Sara, I couldn't sleep either. I even took a sleeping pill after my 2 drinks and never fell asleep. Mo and I were the only non-Italians on our flight (we flew into Milan, not a big tourist destination), I couldn't understand a word anyone was saying and I was so tense. I swore that my next trip to Europe I was going to fly first class so that I could get a little sleeping chamber but we're going to Paris in September and flying coach. I'm thinking about getting some of those Bose headphones to see if that helps.
I think most everyone on our plane going to France was definitely American - so I didn't have that issue to worry about; however, coming home we had quite a different story.
We were seated on two seats on the side in coach (2 seats on each side of the plane, and 5 in the middle, so 9 total). Two European guys (they sounded French, but IDK) sat behind us. About 30 minutes after taking off, the flight attendant noticed they weren't responding to her. I peeked through the crack between the seats and was horrified to see one of them with snot hanging out of his nose all the way down his face and his eyes as red as blood (no kidding). The other guy was slumped against the window not responsive. Shawn had just gotten up to use the bathroom so I was all alone. When he came out of the bathroom, he thought something had happened to me because all of these people were huddled around our seats!
I just looked at him with a terrified expression. They were using my seat for some kind of oxygen tank thingy and I had moved over to Shawn's window seat - they weren't letting Shawn come back at that time. I was very scared, as you just don't know what some people are capable of when they are obviously high on something. (It was later determined that they had dissolved some kind of drug in their water bottle, prior to leaving France, and then took it on the plane with them). I thought, what if they pull a weapon out or what if they just try and fight back at anyone trying to help them.
Finally, Shawn flagged someone down and asked if they could move me out of there as I was kind of freaking out!
On the positive side, they moved us up to business class!

Seriously, that was sa-weet! They didn't make us move back either once the situation was under control. We ended up turning around over the ocean, and heading back where we eventually landed in London, the police and medics boarded the plane and took the guys off on stretchers, and then searched their bags (Of course, because we were sitting in front of them, our bags were next to theirs! Shawn said they probably hid the drugs in our bags and they would take us off the plane too. Luckily, that didn't happen) Once they refueled the plane, and unloaded the meals, reloaded new meals, we were off again. Yuck!
Seriously though, I had no idea that where we were sitting WASN'T first class - it was so nice! Our seats could lay all the way back in a full recline and not even come close to hitting the seat in front. The TV's were much bigger, the food amazing - Shawn had rack of lamb, for pete's sake - and they even spread out little cloths over our teeny, tiny, tray tables!
I did actually get some shut-eye on the way home being in business class. Plus, I think I was just plum worn out from all the drama and fear!
Sara