No one wants to spend the first 36 hours of their vacation recovering from a flight. Therefore, you should choose the time and try to sleep a little during a long flight.
But given the noise on the plane, the lack of legroom and the large number of people on board, the ability to sleep on the plane becomes an invaluable skill for travelers.
The tips in this article on how to fall asleep on an airplane will help not only beginners, but also experienced tourists get enough sleep during the flight.
Reservation
To fall asleep during the flight, you should think about what sleeping people do not like. They do not like everything. So you should make your flight as convenient as possible even at the stage of booking.
It is better to choose a non-stop flight, if there is such an opportunity, and also prefer night flights, and ideally on the most unpopular day for the flight, to increase the likelihood of choosing places.
Seat selection
Location can be one of the most important factors on how well and how quickly a passenger can fall asleep in an airplane. If possible, you should choose a seat by the window so that you can lean against the wall and keep your elbows away from serving tables with drinks. The place should also be located as far as possible from service areas and restrooms. Among the reasons why the first class sits in front of the aircraft is the atmosphere. The farther the seat on the plane, the louder the trip becomes.
In addition, you should think twice about the seats near the evacuation exit. Although extra legroom can please, some seats in this row do not recline so that they are not an obstacle in case of emergency.
Another area to avoid when thinking about how to fall asleep on an airplane is the last row of seats. Again, they may not recline and are often located right next to the toilets, where there may be problems with both noise and smell.
In most aircraft, engines are located under the wings. Sitting in front of the wing is like being behind the speaker. All engine sounds will be heard.
However, choosing a place away from the wings may not help if you sit next to a crying child or a chatty neighbor, but if your fellow travelers are quiet, this may be a chance to oversleep the entire flight.
You should also consider recommendations on where to sit in order to feel the least amount of turbulence. The best place is usually the middle part of the cabin.
There is less traffic in the middle because passengers are closer to the center of gravity. The farther the place is from the middle, the more motion like turbulence will be felt.
Reduce carry-on
If you take two full-sized bags with you in your hand luggage, one of them may be under your feet, limiting their space and making it difficult to sleep. Instead, you should pack everything in one bag so that several essentials are in its upper part - a book or magazine, a snack. Before you remove the bag into the upper compartment, you can pull out important items that you will need during the flight and put them in the back pocket of the seat in front.
Tilt back
Tilting the back will help ease pressure on the lower back. With less pressure on the back it will be easier to fall asleep.
The second best position is to sit straight. But if the abdominal muscles are not strong, then there will be no lumbar support, and this can lead to lower back pain. The solution in this case is a special pillow, which helps to keep this bend in the lower back. You can use a travel pillow or even a folded sweater.
The worst thing you can do when deciding how to fall asleep in an airplane is to fall asleep, leaning forward without any back support. In this position, the greatest pressure is applied to the vertebral discs.
Use headphones as intended
Television and films will help keep you alert during the entire flight and will prevent you from falling asleep. Listening to soothing music, on the other hand, can help divert attention and sleep. Earplugs are a less effective but cheaper alternative.
Stay out of the light
Animated flashes of movie screens, reading lights, interior lights, sunlight shining through a porthole - all this can disturb sleep. Another piece of advice on what to do in order to fall asleep on an airplane may be to buy a mask for sleeping on your eyes. Some airlines provide them, but it is best to have one in your travel kit.
Don't eat too much
It is better to try not to eat 2 hours before your expected sleep. It is also necessary to monitor what is eaten: overeating or fatty foods can cause discomfort and complicate the task of how to fall asleep in an airplane. Eating large amounts of fatty foods, in addition, can lead to changes that are associated with faster blood clotting, which should be avoided while on a long flight.
Medications for sleeping on an airplane
There are also drugs that can help you fall asleep even in the most difficult conditions. Take pills to fall asleep on an airplane should only be after consultation with a doctor:
- Melatonin This is a naturally occurring substance. It is a hormone that causes sleep. The level of melatonin in the human body decreases with age. That is why older people often sleep less. Start taking melatonin should be three days before the trip.
Melatonin helps induce sleep and tune the internal clock. A study by British Aesculapius found that melatonin reduces the problems caused by changing time zones. Also, when taking it, there are no serious side effects that you should worry about.
Numerous reviews about drugs containing melatonin indicate that they are the best helpers when flying long distances, giving you the opportunity to sleep at any convenient time. Also, taking melatonin is not addictive, and when arriving at their destination, travelers can quickly adapt to local time.
- Dramin. This medicine for motion sickness is a fairly common over-the-counter drug. But you should be careful, because it makes a person very sleepy, so after using "Dramina" you can not drive a car. Some users advise: if the flight is not very long, and on arrival you need to be in good shape, then this drug should be avoided. To prevent a feeling of lethargy, sleep experts recommend administering this medicine a week or two before the flight. Thus, the body will get used to it, and the person will know and anticipate any side effects.
- Sedatives, such as valerian, Motherwort-forte, Novopassit. These drugs are easily available and can help those who are worried about how to fall asleep on the plane if they are scared. A sense of anxiety when boarding an airplane is not uncommon. Studies have shown that every third Russian is afraid to fly. With a calming effect, these drugs will be the best way out for those passengers who want to relax and oversleep the entire flight. This is evidenced by numerous reviews.
- Tylenol and other antihistamines. Tylenol is also used to fall asleep in an airplane. However, it can make a person feel after awakening, as if from a hangover. Reviews about the drug "Tylenol" are excellent - it is an effective pain medication due to the action of paracetamol.
Count time zones
Crossing several time zones, you should seriously think about a dream during a flight. Any flight that passes through more than 4 time zones will affect the circadian rhythms of the body. As a result of the change of time zones, the human body is struggling to adapt to the new local time. This usually happens at a rate of about one hour per day, so for some time you may feel out of sync.
Scientists from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences who study circadian rhythms have discovered that they are one of the oldest evolutionary traits in mammals. In addition to the sleep cycle, an abnormal circadian rhythm affects metabolism, body temperature, hormone release, mood, thirst and appetite.
When it's time to wake up ...
The worst part of sleep is the need to wake up. During a long flight, you should set an alarm 45 minutes before landing. This will give time to go to the toilet, pack things, put on shoes, watch as you approach your destination, have a cup of coffee and get out of the plane peppy and sleepy.