Sleeping on long-haul flights

[kuijpers]

I am curious whether anyone has similar problems with sleeping on flights. I don't think I have fallen asleep on a flight - I am never in the right position, there is always some distracting object poking into my skin, somebody's baby is crying, etc. What do people do or use to help go to sleep on flights?

[Greg_B]

Xanax  (prescription from my Doctor)

Leg lift attached to the seatback tray

Neck pillow

 

Edited January 3 by Greg_B

[btek86]

Good noise canceling headphones that are comfortable. I personally like Tozo brand in Amazon for price and quality. 

[momo5]

38 minutes ago, kuijpers said:

I am curious whether anyone has similar problems with sleeping on flights. I don't think I have fallen asleep on a flight - I am never in the right position, there is always some distracting object poking into my skin, somebody's baby is crying, etc. What do people do or use to help go to sleep on flights?

Fly business with lie flat seats … sleep rather soundly.  

[Micky2]

Get a window seat, if possible to minimise disturbance by fellow travellers. 

Put on some boring movie and I’ll likely drop off fairly quickly, no matter what the seat.

If the movie turns out to be interesting, as is sometimes the case, don’t worry about sleeping. Just catch up on sleep at the destination.

[Guyh12]

You have to a really good neck pillow and get the strong melatonin. It will be even better if you actually stay up the night before you flight and base it off thailand time 

[SlowlyMan]

3 hours ago, kuijpers said:

I am curious whether anyone has similar problems with sleeping on flights. I don't think I have fallen asleep on a flight - I am never in the right position, there is always some distracting object poking into my skin, somebody's baby is crying, etc. What do people do or use to help go to sleep on flights?

My doctor prescribed formula. 800mg Gabapentin, 2.5mg Ambien.  Gets me a solid 6 hours. Consult your doctor before self medicating at 30,000 ft. You don't want to be the guy getting carted away by the airport police. That really puts a damper on your holiday.

[direct_voyage]

In Economy: Good noise-canceling headphones + Ambien
In Business Class: Just Ambien

I have a standard Ambien prescription, but on a flight back from China in United Airlines Economy, I forgot my medication. Instead, I took my friend’s Ambien CR, the extended-release version.

I took the pill shortly after takeoff and woke up to the flight attendant tapping my shoulder, letting me know they were preparing for landing. I looked out the window and saw San Francisco. It was one of the top three happiest moments of my life—about as close to teleportation as you can get.

[Fred Basset]

I always try to get a Xanax or Valium from the doctor for my 11 hour flight. I’m not a great sleeper with that & might just nod off to doze for an hour or two. However it helps me relax, & makes sitting for so long less uncomfortable. I pop it as the meal arrives so it kicks in when tray is taken away. 

[user493204]

I try to sleep, but usually it doesn't work or at best works for around 2 hours. I'm not a fan of taking medicine purely for convenience, so I just live with being tired on arrival.

What I don't understand at all is neck pillows. They don't go up parallel or at least 45 degrees rotated to the side of your face, so how are you supposed to lie on those? I can't bend my neck 90 degrees. I triedd using them and they provide me no comfort whatsoever. What exactly are you supposed to do with a neck pillow?

[neo1011]

42 minutes ago, user493204 said:

 

What I don't understand at all is neck pillows. They don't go up parallel or at least 45 degrees rotated to the side of your face, so how are you supposed to lie on those? I can't bend my neck 90 degrees. I triedd using them and they provide me no comfort whatsoever. What exactly are you supposed to do with a neck pillow?

You need to find the correct neck pillow , I use this one that does have some height on one side

[megro]

I did not sleep too well on my first long hauls either. You get used to it and now I usually barely have enough time to eat and watch one movie from sleeping. Lounge access with free food and booze helps me too, but I know drinking doesn't work for all. Being tired enough helps too, usually my flight home from BKK is so that I need to be at the airport at 5AM and I never sleep before that. Many times I'm asleep before the take off. 

[_Zoidberg_]

I've no problems falling asleep. Usually I wear my earbud, play podcast with today newspaper reading and... sleep. Usually I take windows seat, so start sleeping bent on the windows but after... I tend to fall down, on the front seat and than directly on the plane floor. I would continue to sleep on the floor but flight assistant rarely agree  ;-)

 

[khwan]

I have earplugs and one of those neck cushions, but more importantly, I stay awake about 30 hours before the flight… I'm so tired it's impossible not to sleep.

[kuijpers]

On 03/01/2025 at 18:27, btek86 said:

Good noise canceling headphones that are comfortable. I personally like Tozo brand in Amazon for price and quality. 

@btek86 Thank you for the recommendation. I have a pretty large noggin and many of the headphones I use become uncomfortable after extended periods of time - Would you say that they are comfortable on the ears?

[dh842]

Fly business class. 

[direct_voyage]

I use the Sony WH-XB900N headphones. They work well in Economy — a bit bulky, but effective if sitting upright. The noise-canceling is good, in my opinion.

I recently ordered a pair of cheap 'sleeping headphones.' I'm sure the quality won't be great, but I plan to try them on my next business class flight while lying down. I'm very sensitive to noise when sleeping, and the Sonys are too bulky for side sleeping. My expectations are fairly low, but I'm hoping they'll help at least a little.

[ricktoronto]

On 03/01/2025 at 17:51, kuijpers said:

I am curious whether anyone has similar problems with sleeping on flights. I don't think I have fallen asleep on a flight - I am never in the right position, there is always some distracting object poking into my skin, somebody's baby is crying, etc. What do people do or use to help go to sleep on flights?

I have a little bed and nobody beside me so it's quite easy to sleep. I use Bose QC20 NC earbuds which last hours and are small enough to rest your ear on, on a pillow.

[btek86]

23 hours ago, kuijpers said:

@btek86 Thank you for the recommendation. I have a pretty large noggin and many of the headphones I use become uncomfortable after extended periods of time - Would you say that they are comfortable on the ears?

They are nicely padded and feel very light around my ears 

[mtr81]

I find it hard to sleep anywhere except a bed... When I went to Thailand in December 2022 I didn't sleep at all on the way there but got about 4 hours on the way back after taking 100mg Diphenhydramine HCL . My flight to Bangkok coming up departs Heathrow at 21:25 and lands in Bangkok at 3pm which would be 9am GMT so my plan is take either 100mg or 150mg about midnight so I get some sleep. Nam's taxi are picking me up and if I have had some sleep I will be straight on it when I get to Pattaya otherwise I will have a few hours in the hotel first.

[Tom Tit]

 

On 04/01/2025 at 07:51, kuijpers said:

What do people do or use to help go to sleep on flights?

That, plus a cheeky valium before taking off, and away we go.

On course for oblivion, lieutenant?

Course set, captain. 😵‍💫

Tom Tit 

 

[Wide_western]

I have to take at least 2mgs of Xanax if I want to get any sleep and it still won't be much..

Nowadays I try to fly during the day and make a stopover if possible, so I can get a night's sleep in a hotel. I still take some Xanax so I can relax a bit and just watch some movies and read without going insane..

Getting into a plane when I'm dead tired and then pulling through without sleep for another 20 hours is just hell!

[hormone]

Obviously business class if you can afford it.  Lying down replicates the closest to a real bed. 

Otherwise in economy, for me resting my head on something solid (like the window!) is the most important, as otherwise, my head bobbing as I drift to sleep will 100% wake me up.  No neck pillow has ever succeeded in keeping me from waking up...

Various other things will help: sleep meds, alcohol, a high carb meal, prior sleep deprivation...Sometimes all of these.  Ear plugs or noise cancelling ear buds... an eye mask. 

[Yogi007]

44 minutes ago, hormone said:

Otherwise in economy, for me resting my head on something solid (like the window!)

Yes I am the same, need a window seat to create a platform to lean on. Stuff the gap with pillows, coat or something so it is soft. 

The other tip I discovered was when travelling with others, there was 4 of us all together and the layout was 3-3-3, so I sat in the window seat behind the 3 of them. My daughter in front of me didn't mind me extending my leg through the side on to her arm rest. I am only 5"5' so not long legs. I found this the best possible position of remotely getting any sleep for me that is. 

Note: Don't poke your leg or anything else on to the arm rest in front of you unless you know them - lol!

[Wiley Coyote]

I have found some success sleeping after  buying Dimitron travel sickness tablets from 7-11