If you are one of those people who hardly keep an eye on a plane, then the useful tips in this article will certainly help you.
You will probably not sleep as comfortably in the cramped airplane seats as you would at home in a bed – but at least you increase your chances of having a little rest before arriving.
Index
Start planning before departure
Our body has an internal clock that we can hardly influence even with the best tricks. It is therefore best to plan your trip with an eye on your sleeping habits and fly long distances overnight.
- During the evening, your body releases the sleep hormone melatonin, which makes it easier to fall asleep on the plane – without any sleeping pills.
- The more the flight matches the natural sleep rhythm, the more likely you are to come to rest. You can also plan a few other things:
Choose the right seat
The best sleep strategy is useless if you are caught between 2 annoying fellow travelers for 14 hours. So try to get a seat in the aisle or by the window.
- Aisle seats offer some opportunity to stretch your feet. They are the best choice, especially for tall people. However, there is also one major disadvantage: when fellow travelers have to go to the toilet, you are often woken up.
- Window seats give you the feeling of more free space and offer an opportunity to lean your head back. Fellow travelers are also less likely to disturb sleep. Instead, you don’t have to stretch your legs or get up quickly to stretch.
Which place you prefer depends entirely on your personal needs.
Some seats also allow a larger seat spacing – in addition to the 1st row (you often pay a noticeable surcharge here) there is usually a little more space next to the exits and emergency doors.
The right clothing for comfortable flying
You’re probably thinking about it anyway, so just a little reminder: the longer the flight, the more comfortably you should dress.
Avoid tight or tight clothing & follow the motto: Better comfortable than beautiful .
These accessories ensure better sleep while flying
In airport shops and in many airlines’ free care bags, you will find a number of useful items that should make the flight more pleasant:
- (Neck) pillows prevent painful tension
- Sleep masks help against light and bright displays
- Earplugs stop noise and annoying fellow travelers
All 3 ensure better sleep when traveling. Here are a few insider tips on the best items for frequent flyers:
Most importantly: a comfortable neck pillow
If you spend more than a few hours on the plane, be sure to pack a neck pillow.
- The aircraft seats usually do not offer any means of providing adequate head support. Once you fall asleep, your neck can no longer hold the weight of your head on its own.
- The result: Your head bends and you wake up. But it can also lead to serious tension and persistent pain in the neck and shoulder area.
Even a cheap neck pillow protects against this and lets you sleep more comfortably. So be sure to take a suitable variant with you.
There are now also inflatable variants that when folded take up hardly any space and can simply be taken on the plane.
Sometimes it takes more than a neck pillow
Not everyone sleeps comfortably on the backrest. Without support on the side or on the chin, it quickly becomes uncomfortable for many – especially on long-haul flights over several hours.
That is why many travelers swear by a few innovative alternatives to conventional neck pillows:
- In contrast to U-shaped padding, there are also variants that completely enclose the neck and not only support the neck but also the chin.
- Completely new variants like this travel pillow go one step further: They allow the entire body to be supported on it.
You can lean forward while sleeping and relieve your back – this increases comfort and the chances of restful sleep on the plane.
A sleep mask protects against disturbing light
In modern aircraft, every seat is equipped with a small display for movies – this can be a major disruption to sleep (especially if the people sitting next to you stay awake all night).
- Most airlines therefore provide you with sleep masks – either on request or in the care bag provided.
- However, these cheap sleeping aids are not really comfortable – they are often too small or the material presses against the head over and over again.
So if you want to be absolutely sure, it is best to bring your own sleeping mask. Don’t be confused by the large selection – almost every mask available on the Internet is more comfortable than the variants on the plane.
Use earplugs or headphones to block out noise
It is booming all the time on the plane – and if you are unlucky, loud children’s screams or someone sitting next to you snoring disturb the night’s sleep above the clouds.
So the only option left is to stop disturbing noise.
- Earplugs are the most reliable way to block noise, but not everyone likes the oppressive feeling. It is best to use soft variants that are less pressing.
- Headphones with music or white noise (blocks out disturbing ambient noise and increases the chance of a sound sleep) can be another alternative.
It is best to try both variants and choose the one that better suits your personal needs.
Beware of eating on the plane
Catering on board is an obstacle to good sleep in several ways:
On the one hand, eating disturbs our natural sleep rhythm – at least if you shovel in heaps of carbohydrates in one night. They have a stimulating effect and prevent you from falling asleep.
On the other hand, the stewardesses usually wake up sleeping passengers so that they don’t miss their (paid) meal. Therefore place a clearly visible “do not disturb” sign on your seat.
Usually there are small stickers for this. In modern aircraft, you can also let staff know about it through the entertainment system (on the screen in front of you).
Avoid coffee & co
It is best to only drink water before & during the trip – caffeine delays falling asleep.
It is also better to avoid alcohol as a “sleep aid”. Although it makes you sleepy for a short time, it worsens the quality of sleep afterwards – you will not feel rested and full of energy despite enough rest.
It is similar with sleeping pills: they can help with sleep in the short term – but in the long term they increase the risk of serious sleep disorders . It is best to discuss the use of such pills with your doctor.
Stay calm & relaxed
Remember, even the best plan most of the time won’t survive the field trip.
Even if you have secured the best seat on the plane, are equipped with a sleeping mask & neck pillow and have taken all the necessary precautions – a little turbulence or a crying baby right in front of you can ruin all preparations.
It’s best to stay calm in a situation like this – you’ve done your best, now only damage control will help.
How to avoid jet lag after flying
Even after landing, you can help your body get used to a different time zone and thus at least alleviate the jet lag somewhat.
- Current research suggests that short-term fasting reprograms the body’s internal clock.
- The researchers claim that taking a 16-hour meal break will help you get used to changing time zones.
This not only helps against jet lag, but also makes you slim.
Summary: sleeping on the plane
The narrow seats are certainly not an ideal environment for comfortable sleep. With a little advance planning, however, you can significantly increase your chances of getting some night’s rest.
- When reserving a seat, pay attention to your internal clock and a seat in the aisle or by the window.
- Take suitable sleeping accessories like a sleeping mask or a supportive neck pillow with you.
- Avoid stimulant foods & take a short fasting break upon arrival.
Of course, there are also other tips to help you sleep better (not just on the plane). Browse this website to learn more about a healthy night’s sleep.
I created Sleep Knowledge to share my interests and experiences on healthy sleeping with others. On this page I am therefore dealing with interesting questions about the optimal night’s sleep & everything else that goes with it.