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Secrets for sleeping on a plane

October 21, 2008

How do you get a little shut-eye while you’re on a flight? Here are three tips that will practically guarantee you’ll catch a few zs.

Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. Critics have called it “eye-opening” and “inspiring” — it’ll “grab your attention and won’t let go.” Order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.

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9 comments

  • Jeff Webster

    Great tips, Chris. I like the use of video on this post. Sleeping on planes for me is nearly impossible, but I think it has more to do with the seat in front of me that is inevitably reclined into my lap, along with the person behind who either kicks my seat or plays incessantly with the tray table. Any suggestion for those issues?

  • Christopher Elliott

    Thanks. I wish there were a way around that, but sadly — other than moving — there’s nothing you can do.

  • http://www.perceptivetravel.com Tim

    I reviewed that Nap26 CD on the Practical Travel Gear blog and am afraid it didn’t do much for me. I really wanted it to work, but no luck.

    I do like the noise cancellation headphones though–I have a Sennheiser model that’s more compact. The passive earplug type buds do almost as well though and take up less space—if it’s not a long flight. The thing is, if it’s a quiet flight people-wise, the engine hum and ventilation hiss works well as white noise for some people and that’s enough to get them to sleep.

  • Jay Drew

    Also take a look at the Bose QuietComfort 2 and 3 headphones (QC2 and QC3). I own a pair of QC2′s; my wife has the QC3′s. They’re pretty amazing for reducing engine hum, people chatter, etc. And they’re around $300-$350.

    You definitely need the next pillow; over-the-ear headphones make it impossible to lean your head against the window and sleep comfortably. :-(

    When you do wake up – remember to drink a LOT of water. You lose a lot of water through breathing, and while sleeping you missed all those opportunities to slurp 6 oz of water grudgingly supplied by the airline.

  • Janet Jones

    Where do you get those pillow for “a couple of bucks”?

  • Paul

    I would also add that good seat selection is key. If wanting to sleep a window seat is much better not only as you can lean against the window but also so you don’t have anyone needing to get around you to get to the aisle.

    I would also check the seat map for your flight to see if it may be possible to get an open seat next to you or even an open row.

  • cathy fisher

    If you’re traveling then you might want to get one of these. I’ve tried many a travel pillow during my years in the skies. I have finally found one that is as comfortable as my pillow on my bed. It has a satin pillowcase, so my hair doesn’t get stuck in one spot while I’m sleeping on the plane or when I have a flight delay and I nap in the airport. I don’t get off the flight with the “bed head” look. I can go to a meeting or lunch with clients and my hair looks great. The pillow itself is designed to feel like down and it’s hypoallergenic. Both the satin pillowcase and the pillow are completely washable. When I’m home I throw it on the sofa and use it as a nap pillow. Now I won’t travel without it. I wound up getting satin pillowcases to take with me to use in my hotel room. The company I purchased the travel pillow from is
    A Touch Of Satin. Their website is http://www.atouchofsatin.com if you’re interested. They had a great selection to choose from and they had some really cute ones for kids. If you do any flying at all, or even take car trips, this travel pillow is a must to take with you.

  • sunnydays13

    Thanks for the recommendation cathy fisher. I took your advice and looked at
    A Touch Of Satin. I found a couple of travel pillows for my husband and myself. We flew last week and YES, I did notice a big difference in my hair. It wasn’t matted down in one spot like it usually is. My husband thought it was extremely comfortable and he is HARD to please. It was a winner!!!

    Elliot, thanks for the tips as well.

  • Flying

    The foam earplugs can tear if you jam them in too far. Go to the pharmacy and you can get cheap rubber earrings. The last thing you need is to have to go to the emergency room to pull out a ripped foam earplug.

    As far as seats reclining — well, if jamming your seat into the person’s knees behind you after 5 minutes doesn’t work, it’s not going to work after 30 minutes.

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