So you’ve woken up at 3am, driven to the airport, parked your car, and boarded the plane.
You’ve never been more exhausted, and all you want to do is get a bit of shut-eye.
Should be easy, right?
Unfortunately, we all know it’s never that simple. With all of the distractions on a flight combined with a lack of comfort, getting to sleep when you’re knackered isn’t as easy as it seems.
That’s why we’ve picked five top 5 for getting to sleep FAST while you’re flying.
1. Pick the Right Seat
Picking the correct seat is one of the most key aspects of flying off to the Land of Nod.
Avoid being sandwiched between two people in the middle seat, as this is just twice as many elbows to encroach on your armrest.
The aisle seat should also be avoided if you don’t want to be woken up by neighbours with bursting bladders.
The solution is obvious — aim for a seat next to the window!
Not only does this provide you with a peaceful atmosphere, but you can also draw the blinds and rest your head against them.
There is a great way to easily find out which seat is best for your particular flight. Go to SeatGuru.com and enter your airline and flight number. There you’ll find a seating plan for the aircraft, as well as which seats are good and bad.
2. Keep Yourself Warm
When you’re up in the air, the temperature can often drop quite drastically.
And we all know that trying to sleep while you’re shivering is no easy task.
Keeping your hoodie on is a must, and with some airlines you can even request a blanket, so don’t pass up that opportunity!
3. Bring Your Own Neck Pillow
It’s hard enough to fall asleep bolt upright, but when you wake up with a stiff neck it can make an already uncomfortable flight even worse!
Save your neck by bringing a neck pillow with you.
Trust us: you’ll be thankful for it!
BONUS TIP: Purchase a neck pillow before you set off to avoid a costly surprise when you try to buy one at the airport.
4. Use Earplugs or Headphones to Reduce Noise
Aeroplane travel is a very noisy affair and not the most relaxing environment.
You can fight back against this by wearing earplugs, or even listening to relaxing music to help you drift off to sleep.
If you have a paid streaming service like Spotify, you can download playlists for when you’re in the air, and there are lots of good choices if you’re looking to get a bit of rest.
Audiobooks are another great way to mask the aeroplane noise and take your mind off travelling.
5. Wear a Sleep Mask
You might be travelling through a different time zone or the internal lights of the plane might disturb you if they’re left on.
To combat this, wear a sleep mask to make it dark in an instant, as well as giving you a sense of privacy from others.
BONUS TIP: If you wear contact lenses try taking them out and travelling in your glasses. This will help your eyes feel more comfortable as plane air is very dry and will cause your contacts to become irritating.
