Planes aren’t exactly conducive to sleep, Ramiz Fargo, a sleep medicine specialist at Loma Linda University Health, explains. The seats are cramped, he points out, offering little room to recline or stretch our legs. Flight attendants frequently walk up and down the aisles. The cabin can be bright and noisy. Plus, many of us wear masks on the plane; and while face-coverings are a powerful tool against infection, they can feel uncomfortable to sleep in. “It’s unfortunately a lot different than going into a quiet room and lying down to go to sleep,” he says.
If you’re flying with an airline that requires face coverings, make sure your mask is on securely before you try and drift off, so a flight attendant won’t have to wake you up to remind you. Even as mask mandates fall to the wayside, keep in mind that you’ll be in very close quarters and breathing recirculated air with potentially more than a hundred passengers, Fargo says.
That way, you'll be sitting next to only one person and can lean against the wall if you want, Fargo says. Best of all, you can control the window shade to your heart’s content. There's also been a little bit of research that points to window seats as the best place to avoid COVID-19 infection.
To keep nature from calling mid-snooze, Fargo recommends going to the bathroom before trying to fall asleep. “The nice thing about the window seat is, once you go to the bathroom and come back… and somebody else wants to go the bathroom, they’re not going to be stepping over you," he says.
If you don’t want a growling stomach to interrupt your efforts to catch some z’s, eat any snacks the airline provides, Fargo says, or nosh on something before boarding. Don’t go ham, though, since feeling overly full can make it harder to fall asleep.
Since caffeine is a stimulant, Fargo suggests opting for decaf or water instead of the complimentary coffee. And while you might think that a whiskey nightcap will put you down, “when the alcohol gets metabolized throughout the night, it actually becomes a sleep disrupter,” he explains. Ultimately, it can backfire, leading you to wake up periodically.
Since the blue light emitted by screens can block melatonin secretion, Fargo recommends avoiding them about 30 minutes to an hour before you want to sleep. Listen to a podcast or some chill music — anything that’ll keep your mind occupied, but nothing that requires intense concentration, and nothing too stimulating, he says (so maybe not your screamo playlist).
A tiny airline seat can’t compete with your bed at home. But hopefully, these tips will help you make do. Or, if you're really desperate, you could give up on trying to fall asleep altogether.