Sleeping on the plane tips please

[gems_smiling]

Every time we go to Florida i always dread the journey home. I hate night flights. Last year we were lucky enough to be able to afford premium economy (we go VA) on the way home which did help with sleeping a little becuase of the wider seats but this year we are back to economy. Every year i end up miserable and exhausted. What tips have you got for getting some sleep on the plane?

 

[fizz13]

My biggest problem is being cold and having a headache, always seems to happen on the flight home. Now I carry a big fleece/ warm jumper for just this and always have nurofen handy. Maybe ear plugs and an eye mask. that jumper could also be used as a pillow. Oh yes, try and get the window seat so you have that side to lean against.

Hope this helps and good luck, bet people have got some other great ideas,
Claire xx

 

[AndRu]

Do make sure you're hydrated before the flight, have a few drinks in the airport. Stick to fruit juices and the like, avoid coffee and alcohol.

Eat a banana just before you get on. Apparently (and I don't know why), banana's contain a substance that is good for sleeping.

Ask for a blanket and pillow from the staff and use this in conjuction with a blow-up brace that you put around your neck.

As Fizz13 says, try to get an eye-mask and a window seat so you can rest your head on something.

Read. Don't use the inflight entertainment system. Watching those awful screens is enough to give you a headache. Avoid these at all costs. Reading is a much better way to relax before sleeping.

Finally, take a cardigan / jumper with you onto the plane as you'll feel chilly when you wake up.

 

[kristieuk]

I don't know whether this will work for you, but after many many transatlantic flights, my best tips are : -

Take a roll up fleece blanket with you - I bought one in Old Navy for about $15, and it's really warm and easy to carry

When you get on the plane, start your 'bedtime ritual'. I ask for my Mickey Mouse insulated coffee mug to be filled with hot water and then add either a camomile or 'Sleepytime tea' (from Sainsbury's), and drink this while I'm getting ready.

I cleanse and tone my face, plaster myself in a face mask, hydrating eye mask and decleor after sun balm for face (if you go to a Decleor counter, they are super generous with samples, if you just wanted to try it)

By the time I get this far, food is normally served, I eat that and then put in my ear plugs (essential!), put on an eye mask, and go to sleep.

I don't put the tv on or read anything. I'm just in 'bed mode' and I find this helps to concentrate the mind.

It's not a miracle answer, and I'm not saying you'll have 8 hours undisturbed sleep, but I have gone from not being able to sleep a wink, to at least getting an hour or two at a time.

Hope it helps!

 

[Young Pooh]

If there is just two of you, then try to get seats at the rear of the plane where it changes to a 2-4-2 configuration. I find that the rows of two seats give you that bit more room and privacy.

Sue

 

[gems_smiling]

Just chose our seats. We are row 59 ABC on the way and 60 ABC on the way home. I hope there OK. Thanks for all your help, any more would be very welcomed.

 

[JoeSam]

Getting one of those blow-up neck pillow thingies, as AndRu mentioned, really worked miracles for me on long haul flights. Last year, I managed to wake up in time to put my seat belt on for landing after sleeping away a 10 hour flight from the Caribbean! I never used to be able to sleep a wink.

My brother swears by a dose of Nytol, but I could never do this in case something happened and I wasn't alert!

 

[SimonY]

I had to go on a business trip to the US this year and was lucky enough to fly business class on Delta. They let you use Bose Noise Reduction Headphones. What a revelation!! They have their own battery and produce 'anti-noise' so that when you're wearing them all goes quiet. It's quite eerie. They work on the entertainment system as well. Quite a few people had their own. I have just found link for them and they are v. expensive at £275 - almost cheaper to go Premium Economy and no wonder they counted them all back in so carefully.

I know they're expensive but if you're a regular traveller may be worth the investment. Just spotted that of course they're $299 in the States (another great UK ripoff!!!!) - I am now going to look into them when I'm over there as my present for myself.

http://www.bose.co.uk/noise_reduction/qc2_headphones/ for UK link

or

http://www.bose.com/controller?event=VIEW_PRODUCT_PAGE_EVENT&product=qc2_headphones_index&ck=0 for US link

And indeed there are Bose shops in 2 of the factory outlets in Orlando area

http://clients.mapquest.com/bose/mq...d1=IN&sqlOrderIcon=1&queryTable=ALL_LOCATIONS

 

[MrsJobba1]

On my honeymoon 6 yrs ago i bought a giant winnie the Pooh. I carried him on the plane and he was great to snuggle up with and go to sleep on !

 

[Girlsontour]

Just chose our seats. We are row 59 ABC on the way and 60 ABC on the way home. I hope there OK. Thanks for all your help, any more would be very welcomed.

We always have rows 60 ABC on the way home and i have managed about 5 hours sleep - they are brill seats!! Have got them booked for this trip also

 

[mushumadness]

i also use sleep time tea on the plane, also use a sleep mist from avon on a fleece blanket, I had six hours full sleep on the way home last year, the rest of the time I was woken up by chris, as he cant sleep on a plane

 

[Hobbes]

Finally, take a cardigan / jumper with you onto the plane as you'll feel chilly when you wake up.

You don't feel chilly when you wake up, you wake up cos you feel chilly. Its the airlines way of making sure everyone is up for brekkie before you land-pump freezing cold air into the cabin. Likewise, the temp in the cabin is warmer during the night to make everyone feel sleepy in the first place (So you don't keep bothering the crew!)

 

[Graeme]

We've booked extra legroom seats for our return nightflight. We got them last year as they were the only ones left and they were fantastic. We've paid £60 but it's money well spent.

 

[Tron[ADS]]

Tip for getting some sleep on the plane.....Dont take my two young daughters with you, as you'd have no chance !

It is quite hard to get to sleep sometimes on planes, but its brilliant when you do, as it effecively cuts out so much of the journey time.

 

[patdavies]

Fly Upper Class

Change into free pyjamas (ninja suits), have meal and when that is cleared press button to convert seat to a 6' flat bed. Unpack duvet and sleep until breakfast.

If you can't sleep - go to the bar first

 

[edenlee]

I'm a bit surprised that no one has mentioned DVT. The "advice" is not to sleep for the whole flight but to get up and walk around once every hour. also drink lots of water and wear flight socks. I would rather be a bit tired at the end of the flight than the alternative!!!!!

 

[disneyholic family]

I had to go on a business trip to the US this year and was lucky enough to fly business class on Delta. They let you use Bose Noise Reduction Headphones. What a revelation!! They have their own battery and produce 'anti-noise' so that when you're wearing them all goes quiet. It's quite eerie. They work on the entertainment system as well. Quite a few people had their own. I have just found link for them and they are v. expensive at £275 - almost cheaper to go Premium Economy and no wonder they counted them all back in so carefully.

I know they're expensive but if you're a regular traveller may be worth the investment. Just spotted that of course they're $299 in the States (another great UK ripoff!!!!) - I am now going to look into them when I'm over there as my present for myself.

Bose is nice, but they're far too expensive.
Instead of Bose, go into Radio Shack when you're in the states. You can buy excellent noise reduction headphones there for $50. They work exactly like the Bose (with their own battery etc.)
I bought two of them, for my daughter and son, when we were in the states and they say they're fantastic. Much better than paying $250+ for the Bose version.

I've tried them and they're amazing. I've used the Bose headphones as well. No reason to spend the difference. The Radio Shack version are a much better value.

 

[mikki.young]

Noise reduction headphones are great at reducing the general stress of flying as well as aiding sleep. Bose are expensive but very good. I bought some JVC ones at Duty Free a couple of years ago for about £60 and they are good enough for me - make a tremendous difference. They work fine with inflight entertainment as well so you don't have to lose their benefit while watching a film.

For night flights I listen to relaxing classical music and that usually helps me get some sleep.

 

[JohnnySharp2]

If you have young children it's very difficult to get some sleep, we always fly back Premium Economy with VA now so Joshua has more room to stretch out, otherwise it would be a nightmare.

To be honest, for me personally there are no tips I am afraid, you can either sleep on a plane or you can't, unfortunatley apart from very short spells I have never been able to.

 

[SimonY]

Bose is nice, but they're far too expensive.
Instead of Bose, go into Radio Shack when you're in the states. You can buy excellent noise reduction headphones there for $50. They work exactly like the Bose (with their own battery etc.)
I bought two of them, for my daughter and son, when we were in the states and they say they're fantastic. Much better than paying $250+ for the Bose version.

I've tried them and they're amazing. I've used the Bose headphones as well. No reason to spend the difference. The Radio Shack version are a much better value.

Somehow I thought that this was patented technology and never thought to look around. Came across these ones in the UK for £39.95 - no indication of P & P charges though.

http://www.audioagencyeurope.com/plane_quiet.html

They are also available elsewhere if you do a search for them.