Sleeping on planes is one of the hardest things to do for many people – especially when sat upright in economy.
But Reddit user ‘hardrollsmatrix’ discovered some of the best hacks for getting forty winks when they asked the forum, ‘Those of you who manage to sleep on flights. What’s your secret?’
From the most-recommended neck pillow brand to the pre-flight eating schedule that ‘works every time’, we reveal some of the handiest tips from frequent flyers and frequent nappers…
WINDOW SEAT
‘Bwainwright’ says they ‘used to travel from the UK to California and back every month for a couple of years and got to the point where [they] could fall asleep when taxiing to the runway and wake up when coming into land 12 hours later’.
They give the original post loads of tips for sleeping, the first of which being to ensure you nab a window seat, adding: ‘‘You’re likely to not be disturbed by other passengers needing to get past you, and you’ll have the bulk head to rest against.
‘If you can get an exit row or a row with extra leg room, then great.
‘However, be wary with exit rows as they often have less width in the seats and on some planes can even have restricted reclining.’
‘TreeLakeRockCloud’ adds: ‘I slept soundly for a 5 hour flight a few weeks ago. I had the window seat and told the aisle person to only wake me if there’s an emergency. I fell asleep immediately after takeoff and woke up because my ears were hurting as we were descending.’
RED-EYE FLIGHTS
From the most-recommended neck pillow brand to the pre-flight eating schedule that ‘works every time’, we reveal some of the handiest tips Reddit users give for sleeping on flights (File image)
Many travellers recommend booking red-eye flights, which are ones that depart late at night and arrive early in the morning.
‘MoiJaimeLesCrepes’ explains this is ‘to avoid flights with a lot of families. You want flights with business travelers or flights that are in general not very popular’.
‘MOS95B’ adds: ‘I always book “off hours” flights when I have to fly, so I’m either there at Zero Dark Thirty or well after my bedtime. Either way, by the time I get on my flight, I’m ready for at least a nap.’
COMFY CLOTHING
The next tip from ‘Bwainwright’, among other users, is to ‘wear comfortable clothing’, adding they always travel in a zip-up hoodie that’s easy to take off and put on again.
They add: ‘I like to put the hood up – it indicates to cabin crew that I’m trying to sleep and helps me feel a little more cutoff from the cabin, but it can get hot for some people.’
NOISE-CANCELLING HEADPHONES
‘Bwainwright’, along with many other Reddit users, recommends wearing noise-cancelling headphones – even if nothing is playing out of them.
They add: ‘I will often play a podcast or some relaxing music to fall asleep too and then the noise-cancelling stays on when it finishes and cuts out the engine noise.’
‘Kaiyotic’, who says they used to never be able to sleep on planes, also suggests wearing noise-cancelling headphones, having successfully tried it on a flight to Dubai.
They say: ‘I didn’t put any music on or any noise whatsoever, but just the reduction of the noise around me was enough to be able to sleep.’
If you want something a bit cheaper, like ‘roboticWanderor’, you can use regular earplugs.
Many frequent flyers suggest using a neck pillow, eye mask and noise-cancelling headphones, as well as booking the window seat (File image)
They say: ‘They block sound better and don’t need batteries, as well as letting my head rest on the side. They also mitigate the cabin pressure changes, so you don’t have the inner ear pop.
‘I just use cheap, foam ones that are very soft and OK for long use.’
SLEEP ACCESSORIES
Another hack from ‘bwainwright’ is buying a good-quality sleep mask before the flight, as the ones they give out on planes are ‘usually pretty thin and let lots of light in at the bottom’.
‘$10 [£8] will get you a better one before you fly,’ they add.
Most plane seats have wings that fold out to give a headrest, which ‘bwainwright’ and many others suggest folding out as much as possible, along with reclining the seat back.
‘You paid for the space, use it!’ they add.
But neck pillows are also recommended by most, especially the ‘trtl’, which ‘bwainwright’ says is ‘a weird looking thing which is essentially a stiff plastic neck brace combined with a neck scarf. You wrap it around your neck and the brace supports your head on one side’.
‘The trtl pillow is amazing for sleeping sitting up,’ adds ‘roboticWanderor’.
And when ‘nyutnyut’ tried it, they ‘did actually get a bit of sleep which is usually impossible’ for them.
‘5leeplessinvancouver’ adds: ‘A game changer for me has been a foot hammock. You hang it from the tray table frame and you can put your feet up on it.’
HOW TO EAT AND DRINK
While many think a glass of red wine will send you to sleep on a plane, Reddit users insist alcohol is actually more likely to ‘disturb your sleep’ on a flight.
Reddit users suggest avoiding alcohol even if it’s free, as that can ‘disturb sleep’. ‘Abqkat’ even chooses to fast a day before a long-haul flight to help their digestive system get ‘acclimated to the new time zone and meal time’ (File image)
‘Lk05321’ adds: ‘Don’t drink if you’re not a drinker! Yes, alcohol is free on a transatlantic flight but the air pressure in the cabin is equivalent to 10k feet (3km) and you can get a hangover headache after as little as one drink. Some people get totally sloshed.’
‘Ukexpat’ also warns to not drink too much booze, as well as trying ‘not to overeat’.
Meanwhile, ‘Abqkat’ goes to extreme lengths before a long-haul flight when it comes to eating.
They add: ‘The eating is key for me too, and helps get my digestive system acclimated to the new time zone and meal time.
‘I fast a day before an 8+ hour flight and time difference, sleep on the plane, and land on local time. Works every time.’
Meanwhile, self-confessed caffeine-addict ‘Spiritual-Mechanic-4’’s biggest tip is to not drink coffee before a flight.
HOT CHOCOLATE HACK
Another very clever trick from ‘Clever_Mercury’ is to start drinking a small cup of hot chocolate, just before you go to bed every night for a week.
Reading ‘the most boring book’ you can find is another tip from many frequent flyers, along with listening to a podcast ‘where the person has a monotonous voice’ (File image)
‘Then on the plane, request a small hot chocolate,’ they add. ‘Assuming normal conditions and no major medical issues, this has an above average chance of putting you out like a light.’
While they say that doing the same with camomile tea is also ‘a good bet’, chocolate has an amino acid called tryptophan that helps with sleep.
BORE YOURSELF
If all else fails, just make yourself so bored you start drifting off.
Like others, ‘Spunkyla’ books themselves the earliest flight possible, but also takes ‘the most boring book [they] can find’.
‘I start with reading the book as soon as we take off,’ they add.
‘ExpressSpecial9033’ says they do the same, as well as listening to a podcast ‘where the person has a monotonous voice’.
‘Combine both and listen to an audiobook, I doze off pretty quickly. Winning!’ they add.
