How to Sleep Better on a Plane

To sleep, perchance to dream away your entire flight.

The very best flights are those which are spent entirely asleep.

Unfortunately, it is often very difficult to fall asleep while stuffed into a small seat, sitting upright. There are ways, however, to increase your chance of Zzzzs. Some of them are no-brainers, such as abstaining from caffeine during the flight. Duh! Others are less obvious.

Make Flying a Drowsing Success is a wonderfully helpful Los Angeles Times article by Logan Kugler, which spells out the best recipe for sleeping at 35,000 feet. Most of the suggestions I’ve heard before but there were a couple of new ones which I found very interesting. For example, Kugler recommends eating a banana which is packed full of melatonin, serotonin, and magnesium–apparently all good things to help you sleep.

The most interesting tip I learned, however, is about the small window of time when sleep will come most easily. Apparently during takeoff the cabin experiences increased G-forces and decreased oxygen levels, giving your body a one-two punch of sleepiness. I’ve dozed off many times during this short window and just assumed I was tired from the trek to the airport. Now I know there is a scientific reason for doing so, you can bet I’m going to take advantage of this window every time I get on a plane now. Thanks Kugler!