight “entertainment” is snore-worthy, the light from the screen along is keeping your brain awake. Resist the urge to watch TV. If you have to do something, read a novel, or even some pages of your inflight magazine (now that’s bound to put you to sleep!).
6. Cut down on carry-on luggage
If you’re stowing a suitcase (or three) below the seat in front of you you’re seriously limiting the amount of leg space you have. Limit the amount of carry-on luggage you take. Your legs (and the people directly around you) will be forever grateful, and you might just manage a bit of shut-eye.
7. Free your feet
Again, this option might not make you the most-popular passenger among those directly surrounding you but if you want to get some shut-eye on a plane you go to let those puppies out! Maybe just give your next-door neighbour a heads-up when you’re unlacing.
8. Neck pillow
Nothing says, “I’m about to catch a flight”, like a holding a neck pillow, grasped loosely next to a passport and boarding pass. While these neck pillows may look a little daggy, they provide great support and don’t be afraid to splash out a little – you generally get what you pay for with these.
9. Use headphones sparingly
Headphones can be a useful tool for getting yourself in the sleeping mood with some relaxing music, but when you accidentally turn on death metal halfway through your flight they become less so. Use headphones a little at the start of your flight, then step back and let nature take care of the rest.
10. If all else fails, sleeping tablets
Now obviously, this is a last-resort sort of measure but if you really need to get some shut-eye a sleeping tablet could provide a viable option. Be wary of the fact that these tablets may leave you drowsy, disoriented and unable to act in a crisis, and never consume these with alcohol.
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