Falling asleep on a plane can be quite challenging. This is particularly true if you don’t have the luxury of purchasing first-class seats, which often feature flat-bed options.
However, the good news is that there are savvy tricks developed by experienced travelers that you can try to help you get some rest during your flight.
Interestingly, even individuals who unintentionally fall asleep during the day at least once per month, which applies to nearly 40% of people 18 years and older, can find it difficult to sleep on planes.
Despite this challenge, frequent travelers have shared their methods to help you catch some z’s.
Here are 11 tips from frequent travelers for improving your sleep on a plane:
1. Channel Your Inner High School Self
For some travelers, the easiest position to fall asleep in on a plane involves folding their arms on the tray table and resting their heads on their arms.
This method is likened by some travelers to sleeping on a desk while in high school. There is an important safety consideration with this technique: it is a “no-no” to sleep on your tray table during take-off and landing for safety reasons.
2. Deprive Yourself of Sleep
This tip might sound “brutal”, but some travelers find it effective. The strategy involves intentionally not sleeping much the night before a flight.
The goal is to arrive at the airport “super tired”, which some travelers report helps them sleep well once on the plane.
3. Don’t Overthink It
One frequent flyer shared that their easiest way to fall asleep on a plane is by simply removing the pressure on themselves to actually fall asleep.
They manage this by listening to something that they find relaxing, but crucially, something that doesn’t capture their interest.
This flyer discovered that whenever they started stressing about the inability to fall asleep, the chance of catching any zzz’s was lost.
4. Using a Crutch
Some frequent flyers rely on a “crutch” to help them fall asleep on planes. For some, alcohol is key.
While the Federal Aviation Administration prohibits passengers from consuming their own alcohol on board, many airlines do offer alcoholic beverages, either for free or for a fee.
Alternatively, melatonin is mentioned as an option. Melatonin is an over-the-counter sleep aid that can be taken shortly before boarding a flight.
5. Prescription Medicine
Travelers who have doctor-prescribed medications like Xanax or Valium have reported that they find it easier to fall asleep on planes when using this medicine compared to before they started taking it.
If considering this option, it is recommended that you discuss the pros and cons with your doctor before using such drugs to aid sleep.
6. Book a Bed Seat
If your financial situation allows, booking an expensive Business Class or First Class seat can be your ticket to a good night’s “plane’s” sleep.
These premium seats typically offer a larger reclining angle. Furthermore, on some more luxurious planes, the seats can even fold down into beds, providing a much more conducive environment for sleep.
7. Treat Your Head
Standard airplane seats are noted as not making good pillows. Any pillows provided by the airline are often described as flimsy.
Therefore, it is recommended to bring your own travel neck pillow. A key advantage of using a travel neck pillow is that it reduces the chance of ending up using the shoulder of the stranger beside you as a pillow while you sleep.
8. Cancel That Noise
The engine noise of a plane, even if white noise usually helps you sleep, is often not sufficient for many people to override other sounds within the cabin.
These other sounds include noises from passengers talking, children crying, and the service of beverages.
To combat this, investing in a good pair of noise-canceling headphones is suggested as a way to significantly improve your ability to sleep on a plane.
9. Listen to a Sleep Meditation
If you decide to wear noise-canceling headphones, you could enhance their benefit by turning on a sleep meditation soundtrack.
One frequent flyer noted that listening to a sleep meditation prevents their mind from racing with all the tasks they need to accomplish, which can otherwise hinder sleep.
10. Practice Breathing Techniques
Various breathing techniques are known to help people fall asleep. These techniques can be effective whether you are in your own bed or high up in the air.
One suggestion from a frequent flyer is to count backward from 100 while practicing your chosen breathing technique as an aid to falling asleep.
11. Use an Eye Mask
Eye masks are highlighted as an excellent tool for travelers trying to sleep on planes. Even though flight attendants dim the cabin lights during the main part of the flight, the plane’s interior never becomes completely pitch black.
Additionally, eye masks are particularly crucial for travelers who are sensitive to light, especially when flying during the daytime.
Alicia Richards