How to fall asleep in an airplane

Wear comfortable clothes

No, we do not advocate traveling in pajamas, but there is a difference between wearing stiff jeans during a flight and cotton pants with a little more. John Breese, a licensed sleep science coach, recommends wearing loose fitting clothes that are as close as possible to pajamas. He also recommends making sure your outfit is warm enough and bringing a hoodie or jacket for an extra layer.

Book a window seat

This is another case where everyone has a personal preference, but considering your ability to fall asleep during a flight, the window seat is your best choice for several reasons. First, as Breese points out, this allows you to control the light in your row by adjusting the shading of the window. You can also lean against the wall of the plane, which many find more comfortable than sitting down and facing the dreaded head.

The main benefit of not having to get up if someone from your row has to go to the bathroom. People sitting in the middle or aisle seats always run the risk of being hit on the shoulder in the middle of the nap to allow their passengers to get up.

Use an eye mask

The planes are usually bright enough. Even when they dim lights for night flights, there is often a blue hue on the floor and the bathroom – not to mention all the individual screens people are watching. According to Denise Gassner, Ph.D., sleep educator, it can be difficult for your brain to get the molecular signal indicating that it's time for sleep, through a peak of this drowsiness hormone, melatonin. The best way to cut wavelengths for waking up is to put on a mask for the eyes and simulate darkness. The darkness then causes the brain to release melatonin and signal that sleep must follow, she says.

Try the meditation

If meditation interests you and helps you relax or fall asleep, try it on your next flight. According to Gassner, guided meditations can help your body regain the state of relaxation necessary for you to venture into a world of dreams. Many are designed to work in any space, public or not. Find a few that you like and download them in advance for easy access whenever you need them.

To face the noise

Whether you opt for ear-loss earbuds, ear plugs or even ear buds that came with your phone, it can be helpful to mask the sound of the plane. Gassner recommends playing soft, meditative sounds that move your brain away from your current environment and place it in a quiet space when you close your eyes. Other white noises, such as waves or even the sound of a fan, can also be very helpful.

Pay attention to the clock

The environment in flight is not conducive to sleep: it is noisy, bright and you sit up straight. Gassner explains that trying to force yourself to fall asleep while your body is not naturally prepared to do so is likely to be a losing battle in advance. Check your watch or your phone and determine the time it is at home, she advises. If you are nearing bedtime or having bedtime, start asking yourself for sleep. If not, try a relaxing activity like reading.

Book later in the day for night flights

If you are traveling at night, try to book your flight as late as possible. In this way, your body is already getting ready to sleep and it will be easier to get out of the plane than in the morning or afternoon.

Brush your teeth

Since most of us brush our teeth before going to bed, taking a plane can help us tell our body that it is time to go to bed. Patti Reddi, a diligent traveler, always brings a toothbrush and toothpaste into her carry-on baggage and brushes her teeth after dinner, noting that brushing one's teeth before going to bed makes it easier to 39; sleep.

Eat a meal high in carbohydrates

Eating on a plane is another of these personal preferences. Some people find that they are more fortunate when they avoid heavy foods, but others, like Christine Hansen, founder of Sleep Like A Boss, recommend choosing a high-carbohydrate meal that will release quickly the sugar, which will cause a spike of insulin, then a crash.

Bring a pillow

If you sleep better with one of the cushions you see in all the airport gift shops, buy one and use it. Better yet, you may want to opt for an inflatable pillow for the neck, said blogger and blogger Charish Badzinski. Unlike padded cushions, it takes up little space. You can underfill it before takeoff so that the pillow has more to give. According to Badzinski, she rarely, if ever, uses her pillow around her neck. Instead, if she is sitting in the middle or in the aisle, she uses it under her chin to avoid head movement. If she has a window seat, she uses it as a regular pillow.

Moisturize before your flight

Yes, we know that we are supposed to drink as much water as possible during a flight. It's great if you have a seat in the driveway and you do not care about sleeping, but if your goal is a nap, you may not want to waste water in the air. Instead, Badzinski suggests that you hydrate yourself by starting a few days before your flight, and then cutting yourself off an hour before take-off.

Analog GB

It can be tempting to crush the iPad as soon as you have the right, or to switch the entire flight to scroll through the movie options, if your plane has these screens very handy for you. sit at the back of the seat. But Badzinski instead recommends using analog, choosing to read a book or listen to music if the goal is falling asleep. If the blue light on the screens is not good for us before going to bed, the same goes for trying to sleep during a flight.

Or watch movies if they help you fall asleep

If you are caught off guard by the movie intrigue or other in-flight entertainment to the point where you can not sleep, skip the screens. But if you're the kind of person who falls asleep the minute a film's opening credits start, then it's a good idea to show one during the flight.

Avoid sleeping pills

We have already talked about melatonin – a natural sleep aid – above, but what about something like NyQuil or Ambien? According to Captain Tom Bunn, President of Soar, Inc., avoid them forever. "You do not want to sleep more than two hours because four hours of immobility with lower legs than the body doubles the risk of deep vein thrombosis," he says. In addition, these pills are designed to stun you for a while and can leave you feeling lack of feeling or abandonment when you reach your destination. Attempting to navigate a bus system in a new city with a NyQuil hangover is not ideal.