Sleeping on a plane can be a rather uncomfortable experience. Unless you spend a fortune on a business class flat-bed seat, you’re likely to be stuck in your seat’s cramped space. Not to mention, you’ll have to deal with the transit’s general stress as well as some cabin pressure
And, even when you’re taking the night red-eye hours, flights are still not the best places to get some sleep. But, guess what? There are a few ways to make your sleep on the plane somewhat better.
With a little help from experts and travel bloggers, we’ve listed down some tips to help you get some sleep on long airplane rides.
Bring eye masks and earplugs
Eye masks and earplugs are truly a godsend when you’re on a long, crowded flight. After all, these items will practically block out the noise and light from everything and anything around you. Furthermore, they let you zone out and rest even when you’re sitting up straight.
In addition, these things help you not get startled when a seatmate all of a sudden turns on his or her reading light at night.
Noise is one of the primary obstacles when you’re trying to catch some z’s on an airplane. If your typical foam earplugs do not work, use the better quality earplugs that are made of silicone.
EarPlanes, a well-known brand, is specifically designed for use on commercial airplanes. Plus, it’s also built to help relieve air pressure.
Wisely choose your airplane seat
Window seats are ideal for long and not-so comfortable flights. With a window seat, not only can you lean against the plane’s wall, but you also get full control of the window blind. To make your sleep more comfortable, wear a neck pillow and make sure to use the airline’s pillow to support your head against the plane wall.
Avoid alcohol and sugar
Sipping a little bit of the bubbly and sampling a pinch of sugar may seem fun when you’re soaring thousands of feet above the ground. But, you should skip that complimentary champagne and completely avoid sugar and alcohol. Sure, alcohol can send you to sleep quickly, but that is just a short nap that only lasts around 3 hours.
Then, you’ll wake up with a nasty headache while feeling extremely thirsty. Even worse, you’ll find it hard to get back to sleep.
Sugar, meanwhile, will make you feel bloated, especially since you’re sitting down for a long period of time. Additionally, sugar creates a spike in your energy, making you feel more active, which causes that you can’t fall asleep.
