Long overnight flights appear to be designed to let you sleep. A departure in the evening with an arrival in the morning usually means a whole lot of flying through the darkness, which is a perfect recipe for sleep. The holy grail of these flights is to get into the air and sleep the entire flight away.
My problem is that I never sleep very well when flying. Despite flying long distances regularly enough, I have slept well on board just once. This memorable occasion was a midnight departure from Honolulu to Auckland on a United Airlines Boeing 747-122, where I had both seats beside me free. On that flight I laid down and slept during the climb and woke during descent. Perfect!
Sleep Stoppers On Board
There are a number of sleep stoppers when you’re flying and I imagine you have experienced one or more of these.
Hot Cabins
The worst one for me is a hot cabin. Nothing is worse than trying to sleep when it feels like you are baking in the Sahara desert. A high temperature coupled with dry air makes for a terrible sleep. Cabins should be cool as it is cooler at night time when you usually sleep and blankets are provided for people who need them.
Noisy Galleys
Galley noise is a big one. The person who designs a galley that is free from clatters, clacks and crashes at all hours of the night will have my eternal gratitude. These sounds are quite disturbing even with ear plugs in. There is not much the crew can do about it but galley manufacturers should take heed.
Light
Any kind of light is also quite disruptive. Movement of the light from the television screens is often noticeable. When seated near the galley, light leaking into the cabin through the usually inadequate curtains is irritating. Double curtains as found on some services make a big difference here.
Passengers
Other passengers are the final great disturbance. Have you ever had a snorer on an Airbus A380? Due to the fact the aircraft is so quiet on the inside, a good snorer will have their sound reverberating throughout the cabin all night. There is also the heavy footed person who walks past and causes all the seats to move about like being on a fairground ride. Step quietly, Sir Portly!
Overall Thoughts
There appears to be nothing left for me but to take sleeping pills. People I know swear by them but I never feel the need to go down that route. Do you have any tips that might help me sleep when I’m flying? Do you have any other bug bears to add to the list of things that stop you sleeping? Thanks for reading and please leave your comments below.
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Asia has a lot of 5-6 hour flights without enough time to get a good sleep. On longer flights, I can sleep well, though I note your points on being near the galley or being seated next to the only passenger with a bright light on, or crackling away at a packet of chips! I don’t find heat an issue, its normally the opposite, so I carry a light sweater to keep warm. Also waring light comfy slacks as opposed to jeans helped, though I don’t have one! In economy, no chance for a sleep for me.
Yes, I find the very short sectors from the USA to Ireland or the UK (which can be as little as 6 hours) don’t provide enough time to sleep. BA have a good point making some flights a sleeper service so people can sleep the whole flight. One day I hope to sleep well on board! Thanks for the comment.
If I have a lie-flat seat, all I need is a eye sleep mask and a pair of ear plugs to block out the light/noise, respectively, and I’ll be able to catch some sleep. There’s not much I can do about vibrations and people walking about, though that usually doesn’t bother me. If I’m flying economy, I can never get a restful sleep…the best I can hope for is to get a some shut-eyes and whatever I get, I get. Like you, I have not felt the need to use sleeping pills, though I don’t doubt that they are super effective (i.e. if they are like cold medication, they could really knock you out cold…)
That’s my biggest problem, even the lie-flat seats don’t give me a proper sleep. I will have to look up some methods and see how I go. Perhaps it’s because I usually don’t wear anything when I sleep, so it’s a bit alien to wear something. Can’t see that changing anytime soon 🙂 I agree, I fly Premium Economy to and from Australia and it’s sitting up with eyes shut hoping I might fall asleep. Sleeping pills – as I’m not used to them I imagine being zonked out and not being able to wake up at the other end or feeling like hell warmed over at the other end. Still, I guess it would be more of an issue if I was flying for business rather than leisure. Thanks for the comment!
Champagne before the meal and vodka after do the trick for me. That said, I’ve gotten used to the lie flat seats in Business. I particularly like the “all aisle” set-ups. Bring slippers – I use isotoner type, with leather soles, your toes can wiggle and you’re still protected when walking to the lavatory…just wipe with a sanitizer before folding up and sticking in a zip bag prior to landing.
That’s a good idea, I might try to stick to “not wine” and see if that does me any better. Vodka is a nice clean drink, I really should have it more often. I still can’t sleep even in the lie flat seats in Business – that’s the most terrible thing of all. I’ll look up those slippers, that’s a really good idea. I don’t like to wear shoes on board but I also would rather not be wandering around in socks, so thanks for the tip! I’ve not been on a flight with an all aisle setup as the airlines I fly tend to still be in pairs. Thanks for the reply as always!
American and Emirates have the all aisle access. I just can’t remember the types of planes…sorrry
They do indeed! I need to get on those as soon as possible! 🙂
See you in flight!
Absolutely!
I swear by the combination of Zanaflex and Phenergan. That’s the only way I can sleep on a plane and not get airsick.
Sorry to hear you get airsick! It’s good that you have your solutions to both things though. Thanks for the comment!