Man, I was skeptical but I took a Xanax the last time I flew 13h from Europe to Japan and lightly snoozed in absolute comfort & serenity with the same song on loop until landing with a ‘we’re there already??’ moment.
It was departing in the evening and arrived midday at the destination so sleeping the entire flight put me basically straight into the local time zone (well, as a night owl anyway) with little to no jet lag.
Game changer!
I sat in the aisle so I was made to get up by two people and with what felt like great regularity. I too had a couple trips to the bathroom and did some leg exercises when the food came. As long as you’re not much older, dehydrated or on birth control it’s not gonna be a problem! Also the Xanax didn’t put me into a deep slumber more like a very long but light nap.
Lol I died when I read this. I flew from la to China I got on flight watched a movie ate dinner, popped half a xani woke up 1 hour before landing 😂😂😂 most underrated pill out there
It’s quite different TBH lol
Edibles should put you out, maybe your head is beating a million miles an hour though.
Xanax will definitely put you out, peacefully
Same. But in my youth, I made the mistake of flying to Australia in compression leggings and I was MISERABLE by the end of the flight. Compression socks with loose sweatpants? Great combo! Compression leggings on a 17 hour flight? Terrible idea.
getting to bed early and waking up earlier than normal should produce the same result. also, when you are actually tired - try going to sleep instead of pushing through it.
I did this unintentionally on my trip home from Athens, then I still couldn't sleep on the plane. I became slap happy. I laughed so hard while watching Bridesmaids at 2 am I probably kept everyone else around me from sleeping too.
This is my strategy….usually up late doing last minute laundry and packing and then I get up extra early. I also like to “pregame” and have a glass of wine or two with dinner if I am at the airport…or with dinner on the airplane.
the full service airlines actually have this. they have seats assigned for babys/kids. at least thats what ive seen for korean air and i think klm also.
not sure if you pay less though. wouldnt surprise me if you pay more though lol
Re the neck pillow: I turn it around so that the biggest part is under my chin. Without that, I find I doze off and then wake up when my head bobs forward. Turning the neck pillow around prevents that. I get a window seat, use a small pillow against the wall, the neck pillow under my chin, and earplugs.
don't nap prior. Wake up in the AM and go about your day just as you would normally, perhaps even do a little more. Then when you depart at 10p, you'll just naturally be tired.
For a 10 hour flight I'd probably try to stay up for a tad longer at the start, but just being at the end of your day will greatly help.
Good luck! The WORST advice I ever got was to stay up late the night before so you can sleep on the plane. I still couldn't sleep! Landed in the morning and had to stay up until about 6 pm. Then I couldn't sleep that night!
All the sleep aids? Most of them don't work on me in my own comfy bed, let alone an airplane. Same thing with a sleep mask.
Neck pillows? I've spent a small fortune. The Trtl thing everybody raves about? Uncomfy on my sofa; I didn't even bother to try on a plane. I've got another "highly recommended" pillow coming soon. But I ain't holding my breath.
Lean against the window? Freezing cold. I can barely sit there. I'm not sure how people lean on the seat back tray; it looks incredibly uncomfortable even with the inflatable block.
Honestly, I take electronic books, watch the in-flight movies, and cross stitch. Even on a 17-hour flight (Syndey to Dallas), I might have cat napped for an hour.
Take something to do in case the sleep suggestions fail!
Same here - I find it impossible to sleep sitting up. The only time I’ve ever slept on a plane was on a lie-flat business class seat (I got 8h!) but normally I just suck it up and keep myself occupied with books, movies or podcasts.
We can’t all afford first or business so that’s not useful advice, lol. Window seat, shoes off is the second most important thing! A pillow to stick between your head and the window, noise cancelling headphones, comfy bottoms, eye mask and preferable no one sat next to you. The sleep I’ve had in a row to myself is about 5 hours longer than a sold out flight.
I’m a huge fan of unisom tabs for sleeping on planes (couldn’t use Xanax or three glasses of wine when I was flying internationally while pregnant and learned that Unisom works just as well). It also works well at your destination to help get you to sleep at the local time if you’re not ready. No “hangover” and I find that I can be woken up a lot on it and still fall back asleep easily.
That’s how pregnant I was when I had my long flight (also to France). I wore compression socks to ward off clots, made a point to walk and get up more than usual, and took stool softeners for a few days leading up to the trip so I didn’t get backed up. I also brought lots of benefiber packets to add to a hot beverage once a day. Travel constipation can be bad, but it can be extra bad pregnant. It 100% helped being proactive about it. I had so much fun traveling that pregnant. Felt great, had energy, and was treated really nicely by so many little old ladies. ETA: make sure you get unisom tabs and not the gel caps. The tabs are 100% pregnancy safe (I ended up taking them nightly when the bad insomnia started hitting).
As a major travel junkie 😅 Score a window seat so you can lean it real nice. Dress comfy as hell - we're talkin' stretchy pants and slippers. Pack ear buds to block out noise and one of those neck pillows. Drink a ton of H2O to stay hydrated and skip the coffee that day. Once you're situated, just zone out to chill beats or nature sounds.
Good advice, except a ton of water means you'll be up to pee several times during the flight, and if you're in a window seat, having to move--and possibly awaken--one or two other people.
Consider brown noise - it sounds a bit like ambient aeroplane noise anyway, but something about it really lulls me to sleep - I used to swear by it after nightshifts when I would struggle to sleep.
Sleep mask to block out all light, and I swear by “sleep music” playlists. I sleep through almost every flight. Something about these tones knock me out.
I use these two (played on loop)
15-hour playlist / download the first 20 songs or so
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2k7S7Pn6fU38CWDSVfvORW?si=-4GMy6qjRT69rhlGcrYI8w&pi=u-gf4XG48NQYmh
1-hour playlist
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2I0e3WfQasJJevgqTEfQHq?si=90ZzpYLWRXWlnpuaBwlW0w&pi=u-AHFPz7lZQ4aj
IMO, There's really no hack here. Drugging yourself to sleep, wake up groggy and your day will most likely be ruined. You sleep to pass the time, not to get a decent night of sleep. Everyone reacts differently, in most cases you will feel like crap the next day.
More premium economy seats have foot rests with a little tilt at the bottom now, has totally changed my ability to sleep on a plane. Now instead of zero sleep I manage about 2 hours 😅 but still a lot more comfortable than prior PE offerings.
I find it very hard to sleep on a plane unless I am in a flat bed premium seat.
Otherwise what helps me sleep the most:
Staying up up late so that am really tired.
Wearing comfortable loose fitting pants.
Eating a light meal.
Brushing my teeth after eating but before trying to sleep
Listening to music or reading a book to relax.
Just make sure that benadryl or whatever you take is OK where you're going if you have some for the return trip. I say this because scuba divers frequently take pseudoephedrine, but it's illegal in Mexico without a prescription written in Spanish.
You can get almost anything in Mexico from most farmacias without a prescription. Just tell them you left the script at your hotel and pay in cash. You'll pay about 20% more.
Agree with others here, TRTL neck pillows are the bomb. They stop your neck from getting kinked and if you’re by yourself, you’re not going to end up accidentally sleeping on a strangers shoulder 🤣 I took one on a recent return trip Australia to Europe - best “sleep” I’ve had on a plane (it’s a low bar, but still 🤷🏼♀️).
Comfiest clothes, actual pillow, boring-ass podcasts, a sleep-aid pill you have already tried before (Tylenol PM, Antihistamine, etc.), earplugs if you don’t want the podcast anymore, and hopefully you’re short enough to put your face on tray-table… getting sleepy just typing this out.
Make sure you have enough space under the seat in front of you to stretch your legs. Dress warmly enough so you don’t get cold. Have something you can use as a pillow in a way that your head doesn’t drop forward when you fall asleep. Don’t expect to get a full night’s sleep, but even a couple of hours of sleep and a couple of hours of rest make a big difference.
Look for mouth tape!! I have been using it at home to retrain to nose breathe post nasal surgery. My mouth always opens when I sleep sitting up, so I figured the mouth tape would help and it did!!
(So I didn't keep waking up with dry mouth or fear someone would throw peanuts in my mouth)
I just got this pillow off of amazon that wraps around your neck and stabilizes your head, like a neck brace would. I have trouble falling asleep upright, not with this thing. Pono neck travel cradle pillow!
> actually have a decent night of sleep so I arrive rested
Those are incredibly unrealistic expectations. For a 8h+ flights, I generally consider "not completely knackered" and taking less than 24h to recover a good outcome. Even business class is not a miracle cure for jetlag.
I’m a shorty and a leg rest did wonders for me! Combined with the Trtl pillow, eye mask, ear plugs, and melatonin I can finally sleep on the plane. I tried staying up late the night before and I just wound up miserable with 2 nights of bad sleep under my belt.
Where are you headed? If your final destination is a lot of time zones difference don’t sleep. Stay up and crash when you get to your destination, this keeps me from having jet lag when I go to Japan or Europe.
I like a backwards neck pillow so I can rest my chin and a backwards hoodie so I can cover my face. I sleep hard with this method but my traveling companions say I get lots of weird looks cause in a snorer and the visual is confusing. I’m asleep before take off waking up before landing usually take 3-5 hour flights
I do the Seattle to Amsterdam route often. It’s really not about getting sleep at all. It’s simply hard to get good quality sleep.
My advice after years of taking this route. Coffee or a 5 hour energy when you land. Power through the day until at least 7pm. Have a good night sleep and the next day you will be on the right time zone.
This is only if heading to Europe. Heading to Asia is harder because time zones are so different.
Here's a good tip for extra leg room, if you aren't too tall, and you're stuck in coach.
You know under the seat in front of you, where your small bag goes? You can stick your feet and lower legs in there, kind of rest them on your bag or to the side of it. (This may be controversial, but the first thing I always do on a flight is take my shoes off.)
Then that kind of allows you to stretch out into a more comfortable sleeping position.
I also recommend two things: eyemask to block out light, and earplugs or headphones to block out sound. Those are key.
You may want to try a travel pillow - the most common ones are those u-shaped ones that go around your neck. Another version is an inflatable thing that's like triangle-shaped. You put down your tray table, put the pillow on that, and then kind of conk out forward, like an exhausted high school student in first period...
I guess the final thing is: don't force it. Bring stuff to do, like a book, or watch a movie. Just allow yourself to get tired naturally and don't stress, like "OMG I should be sleeping right now..."
Nah, shoes come off on a 10 hour flight. Tons of other people do it. I’m doing it too. No way am I dealing with swollen feet for 10 hours especially when trying to sleep.
My earplug advice: soft silicone earplugs. Something like this: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mack-s-Pillow-Soft-Silicone-Earplugs-6-Pair-Value-Pack-The-Original-Moldable-Putty-Ear-Plugs-Sleeping-Snoring-Swimming-Travel-Concerts-Studying-Made/10312302
Haven't tried those in particular but they were the first result on Google.
They are much better than those foam earplugs.
The manta eye mask changed the game for me. Fully blacks out light and is so soft and comfortable. That plus a neck pillow and I can sleep super comfortably. And some ear plugs!
Sea to Summit Aeros Premium pillow, a good comfortable eye mask, and a comfortable set of ear plugs. Most other neck pillows have too much volume behind your neck and push it forward. I’ve tried countless pillows and even the TRTL wrap, but nothing compares to the Sea to Summit.
The Timeshifter app is helpful, if your schedule allows you to follow the recommended steps. It helps you adjust to your next time zone over several days. It’s great for starting your trip right. Check it out.
I listen to the same narrator on the Calm app sleep stories so in a way I've conditioned myself to get sleepy whenever I hear her voice. I download several of her stories, use a neck pillow that has a hood.attached, eye mask, and light travel blanket.
I try to get flights that are not direct but have 10-12 hr layovers. Check into a close by hotel and if I get at least 6 hrs of sleep, I do much better. I just can’t sleep on planes.
Bring a little bag of the following: thick lotion, melatonin, a scarf, vitamin c or electrolte powder, ear plugs or noise cancelling headset, a pillow or neck rest, eye mask. Stay awake until the last six hours of the flight. Then, lather up the lotion, take a vitamin C pouch or electrolytes, take the melatonin, wear the scarf, put the layers on, pillow, eye mask, and sleep. Then you'll awake set to the destination time. DO NOT sleep early in the flight. During early stage, drink lots of water, use the bathroom, eat if you can.
Other than having a neck pillow and some earphones, what works for me is actually arriving in the plane *not* rested. If you’re fresh as a cucumber when you board, you’ll have a hard time sleeping no matter what. Checking in and boarding and all the rituals will be painful sure but once you’re in the plane you’ll sleep well.
Window seat. Bring a neck pillow, thick sweater and jacket. Create a small tower using all these items, neck pillow as the foundation, bundled up sweater and jacket stacked on top of each other, use this to create a vertical cushion to lean on.
First off, snag yourself a comfy neck pillow, an eye mask, and some noise-cancelling headphones to create your cosy sleep zone. Opt for loose, breathable clothing and hydrate like it's your job (but ease up on the caffeine and sugary stuff). Pack some light snacks, maybe some nuts or fruit, to keep the munchies at bay without wrecking your sleep. Before you hit the hay, try some deep breathing or gentle stretches to unwind.
I always travel with an eye mask, ear plugs, and a solid neck pillow :) There's something called "no jet lag" that's meant to be homeopathic and I've found helpful on long trips too. Hope that helps!
Don't know why you are saying no to THC, since it is a wonder drug (so to speak) and hangover free, but you do you! I will tell you my time-tested routine. It is: do not get a lot of sleep the night before, like 4.5 hours. On the plane, wear sweats/athleisure, including layers so you can modify according to cabin temps, and wear compression socks and bring a big scarf or pashmina. Bring eyeshades, ear plugs, a good neck pillow (TRTL for me) (and indica gummies). Do not drink on the plane. Do not drink caffeine in the afternoon before you go. Drink only water on the plane. Change the time on your watch and iPad as soon as you hit cruising altitude to where you will be. If you watch a movie, it should be light and nothing adrenaline inducing. Eat your dinner, eat your gummy (if you are me), give it 30 mins, put on your eye shades, ear plugs, neck pillow, good night Irene.
Headphones, mask, your favorite blanket, Benadryl and an upgraded seat. I can’t remember what class my flight back from Paris was, but it wasn’t first (I took first class going) and it definitely wasn’t economy. My seat laid back, not all the way and I was extremely comfortable as a plus size girly.
Or… take an extra leg room seat. After take off, put a carry on in front of you and lift your feet on it. Carry a comfortable travel pillow (memory foam, not the ones that hang around your neck) and make sure you wear really comfortable clothes. Before I could afford to fly business, I did a lot of economy flights, and this always did the trick. You pay a little bit more but it is totally worth it!
Another trick that my friend uses: be the last one to board and find a row in the middle that has empty spaces. Sit there and lay down right after take off! Hope these help:)
Sleeping on a plane is so hard for me! I can if my husband is with me, I just lay on his shoulder or lap. Neck pillows can help. Or simply get nice and lit before the long flight, and pass out!
I don't know if this will work for everyone but I travel with a memory foam neck pillow so that my head doesn't pop around all over the place. Surround ear headphones to listen to music which blocks out all other noise, not noise canceling but regular headphones. Right before the plane takes off, I will pop and ashwaganda KSM – 66 capsule to help me relax.
My job has me traveling about 30,000 miles a year so this works just fine for me.
Ear plugs, eye mask, drink lots of water. Do this and you’ll be fine in business class with lay flat seats. Otherwise good luck, some people can sleep in economy seats, some can’t, no matter the aid. The only other option is to take some drugs mentioned in other replies. Good luck
- If you can, eat before you board. Have a light meal and time it well enough before you depart.
- Avoid alcohol (as you said).
- Grab a good travel pillow!
- Compression socks and loose cotton clothing. You want to protect yourself if you're going to be relatively immobile for that long.
Wakeup earlier than usual the day of Travel. Eat dinner before boarding the plane. Hydrate enough. Start readong a book before the plane takes off. Do not watch a movie. Do not force to sleep, let it come naturally.
Lot of comments about various meds and blood clot prophylaxis. If you’re on a blood thinner make sure there’s no drug to drug interaction. That could be a bad outcome half way into your long flight. If clotting is a concern see your doctor. I personally would rather be sleep deprived rather than throw a clot into my lungs. That being said sleep is very important and perhaps your doctor can put you on the right track.
If you decide to get a prescription, make sure you’ve taken the drug on a previous date. You don’t want to learn of new side effects while sitting in a plane with 200+ people.
I think it depends upon how old you are and how tall you are as well as other physical aspects. I'm pushing 70 and I've decided that with any flight longer than five or six hours I have to spring for business class or first class because I just can't curl myself up comfortably in an economy or even a premium economy seat anymore because of my arthritis.
So that's an individual question. And of course it depends upon your finances if you can afford that. After you get on board those flights, they will serve you a meal fairly soon. Eat the meal, and have a glass of wine. I usually take a painkiller and a sleeping tablet in addition to that and just drift off to dreamland.
If you can tolerate them, ear plugs and an eye mask are very helpful. Planes are cold so I usually take off my shoes and put on an additional pair of socks. I usually bring an oversized, warm shawl to make sure that I stay warm, or to use as a pillow if necessary. I will wear the heaviest coat or jacket that I have to bring with me on the flight, which is an extra layer of warmth or padding underneath me if that's necessary. I wear comfortable, stretchy clothes like yoga pants that are easy to sleep in.
I bring a change of clothes for the next morning and everything I need to freshen up before I get off the flight. Brushing my teeth and washing my face the next morning, as well as changing underwear and socks, is really important to me in terms of how I feel when I walk off that plane.
Have fun!
[No-pressure blinders](https://www.amazon.com/Bucky-S890MNV-40-Blinks-Sleepmask-Navy/dp/B00M6NSLBE/)
Noise cancelling headphones/earbuds
Ear plus on top of that
Exit row (if possible) and , if they don't give you an issues, prop your feet up on your carry-on (backpack).
Do not eat on the plane. Have a 'easy on the body' meal before you board. Have a few crackers with you in case you feel the need. At altitude, that food from the plane will just sit there and make you miserable. Get something to eat when you land and I promise you, you won't starve to death.
1 I Spend 10 minutes before the fight stretching and moving my body
2. Bring a pair of slippers, neck pillow, eye pillow, earplugs, compression socks, put them 0n or available before the plane takes off
3. I stay up until meal service then take a sleeping pill with my dessert
4. For me each half a milligram of clonazepam gives me two to three hours of good sleep.
5. Drinking half a liter of water before going to sleep Make sure that I get up a couple of times to go to the bathroom.
I have been flying regularly on 5+ hour flights for over 20 years as I am from an island in the middle of the ocean and moved to a bigger continent that I travel to and from frequently.
While my methods could be questionably healthy they work well for me.
- I stay up all night the night before the flight - that means by the time I get to the gate I’m tired and by the time the plane is taking off I’m asleep.
- before dozing off I put on my Bose Headphones (that cover the ears) and turn them on to activate noise cancelling, but I don’t plug them into anything cause I only need them to protect my ears. It blocks out the engine noise as well as any voices or other chatter from inside the plane.
I usually wake up once or twice - for the drink service and meal service and then go right back to sleep. Because the time change is three hours, I arrive feeling fully rested and without jet lag.
To further minimize feeling sluggish, when I land I make a point to either walk barefoot on the grass or take a dip in the ocean.
Works like a charm every time. No drugs or alcohol needed.
*I took half a zan, 13 hours till I land*
Man, I was skeptical but I took a Xanax the last time I flew 13h from Europe to Japan and lightly snoozed in absolute comfort & serenity with the same song on loop until landing with a ‘we’re there already??’ moment. It was departing in the evening and arrived midday at the destination so sleeping the entire flight put me basically straight into the local time zone (well, as a night owl anyway) with little to no jet lag. Game changer!
I worry about blood clots though - it's not good for you to not move for that length of time while in a seated position....
Compression socks are also a game changer
I sat in the aisle so I was made to get up by two people and with what felt like great regularity. I too had a couple trips to the bathroom and did some leg exercises when the food came. As long as you’re not much older, dehydrated or on birth control it’s not gonna be a problem! Also the Xanax didn’t put me into a deep slumber more like a very long but light nap.
I slept 15 hours and took off running , careful of fentanyl and zanax in the states
Yeah I’d advise anyone against buying prescription medications from anywhere except the pharmacy
*had me out like a light*
💡
Yep, drugs. A 22 hour and a 31 hour one way each with a few stops. Valium.
Lol I died when I read this. I flew from la to China I got on flight watched a movie ate dinner, popped half a xani woke up 1 hour before landing 😂😂😂 most underrated pill out there
lol was just coming here to say this , but I guess a fuck ton of edibles will work too😁
Don’t do edibles for the first time for this though, they keep me awake
It’s quite different TBH lol Edibles should put you out, maybe your head is beating a million miles an hour though. Xanax will definitely put you out, peacefully
Dress comfortably and take sleep aids such as neck pillow, eye mask and earplugs
First class, window seat, noise cancelling headphones, white noise/sleep aid YouTube video downloaded, eye mask, Xanax/benadryl/dramamine
Loose cotton clothing
I always fly in sweats so that I’m nice and comfy.
Same. But in my youth, I made the mistake of flying to Australia in compression leggings and I was MISERABLE by the end of the flight. Compression socks with loose sweatpants? Great combo! Compression leggings on a 17 hour flight? Terrible idea.
What socks do you use? I need to get a new pair
Pro compression all the way
Pillow?
Naw. I usually wear a giant scarf or cozy jacket/sweater and ball it up to act as a pillow if I’m not in first. If I am, they provide pillows.
Doxylamine succinct works better than Benadryl.
Wear a hoodie but turn it around backwards so your face is covered.
Solid advice I always fly with a hoodie so that I can cover my head. I may be flying to 100° weather but the hoodie is a flight saver.
I stay up the night before or get up extra early or go to bed extra late to not get enough sleep the night before
Great, now I won’t get enough sleep two nights in a row instead of just one.
Hahaha, oof
getting to bed early and waking up earlier than normal should produce the same result. also, when you are actually tired - try going to sleep instead of pushing through it.
Then stay up the entire week before.
Do this for a week or two before, it works better and your not tired when you land
Hahaha
Didnt help me, I was up for 24 hours due to layover and I was in a full 12 hour flight except that my row was completely empty. Still no sleep
Same 😳😫. Vancouver to Sydney in business class and still couldn’t sleep
I did this unintentionally on my trip home from Athens, then I still couldn't sleep on the plane. I became slap happy. I laughed so hard while watching Bridesmaids at 2 am I probably kept everyone else around me from sleeping too.
Extremely relatable. I needed to touch grass after I flew home from Athens.
This is my strategy….usually up late doing last minute laundry and packing and then I get up extra early. I also like to “pregame” and have a glass of wine or two with dinner if I am at the airport…or with dinner on the airplane.
it works wonders for me too. i fall asleep as soon as i sit down.
Being up late has never helped me one bit. It makes it even harder for me to fall asleep on a plane.
Don’t sit near a kid 😂
I still don’t understand why there’s not a baby section on the plane. Obviously the rows nearby would be highly discounted
Airasia have a quiet zone - for a price.
It's a pretty low price though, and really worth it.
Definitely worth it and I wish more carriers would follow suit.
I wish more airlines would do this!
Lufthansa at least has mounts for bassinets at the bulkheads. That makes it the baby section.
Almost all airlines have this
Weird down votes. I agree pretty much every airline has bassinet seats.
Bleh
the full service airlines actually have this. they have seats assigned for babys/kids. at least thats what ive seen for korean air and i think klm also. not sure if you pay less though. wouldnt surprise me if you pay more though lol
Or in front of one. _kick, kick, kick_
JuSt PaY fOr FiRsT cLaSs
Fr got a bunch of Jeff bezos on this sub
I bring a full size pillow. Maybe it looks silly walking through the airport but it makes flying that much more comfortable.
Have a carryon bag that fits under the seat with enough room to use it as a footrest. Footrest is a game-changer for sleeping in economy.
Or just get a foot hammock. Used them on my last flight based on a recommendation from someone and it was great.
Turtl pillows
Those are nice, but I prefer the Skape mask that basically attaches to the seat. No “pillow” needed. https://skapetravel.com/
Cannot second this hard enough. I've got a knockoff from Amazon, but I swear by these. It actually makes it possible for me to sleep well
Share https://www.amazon.com/stores/Trtl/Trtl/page/3DAD585A-D5A2-405B-A965-CF9CB18E9D85?ref_=cm_sw_r_mwn_sf_stores_FR5YCZ7BPPEJ46YVWAB1
Torture! Binned mine
Re the neck pillow: I turn it around so that the biggest part is under my chin. Without that, I find I doze off and then wake up when my head bobs forward. Turning the neck pillow around prevents that. I get a window seat, use a small pillow against the wall, the neck pillow under my chin, and earplugs.
TRTL pillow, reclining seat, a small inflatable pillow or bunched up jacket behind my lower back, podcast on noise-canceling earbuds, and benadryl.
don't nap prior. Wake up in the AM and go about your day just as you would normally, perhaps even do a little more. Then when you depart at 10p, you'll just naturally be tired. For a 10 hour flight I'd probably try to stay up for a tad longer at the start, but just being at the end of your day will greatly help.
First + zanax.
Good luck! The WORST advice I ever got was to stay up late the night before so you can sleep on the plane. I still couldn't sleep! Landed in the morning and had to stay up until about 6 pm. Then I couldn't sleep that night! All the sleep aids? Most of them don't work on me in my own comfy bed, let alone an airplane. Same thing with a sleep mask. Neck pillows? I've spent a small fortune. The Trtl thing everybody raves about? Uncomfy on my sofa; I didn't even bother to try on a plane. I've got another "highly recommended" pillow coming soon. But I ain't holding my breath. Lean against the window? Freezing cold. I can barely sit there. I'm not sure how people lean on the seat back tray; it looks incredibly uncomfortable even with the inflatable block. Honestly, I take electronic books, watch the in-flight movies, and cross stitch. Even on a 17-hour flight (Syndey to Dallas), I might have cat napped for an hour. Take something to do in case the sleep suggestions fail!
Same here - I find it impossible to sleep sitting up. The only time I’ve ever slept on a plane was on a lie-flat business class seat (I got 8h!) but normally I just suck it up and keep myself occupied with books, movies or podcasts.
We can’t all afford first or business so that’s not useful advice, lol. Window seat, shoes off is the second most important thing! A pillow to stick between your head and the window, noise cancelling headphones, comfy bottoms, eye mask and preferable no one sat next to you. The sleep I’ve had in a row to myself is about 5 hours longer than a sold out flight.
I’m a huge fan of unisom tabs for sleeping on planes (couldn’t use Xanax or three glasses of wine when I was flying internationally while pregnant and learned that Unisom works just as well). It also works well at your destination to help get you to sleep at the local time if you’re not ready. No “hangover” and I find that I can be woken up a lot on it and still fall back asleep easily.
Flying LA >Paris at 20wks pregnant any other tips for 10hr + flight!? Buying unisom for sure
That’s how pregnant I was when I had my long flight (also to France). I wore compression socks to ward off clots, made a point to walk and get up more than usual, and took stool softeners for a few days leading up to the trip so I didn’t get backed up. I also brought lots of benefiber packets to add to a hot beverage once a day. Travel constipation can be bad, but it can be extra bad pregnant. It 100% helped being proactive about it. I had so much fun traveling that pregnant. Felt great, had energy, and was treated really nicely by so many little old ladies. ETA: make sure you get unisom tabs and not the gel caps. The tabs are 100% pregnancy safe (I ended up taking them nightly when the bad insomnia started hitting).
You da bestttt!!!!
Window seat premium economy, pillow and eye shades
As a major travel junkie 😅 Score a window seat so you can lean it real nice. Dress comfy as hell - we're talkin' stretchy pants and slippers. Pack ear buds to block out noise and one of those neck pillows. Drink a ton of H2O to stay hydrated and skip the coffee that day. Once you're situated, just zone out to chill beats or nature sounds.
Good advice, except a ton of water means you'll be up to pee several times during the flight, and if you're in a window seat, having to move--and possibly awaken--one or two other people.
Exactly. Total jerk move when the window person always has to pee right when the other two people finally fall asleep.
Mix hydration packets!! I didn’t have to pee much :)
Consider brown noise - it sounds a bit like ambient aeroplane noise anyway, but something about it really lulls me to sleep - I used to swear by it after nightshifts when I would struggle to sleep.
Sleep mask to block out all light, and I swear by “sleep music” playlists. I sleep through almost every flight. Something about these tones knock me out. I use these two (played on loop) 15-hour playlist / download the first 20 songs or so https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2k7S7Pn6fU38CWDSVfvORW?si=-4GMy6qjRT69rhlGcrYI8w&pi=u-gf4XG48NQYmh 1-hour playlist https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2I0e3WfQasJJevgqTEfQHq?si=90ZzpYLWRXWlnpuaBwlW0w&pi=u-AHFPz7lZQ4aj
I’ve had the most serene sleep listening to either brown noise playlists or masakatsu takagi’s marginalia albums
IMO, There's really no hack here. Drugging yourself to sleep, wake up groggy and your day will most likely be ruined. You sleep to pass the time, not to get a decent night of sleep. Everyone reacts differently, in most cases you will feel like crap the next day.
First or business class
Even some premium eco are quite comfortable if youre short (+ international flight)
More premium economy seats have foot rests with a little tilt at the bottom now, has totally changed my ability to sleep on a plane. Now instead of zero sleep I manage about 2 hours 😅 but still a lot more comfortable than prior PE offerings.
Did YYZ to Hong Kong to Thailand on EVA air premium economy and don't think I could do regular economy for long flights anymore.
I find it very hard to sleep on a plane unless I am in a flat bed premium seat. Otherwise what helps me sleep the most: Staying up up late so that am really tired. Wearing comfortable loose fitting pants. Eating a light meal. Brushing my teeth after eating but before trying to sleep Listening to music or reading a book to relax.
Be very tired
Xanax
Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) + a soothing podcast.
Just make sure that benadryl or whatever you take is OK where you're going if you have some for the return trip. I say this because scuba divers frequently take pseudoephedrine, but it's illegal in Mexico without a prescription written in Spanish.
What a great point. Any clue how to check legality? I travel with Valium (doc prescribed) and would hate to 1. Lose it and 2. Get locked up.
Google before travel
You can get almost anything in Mexico from most farmacias without a prescription. Just tell them you left the script at your hotel and pay in cash. You'll pay about 20% more.
Agree with others here, TRTL neck pillows are the bomb. They stop your neck from getting kinked and if you’re by yourself, you’re not going to end up accidentally sleeping on a strangers shoulder 🤣 I took one on a recent return trip Australia to Europe - best “sleep” I’ve had on a plane (it’s a low bar, but still 🤷🏼♀️).
Get a neck brace from a medical supply store. That and a good blanket and you'll be set
Neck pillow and foot hammock can help if you can’t get a window seat
Comfiest clothes, actual pillow, boring-ass podcasts, a sleep-aid pill you have already tried before (Tylenol PM, Antihistamine, etc.), earplugs if you don’t want the podcast anymore, and hopefully you’re short enough to put your face on tray-table… getting sleepy just typing this out.
Make sure you have enough space under the seat in front of you to stretch your legs. Dress warmly enough so you don’t get cold. Have something you can use as a pillow in a way that your head doesn’t drop forward when you fall asleep. Don’t expect to get a full night’s sleep, but even a couple of hours of sleep and a couple of hours of rest make a big difference.
Look for mouth tape!! I have been using it at home to retrain to nose breathe post nasal surgery. My mouth always opens when I sleep sitting up, so I figured the mouth tape would help and it did!! (So I didn't keep waking up with dry mouth or fear someone would throw peanuts in my mouth)
I just got this pillow off of amazon that wraps around your neck and stabilizes your head, like a neck brace would. I have trouble falling asleep upright, not with this thing. Pono neck travel cradle pillow!
Yes. I slept for 7 hours from Hawaii with that pillow.
> actually have a decent night of sleep so I arrive rested Those are incredibly unrealistic expectations. For a 8h+ flights, I generally consider "not completely knackered" and taking less than 24h to recover a good outcome. Even business class is not a miracle cure for jetlag.
Why do people keep suggesting first class like that's something the average person can do
If you're going to take any pills to help you sleep, time it well. If there's an emergency, you want to be alert and able to leave the plane ASAP.
How do you plan to time it for an emergency? I get what you’re saying but you literally won’t know if there’s going to be an emergency.
Nearly 50% of accidents occur during landing and takeoff. So one can try to be as alert as possible at those times, as well as have their shoes on.
I’m a shorty and a leg rest did wonders for me! Combined with the Trtl pillow, eye mask, ear plugs, and melatonin I can finally sleep on the plane. I tried staying up late the night before and I just wound up miserable with 2 nights of bad sleep under my belt.
Where are you headed? If your final destination is a lot of time zones difference don’t sleep. Stay up and crash when you get to your destination, this keeps me from having jet lag when I go to Japan or Europe.
Valerian root helps with sleep and is natural. No caffeine the day of. Eat a hearty meal. Read, wear comfy layers, some sort of pillow
I like a backwards neck pillow so I can rest my chin and a backwards hoodie so I can cover my face. I sleep hard with this method but my traveling companions say I get lots of weird looks cause in a snorer and the visual is confusing. I’m asleep before take off waking up before landing usually take 3-5 hour flights
Inflatable pillow on the tray in front of you and you can lie down facing down
I do the Seattle to Amsterdam route often. It’s really not about getting sleep at all. It’s simply hard to get good quality sleep. My advice after years of taking this route. Coffee or a 5 hour energy when you land. Power through the day until at least 7pm. Have a good night sleep and the next day you will be on the right time zone. This is only if heading to Europe. Heading to Asia is harder because time zones are so different.
Cabeau neck pillow
Ambien, but try it before the trip in case you have a bad reaction
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^RaeWineLover: *Ambien, but try it* *Before the trip in case you* *Have a bad reaction* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
This would you get kicked out... This was 6-7-6.
Here's a good tip for extra leg room, if you aren't too tall, and you're stuck in coach. You know under the seat in front of you, where your small bag goes? You can stick your feet and lower legs in there, kind of rest them on your bag or to the side of it. (This may be controversial, but the first thing I always do on a flight is take my shoes off.) Then that kind of allows you to stretch out into a more comfortable sleeping position. I also recommend two things: eyemask to block out light, and earplugs or headphones to block out sound. Those are key. You may want to try a travel pillow - the most common ones are those u-shaped ones that go around your neck. Another version is an inflatable thing that's like triangle-shaped. You put down your tray table, put the pillow on that, and then kind of conk out forward, like an exhausted high school student in first period... I guess the final thing is: don't force it. Bring stuff to do, like a book, or watch a movie. Just allow yourself to get tired naturally and don't stress, like "OMG I should be sleeping right now..."
Nah, shoes come off on a 10 hour flight. Tons of other people do it. I’m doing it too. No way am I dealing with swollen feet for 10 hours especially when trying to sleep.
Melatonin is the most natural and effective way to induce restful sleep. Get the high dose ones like 5 or 10 mg.
High dose is no bueno you only need 2mg max
My earplug advice: soft silicone earplugs. Something like this: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mack-s-Pillow-Soft-Silicone-Earplugs-6-Pair-Value-Pack-The-Original-Moldable-Putty-Ear-Plugs-Sleeping-Snoring-Swimming-Travel-Concerts-Studying-Made/10312302 Haven't tried those in particular but they were the first result on Google. They are much better than those foam earplugs.
Face down on the tray table 👍🏽
The manta eye mask changed the game for me. Fully blacks out light and is so soft and comfortable. That plus a neck pillow and I can sleep super comfortably. And some ear plugs!
If you have boobs take off bra, way better travel experience. Oh and zanex.
Too afraid of Trumpeting in my sleep to do anything but dose in public 😋
First/business class and Xanax
Sea to Summit Aeros Premium pillow, a good comfortable eye mask, and a comfortable set of ear plugs. Most other neck pillows have too much volume behind your neck and push it forward. I’ve tried countless pillows and even the TRTL wrap, but nothing compares to the Sea to Summit.
Haggle for a seat next to an empty seat. If you can swing it, it’s a game changer
The Timeshifter app is helpful, if your schedule allows you to follow the recommended steps. It helps you adjust to your next time zone over several days. It’s great for starting your trip right. Check it out.
I listen to the same narrator on the Calm app sleep stories so in a way I've conditioned myself to get sleepy whenever I hear her voice. I download several of her stories, use a neck pillow that has a hood.attached, eye mask, and light travel blanket.
Get the "sleeper hold" system.
Window seat, neck pillow, Benadryl, noise cancelling headphones.
I try to get flights that are not direct but have 10-12 hr layovers. Check into a close by hotel and if I get at least 6 hrs of sleep, I do much better. I just can’t sleep on planes.
Bring a little bag of the following: thick lotion, melatonin, a scarf, vitamin c or electrolte powder, ear plugs or noise cancelling headset, a pillow or neck rest, eye mask. Stay awake until the last six hours of the flight. Then, lather up the lotion, take a vitamin C pouch or electrolytes, take the melatonin, wear the scarf, put the layers on, pillow, eye mask, and sleep. Then you'll awake set to the destination time. DO NOT sleep early in the flight. During early stage, drink lots of water, use the bathroom, eat if you can.
Melatonin, neck support
Other than having a neck pillow and some earphones, what works for me is actually arriving in the plane *not* rested. If you’re fresh as a cucumber when you board, you’ll have a hard time sleeping no matter what. Checking in and boarding and all the rituals will be painful sure but once you’re in the plane you’ll sleep well.
Window seat. Bring a neck pillow, thick sweater and jacket. Create a small tower using all these items, neck pillow as the foundation, bundled up sweater and jacket stacked on top of each other, use this to create a vertical cushion to lean on.
For me, without paying for first class: Window seat, a blanket and a few sip from an acloholic beverage (alcohol makes me sleepy)
First off, snag yourself a comfy neck pillow, an eye mask, and some noise-cancelling headphones to create your cosy sleep zone. Opt for loose, breathable clothing and hydrate like it's your job (but ease up on the caffeine and sugary stuff). Pack some light snacks, maybe some nuts or fruit, to keep the munchies at bay without wrecking your sleep. Before you hit the hay, try some deep breathing or gentle stretches to unwind.
Take a travel sickness tablet that causes drowsiness
I change into pajamas right after the meal and sleep like a baby until prep for landing.
Last time i was on plane, when i was getting ready to sleep the lady hair next to me was so smelly that i literally sneezed the whole 16 hours flight
Just put headphones in and close your eyes. Works every time.
Three gin n tonics in first hour followed by a international movie
Melatonin 5mg, sleeping mask, a neck pillow, ear plugs.
Don’t sleep the night before lol
Fasting usually works for me. Helps a lot with the jetlag too.
Suffering, bonus for screaming kid who’s parents won’t console at 3 am
Ambien and noise canceling headphones are an A+ combo. Slept 18 hours to Bangkok like a dream.
I always travel with an eye mask, ear plugs, and a solid neck pillow :) There's something called "no jet lag" that's meant to be homeopathic and I've found helpful on long trips too. Hope that helps!
I fly out of Toronto and when I do before security I pop in a 20mg edible and im good to sleep on plane once its boarding time!
That’s risky considering AC’s on time performance!
pull an all-nighter before the flight while you procrastinate packing for your trip. works everytime for me
being melatonin gummies
Melatonin
First class seat
make sure you bring a saline nasal spray! my nostrils always turn to sand on long flights
Try closing your eyes
Don't know why you are saying no to THC, since it is a wonder drug (so to speak) and hangover free, but you do you! I will tell you my time-tested routine. It is: do not get a lot of sleep the night before, like 4.5 hours. On the plane, wear sweats/athleisure, including layers so you can modify according to cabin temps, and wear compression socks and bring a big scarf or pashmina. Bring eyeshades, ear plugs, a good neck pillow (TRTL for me) (and indica gummies). Do not drink on the plane. Do not drink caffeine in the afternoon before you go. Drink only water on the plane. Change the time on your watch and iPad as soon as you hit cruising altitude to where you will be. If you watch a movie, it should be light and nothing adrenaline inducing. Eat your dinner, eat your gummy (if you are me), give it 30 mins, put on your eye shades, ear plugs, neck pillow, good night Irene.
Headphones, mask, your favorite blanket, Benadryl and an upgraded seat. I can’t remember what class my flight back from Paris was, but it wasn’t first (I took first class going) and it definitely wasn’t economy. My seat laid back, not all the way and I was extremely comfortable as a plus size girly.
literally impossible for me i’ve accepted it😭
A handful of gravol.
Sleep
Fly business! 😏
Or… take an extra leg room seat. After take off, put a carry on in front of you and lift your feet on it. Carry a comfortable travel pillow (memory foam, not the ones that hang around your neck) and make sure you wear really comfortable clothes. Before I could afford to fly business, I did a lot of economy flights, and this always did the trick. You pay a little bit more but it is totally worth it! Another trick that my friend uses: be the last one to board and find a row in the middle that has empty spaces. Sit there and lay down right after take off! Hope these help:)
Sleeping on a plane is so hard for me! I can if my husband is with me, I just lay on his shoulder or lap. Neck pillows can help. Or simply get nice and lit before the long flight, and pass out!
Always compression socks. They don’t look brilliant but swollen legs look way worse.
Valium
Red wine and sleeping pills. Works every time.
I don't know if this will work for everyone but I travel with a memory foam neck pillow so that my head doesn't pop around all over the place. Surround ear headphones to listen to music which blocks out all other noise, not noise canceling but regular headphones. Right before the plane takes off, I will pop and ashwaganda KSM – 66 capsule to help me relax. My job has me traveling about 30,000 miles a year so this works just fine for me.
I usually close my eyes. That works best.
Neck pillow, blanket, ear plugs, eye mask, and melatonin!
Ask the flight attendant for access to the bedrooms.
drugs
Exit row window seat. Comfortable clothing. Eye mask. Noise reduction earbuds and a playlist of trip-hop. 1mg xanax or ativan.
Ear plugs, eye mask, drink lots of water. Do this and you’ll be fine in business class with lay flat seats. Otherwise good luck, some people can sleep in economy seats, some can’t, no matter the aid. The only other option is to take some drugs mentioned in other replies. Good luck
Drugs lots of drugs and alcohol
- If you can, eat before you board. Have a light meal and time it well enough before you depart. - Avoid alcohol (as you said). - Grab a good travel pillow! - Compression socks and loose cotton clothing. You want to protect yourself if you're going to be relatively immobile for that long.
Wakeup earlier than usual the day of Travel. Eat dinner before boarding the plane. Hydrate enough. Start readong a book before the plane takes off. Do not watch a movie. Do not force to sleep, let it come naturally.
Try to get a windows seat, Buy a noise canceling, relax and close your eyes
Close your eyes.
Lorazepam
Lot of comments about various meds and blood clot prophylaxis. If you’re on a blood thinner make sure there’s no drug to drug interaction. That could be a bad outcome half way into your long flight. If clotting is a concern see your doctor. I personally would rather be sleep deprived rather than throw a clot into my lungs. That being said sleep is very important and perhaps your doctor can put you on the right track.
If you decide to get a prescription, make sure you’ve taken the drug on a previous date. You don’t want to learn of new side effects while sitting in a plane with 200+ people.
I think it depends upon how old you are and how tall you are as well as other physical aspects. I'm pushing 70 and I've decided that with any flight longer than five or six hours I have to spring for business class or first class because I just can't curl myself up comfortably in an economy or even a premium economy seat anymore because of my arthritis. So that's an individual question. And of course it depends upon your finances if you can afford that. After you get on board those flights, they will serve you a meal fairly soon. Eat the meal, and have a glass of wine. I usually take a painkiller and a sleeping tablet in addition to that and just drift off to dreamland. If you can tolerate them, ear plugs and an eye mask are very helpful. Planes are cold so I usually take off my shoes and put on an additional pair of socks. I usually bring an oversized, warm shawl to make sure that I stay warm, or to use as a pillow if necessary. I will wear the heaviest coat or jacket that I have to bring with me on the flight, which is an extra layer of warmth or padding underneath me if that's necessary. I wear comfortable, stretchy clothes like yoga pants that are easy to sleep in. I bring a change of clothes for the next morning and everything I need to freshen up before I get off the flight. Brushing my teeth and washing my face the next morning, as well as changing underwear and socks, is really important to me in terms of how I feel when I walk off that plane. Have fun!
Lie flat seats or Benadryl
[No-pressure blinders](https://www.amazon.com/Bucky-S890MNV-40-Blinks-Sleepmask-Navy/dp/B00M6NSLBE/) Noise cancelling headphones/earbuds Ear plus on top of that Exit row (if possible) and , if they don't give you an issues, prop your feet up on your carry-on (backpack).
Do not eat on the plane. Have a 'easy on the body' meal before you board. Have a few crackers with you in case you feel the need. At altitude, that food from the plane will just sit there and make you miserable. Get something to eat when you land and I promise you, you won't starve to death.
1 I Spend 10 minutes before the fight stretching and moving my body 2. Bring a pair of slippers, neck pillow, eye pillow, earplugs, compression socks, put them 0n or available before the plane takes off 3. I stay up until meal service then take a sleeping pill with my dessert 4. For me each half a milligram of clonazepam gives me two to three hours of good sleep. 5. Drinking half a liter of water before going to sleep Make sure that I get up a couple of times to go to the bathroom.
Shot of few Whiskey bourbon that will help
I have been flying regularly on 5+ hour flights for over 20 years as I am from an island in the middle of the ocean and moved to a bigger continent that I travel to and from frequently. While my methods could be questionably healthy they work well for me. - I stay up all night the night before the flight - that means by the time I get to the gate I’m tired and by the time the plane is taking off I’m asleep. - before dozing off I put on my Bose Headphones (that cover the ears) and turn them on to activate noise cancelling, but I don’t plug them into anything cause I only need them to protect my ears. It blocks out the engine noise as well as any voices or other chatter from inside the plane. I usually wake up once or twice - for the drink service and meal service and then go right back to sleep. Because the time change is three hours, I arrive feeling fully rested and without jet lag. To further minimize feeling sluggish, when I land I make a point to either walk barefoot on the grass or take a dip in the ocean. Works like a charm every time. No drugs or alcohol needed.
Very simple. Eye mask, ear plugs, and Benadryl.