How to sleep on an airplane: tips. Sleeping pills for flying on an airplane: allowed drugs Put extra things on the shelf

Once upon a time, an Alaska Airlines plane had to make an emergency landing because of a worker who fell asleep in the cargo hold of the plane. Someone may envy the guy, because sometimes you can’t fall asleep on an airplane even in a relatively comfortable passenger seat. But in order to take a sweet nap on board, it is not at all necessary to look for eccentric places. We've put together tips that are guaranteed to help you fall asleep on a plane.

Seats with children on the plane: convenient service or discrimination

Let's explain for the news: Russian airlines do not like the idea of ​​"open skies"

Love, Death and Mexico: A Tale Soaked in Guacamole

Let's explain behind the news: why is everyone talking about the Netherlands?

Balsam, sprats and the bay: a great guide to Riga

Take a sleeping bag

In addition to a swimsuit for procrastination on the beach or a ski suit for extreme sports somewhere in the Alps, take a first aid kit with you for insomnia. It includes:

Headphones with active noise canceling (NC)

These headphones dampen external signals. They work very simply: sound wave it is captured from the outside, transformed and provokes the creation of a reflection - an inverted wave that extinguishes the original one. Thanks to physics, the crying of a child on the other side of the cabin or the noise of aircraft engines will not come between you and the lulling voice of Elvis Costello.

earplugs

If music doesn't calm you down, try earplugs. They isolate from external sounds and create the illusion of silence. Silicone earplugs perform better than foam earplugs. You can buy earplugs at the pharmacy. But make sure to purchase in advance. At the airport, you run the risk of finding only orange foam rubber.

Alas, nothing will save you from the screams of a child in a nearby seat or chatty fellow travelers. Headphones and ear plugs will only muffle the volume of the irritant.

Plaid and pillow

If the flight takes more than two hours, you will most likely be offered an amenity kit. On board JetBlue you can buy a new pillow and blanket for $5-6. Most other airlines will offer you clean but reused blankets and pillows. It is unlikely that you will be able to relax with them - thoughts about the prints of hundreds of hands and faces, dust, a baby who somehow changed a diaper on a blanket will come into your head. In addition, such travel kits may smell strange, be less soft or warm than what you expected. To think only about sleep, bring your own sleep gear.

If this is not possible, a voluminous warm scarf or sweater will do. They can be used as another layer of clothing for warmth or rolled up into a soft pillow.

Player

Relaxing music (like Steve Wonder) or the sounds of nature will help you fall asleep on the plane: the sound of water in the ocean or a winter blizzard in the forest.

ASMR is suitable for those who like non-standard solutions. ASMR helps relieve tension through the use of visual and auditory triggers familiar to the user, which are most often framed in a role-playing game. So, you can find a video where a pretty woman offers a haircut in a calm, quiet voice, reproducing all the accompanying sounds - from the tapping of scissors to the noise of a typewriter. It is believed that such recordings relieve anxiety and relax.

bottled water

Buy water after inspection, in duty free. Drinking on the plane is mandatory: at altitude, the body dehydrates faster. You can ask the flight attendant for water. But then you have to lose minutes of sleep for communication, waiting and exchanging pleasantries. A caring neighbor can also join in and start a lecture on the degree of water pollution on board. Avoid.

Sleep mask

The sleep hormone is melatonin. It is produced in a dark room. To promote hormone production on an airplane, use a sleep mask. It can be replaced with sunglasses or a baseball cap.

If you really want to fall asleep, avoid any exposure to light. This applies to seat lighting, mobile phone, tablet or laptop. Electronic screens resemble natural sunlight, so watching a movie or reading from a screen suppresses the release of melatonin.

Book/magazine

You can replace the gadget with a book or magazine. Reading can help you unwind before bed. Especially if a dose of printed materials is included in your usual pre-sleep ritual.

Comfort clothes

The most comfortable sleepwear is pajamas. But on board a plane, you can look a bit eccentric in a giraffe suit. Without loss of comfort and with less social risks you can replace pajamas with a comfortable sweatshirt with a warm lining, sweatpants and woolen socks.

Sleep is badly affected by tight clothing. Loose clothes will help you sleep and prevent vein thrombosis due to blood flow restriction.

Choose an overnight flight

If possible, buy a plane ticket that coincides with your usual sleep pattern. So you can delegate the responsibility for organizing sleep to the biological rhythms of the body. Choose early morning or evening flights.

Our blog reader Roman shares his experience:

It’s easier for me to fall asleep on the plane when I’m very tired or don’t get enough sleep. Otherwise, meditation helps. I just stop my mind, free it from any thoughts to complete calm. I remain in this state until I fall asleep.

Create an environment for sleep

If you need to fly in the middle of the day, try to convince the body that it is time for him to sleep. For this:

• Sleep two to three hours less than usual before your flight.
• After departure, follow the usual rituals - brush your teeth, change into comfortable clothes, read a book, listen to music.
• Take on board something you can't imagine your dream without - for example, a plush dinosaur or your favorite warm socks.

Warm up before your flight

The same posture for two to three hours leads to pain in the knees, lower back and neck. Take up gymnastics or yoga. Warming up will help you stay relaxed and avoid joint discomfort.

How to sleep on a plane: choose the right seat in the cabin

The most requested seats are at the front of the aircraft. There's less shaking and more legroom. But if you strive for silence, choosing such a place is a mistake - parents with babies are often placed here. Plus flight attendants roll out carts full of drinks.

If you are in economy class, the ideal seat is by the window in the middle of the cabin or closer to the tail and in the rows with emergency exits. Emergency exit provides extra legroom.

Keep in mind that aircraft designs vary. And if your friend Tanya told how great she flew to Paris on 25A, do not run to take this place, even if you are flying in the same direction. In another aircraft, 25A may be in the last row, where the seat does not unfold and other passengers are queuing for the toilet.

In order not to miss the chair, use the site SeatGuru. With it, you can see a map of the seats of any flight. How to use: go to the site, select a flight, enter the aircraft number or click on the one that suits you and get a map of seats in the cabin. Green will be marked ideal places, red - the worst. Yellow places mean that you need to read the comments of passengers.

Our reader Ekaterina advises:

The hardest thing to fall asleep is when you are sandwiched between two unfamiliar passengers. You don’t know where to turn, how to isolate yourself, you are chained all the time. But even in such a situation, you can relax and fall asleep. You just need to create the illusion of isolation. A light scarf helped me with this. I used it not for warmth, but to cover my face. The light does not interfere, the views of the neighbors are not annoying. I saw how some covered their heads with a blanket. Also a great idea.

Pull back the chair

Reclining the seat helps reduce stress on intervertebral discs. The lower the load, the less discomfort and easier to fall asleep. It is believed that it is best to recline the chair at an angle of 135 degrees. But you are unlikely to count - just set the chair to a comfortable position for you.

If you can’t recline the seat because of an aggressive woman who has nowhere to put her legs, or because you still ended up in the last row, don’t panic: you can also fall asleep in this position. You just need to provide lumbar support by placing a folded sweater or an airline blanket / pillow under it.

Choose a comfortable position

A few poses to note:

• Try lying with your head on a folding table with a pillow on it.
• If you're sitting by a window, use the window as a cushion and lean against the side of the plane.
• Tilt the chair back, stretch your legs forward as far as possible.

Use a U-shaped pillow to keep your head from falling forward/sideways and to minimize stress on your neck. But place it so that the neckline is at the back, and the main part of the pillow supports the chin. This position may make your neighbor smile, but you won't wake up because of a sore neck or another head down.

What Not to Do

• Leaning your head on the back of the seat in front - this will put pressure on your neck, plus you risk waking up due to the movements of the passenger from this seat.
• Falling asleep, leaning forward without back support - there is a lot of pressure on the intervertebral discs.
• Cross your legs. When you cross your legs, pinch one side of your body. This is fraught with blood flow restriction and the prospect of blood clots if you fly, for example, from Moscow to Dubai. In addition, this position increases pressure on the lumbar region.

There may be empty seats in the cabin. Ask the flight attendant about the possibility of changing seats. If you manage to take two adjacent places, it will be easier to lie down.

Be sure to use armrests. Place your forearms on top. So you can support the upper body and unload the spine.

If you're sitting at the emergency exit, you have room to stretch your legs. This is not only a matter of territorial superiority over other passengers, but also a bonus for unhindered blood circulation.

Hand luggage can be used as a footstool. If this is uncomfortable, place the pillow given to you on the plane under your knees.

Eat Right

Michael advises:

He sleeps well after significant loads and a plump lunch. So on the day of departure, run to meet the sunrise in a picturesque place, have a snack before departure and on the flight itself. Well, under a sleepy song, there will be no chance to stay awake.

Need to eat. Sleeping on an empty stomach will be difficult. But it is better to do this two hours before bedtime.

You can't overeat or eat fatty foods. A large portion of, say, bacon with potatoes will increase the load on the heart, because it will have to distill more blood to the stomach and intestines. An extra load on the heart is not what you need during a flight. Plus big portion fatty foods leads to easier blood clotting.

Don't drink wine. Even 200 ml of alcohol an hour before bedtime can lead to dehydration, a groggy state upon waking up and disruption of the usual sleep pattern. By the way, drinking will not help you sleep soundly. Alcohol will stimulate sleep at first, but it usually lasts only three to four hours. Then you will suffer from insomnia, headache, thirst.

Avoid caffeine. Do not forget that it is contained not only in coffee, but also in chocolate, Coca-Cola.

Fasten your seat belt

To sweet Dreams not interrupted by a flight attendant asking you to fasten your seat belt due to entering a turbulent area, fasten your seat belt immediately. And you need to do this over the blanket. It should be obvious that you are wearing a seat belt and you do not need to be disturbed.

• Choose an unpopular time for the flight - for example, Tuesday. More likely to be on a half-empty plane.
• Do not start a conversation with a neighbor - otherwise it will be more difficult to protect yourself from other people's attention.
• Control the smell - spray some perfume you like, essential oil(lavender) or other aromatics on the pillow. You can sew a sachet inside the pillow. With a pleasant smell at the nose, you will not be annoyed by a neighbor with his whopper (why did he even take it with him).

Katya shares her experience:

Traveling by plane is always exciting, every time I go on the ladder in joyful anticipation. This year I flew from Moscow to Thailand (9 hours) in rather comfortable conditions: it turned out that only 2 seats out of 4 were bought on the row. Satisfied with how the stars were safely aligned, I had a snack, turned on the audiobook and fell asleep soundly. I woke up only at the moments of falling into the turbulence zone. The most important thing is a comfortable body position (I use everything that is at hand - a pillow, clothes, the shoulder of a loved one) + music or earplugs to muffle the rumble of the aircraft. The main thing is to enjoy such moments and look for your buzz in them.

Is it worth taking sleeping pills

No, if you have never done this before and do not know how the body will react. Not worth it even if you usually have a lot of ear pain on the plane.

Melatonin is recommended as an alternative to sleeping pills. Be sure to check with your doctor if you decide to take anything.

How long should you sleep on an airplane

If you are flying from Moscow to Punta Cana (approximately 11 hours), you would like to spend the entire flight in a dream. But this is almost the same as luring a unicorn with candy. Try to get at least 90 minutes of sleep. This is how long one phase of sleep lasts. In an hour and a half you will rest and feel refreshed.

Our reader Valya will now tell you everything:

“Ladies and gentlemen, we are glad to welcome you on board our liner” - these memorized phrases are heard by every passenger on board the aircraft.

I have been flying since the age of 2, every year at least 2 times. Recently, the number of flights has increased many times, this is due to my work - I carry out many projects in the regions.

I have not yet flown super long distances and I can’t imagine how you can fly 12 hours in a row. Even with my experience of traveling, I have developed a terrible aerophobia, in which flying becomes simply unbearable.

Of course, the easiest way to “survive” a flight is when you are asleep and time passes unnoticed. But how to fall asleep when the body is in a stressful situation and adrenaline beats like that?

Firstly, the most exciting thing for me is takeoff, it is impossible for me to fall asleep before it or during it, so I don’t even try. But as soon as the “fasten your seat belts” board stops burning, the pilot begins to tell the nuances of the flight, and the stewards begin to carry drinks, he lets me go. I have certain flight rules. For example, I always order only tomato juice and water, I drink and the jitters come to naught.

Secondly, flight time is very important. They say that on long flights you need to choose the time you are used to sleeping. For short flights, it works the same way.

Thirdly, you need to create comfortable conditions for sleep. For example, I only fall asleep when I am warm, so I always take a warm jacket on the plane or ask the stewards for a blanket. Many now travel with inflatable head pillows, they say it is very comfortable. Those who cannot sleep in the light take sleep glasses. I have a friend who always chooses only row A, because she can only sleep with her left shoulder leaning on the window. If you want to sleep on the flight, do not take an aisle seat, you will definitely be hit by children, stewards' strollers or passengers running to the toilet.

My salvation is music. It drowns out the sound of the plane, and I no longer think that something is going wrong. I turn on my favorite songs, try to imagine something pleasant and fall asleep ...

But then they start delivering food. I don't understand why the flight attendants start waking up at this time. You are just starting to fall asleep and then: “Fish or meat”, ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah! Therefore, if you are flying with a companion who is not sleeping, warn him not to wake you up.

Kalinov Yury Dmitrievich

Reading time: 10 minutes

Going on a long plane trip, some passengers experience fear and anxiety, which helps them to cope with a sedative. However, is it safe to take sleeping pills on a plane? Let's find out which Negative consequences may occur after taking such drugs, which drugs are most harmless, and how to take them correctly to avoid problems.

Can you take sleeping pills on an airplane?

With sleep disorders and excessive excitability nervous system some people find it difficult to do without sedatives on an airplane, especially on long journeys. Indeed, in some cases, taking sleeping pills is justified even when taking into account their negative impact on the body.

Restrictions on transporting medicines

Some medications require a permit to be transported. Information about this can be found at the airport.

Important! It is allowed to carry drops and syrups up to 100 ml in the cabin.

There are many restrictions on the transport of medicines in tablets. Some of them need to be declared. In addition, you need to have a receipt and a prescription for English language, which confirms that the passenger cannot do without this drug on the way.

The following medicines are subject to declaration during the flight:

• tranquilizers and many sedative compounds;
• painkillers;
• psychotropic;
• for weight loss.

Before the flight, it is advisable to consult with the representatives of the airline regarding which drugs are allowed to take with you, and which are strictly prohibited.

It is allowed to carry into the cabin of the aircraft:

• medicines that improve digestion;
• antispasmodics;
• antipyretic;
• analgesics;
• nose and throat drops;
• antiallergic agents;
• solutions for the treatment of wounds.

All medicines must be taken in acceptable quantities so that they are not seized during baggage checks. If a required drug is forbidden to be imported into the country, you will have to accept it before air travel.

List of sleeping pills that are allowed to take on a plane

Not all sedatives can be taken with you into the cabin. Only harmless, non-prescription medications are allowed on board. This list includes:

• valerian;
• motherwort;
• "Novopassit";
• DreamZzz and other similar means.

When choosing a sleeping pill, you need to pay attention to the speed of its action, as well as the absence of side effects, such as nausea, lethargy and severe drowsiness upon waking.

Valerian tablets and tincture

The drug has vegetable origin. Well established as a sedative that improves sleep. Accumulates in the body, providing an effect even after excretion. The disadvantage of tincture is a specific smell.

Health

Traveling develops a person's personality, expanding his horizons. But everything has a flip side of the coin.

The worst enemy of any traveler is change of time zones.

Can this problem be overcome?

jet lag syndrome

Long-haul jet lag occurs when we experience a desynchronization between our internal body clock and the external time clock of our destination.

This is the explanation given by Natalie. Dautovich (Natalie Dautovich), PhD, specialist in environment National Sleep Foundation.

Symptoms of this desynchronization include fatigue, difficulty sleeping, difficulty concentrating, indigestion, and a bad depressed mood.

All these moments can spoil even the most long-awaited vacation.

One of better ways avoiding such a disruption of the body's biorhythm is like sleeping on an airplane on the way to your destination.

The following 8 tricks will help you fall asleep easily on an airplane so that you stay alert and fresh later.

How to deal with jetlag

1. Choose Your Flights Carefully and Book Your Tickets

Choose a flight that allows you to arrive at your destination early in the evening.

This is exactly the kind of advice Dautovich gives. This way you will miss sleep completely.

It will be easier for you to stay up until 10pm local time, which is the recommended bedtime when visiting a destination that follows a different time zone.

2. Set your clock correctly

Having a visual cue will help your body adjust to the new time faster.

Set your watch to the new time as soon as you board the plane. In this way, your mind will begin to adjust to the new time zone.

3. Take Melatonin

Melatonin is a hormone that is naturally produced by the body during sleep. You can purchase melanin from a pharmacy. This drug will help your body adjust to the new time zone.

After taking melatonin, your body seems to say: "I messed up the time, now it's time to sleep," and you fall asleep.

Dr. Basil warns that the body needs only one milligram of the drug. This small amount is enough to fall asleep healthy and sound sleep.

Large doses will help induce drowsiness and lethargy. Therefore, follow the recommended dose carefully.

4. Be sure to have lunch before the plane

In his opinion, this is part of the circadian rhythm when you try to tell your body: "It's lunch time, you need to eat."

You don't have to wait on the plane for food of dubious quality, you can just go to bed.

How to sleep on an airplane

5. Use a sleep mask

Light interferes with the production of melatonin, says Dr. Basil, and contributes to the fact that a person is not drawn to sleep.

Bazil suggests avoiding bright lights, turning off phones, laptops, and other modern gadgets to avoid disrupting sleep.

Your body should not be awake.

On night flights, try not to watch movies or read electronic books when the plane is taking off. Use an eye mask to keep as little light as possible on you.

I have flown over 2 million kilometers. Regularly had to make long-haul flights in the economy class cabin. The main problem was that I could not sleep even on flights of 12-14 hours. I had to drink a decent dose of alcohol, but with my frequency of flights, health would not last long. And it was impossible to work after such a flight. And then I developed a technique to increase comfort. Now I most often make long-haul flights in business class, but here my methodology is quite applicable.

How to make the flight more comfortable? How to sleep on an airplane? I place special emphasis on sleep, because it is thanks to sound sleep that your flight will be easier and faster. And upon arrival you will be able to work or rest. There are a lot of things on the plane that prevent you from falling asleep. Let's work together to create maximum comfort for your body so that it can fall asleep.

1. Before the flight, do not sleep for a long time. Better get up an hour earlier. This will not harm your body in any way, but on this day you will be a little more tired.

2. Choosing a seat in the cabin. If you don’t want neighbors to regularly climb over you or push conductors and passengers wandering around the plane, choose a seat by the window. I love emergency exit seats. Escape hatches most often have a small but comfortable recess that I use for a cushion. In addition, at the emergency exit, the distance between the seats is greater. Another plus is that in many modern medium-haul aircraft (A319-320-321 or Boeing 737), the seats in front of the emergency exit do not recline. The passenger in front of you will be extremely uncomfortable, for which you will be very good. On such aircraft, flights are often made for 5-6 hours. To determine the most comfortable seat on the plane, I use information from the airline's website or a very useful smartphone application from TripAdvisor - SeatGuru. You can enter the flight number and the program will show all the pros and cons of your aircraft cabin. True, charter flights and many flights across Russia are not available there, but then you can study the cabin by type of aircraft.

3. Clothes. What matters is what you fly in. During the day you could have business meetings, you will most likely be wearing uncomfortable clothes for relaxing. Take soft things with you. A thin fleece training suit is best. It's warm and cozy. Nothing will press. Stock up on disposable slippers, although some airlines even in economy class may distribute a personal amenity kit in which they can be. But in order not to tempt fate, it is better to have everything with you. Before boarding the plane or in the toilet on board, change your clothes. Dear ladies, believe me, no one will look askance at you, moreover, half the plane will envy you. Be sure to bring warm and soft socks with you. She sleeps much better when her feet are warm. Airplanes are often cold.

4. Bedding. I always take my favorite thin Scottish lambswool blanket with me. Firstly, I feel at home in it. Secondly, I simply shy away from using public airplane blankets. Be sure to take a pillow. The usual inflatable travel pillow, but with a very pleasant coating. The pillow should not only be pleasant to the touch, but also fit your neck. Feel free to try on the pillow when buying. Also has an eye mask. great importance. It should not put pressure on the face, be soft and close the eyes well from the penetration of light. I use a mask from an Emirates plane. Very comfortable.

5. Noise isolation. The old reliable way - earplugs. But now I'm using Bose QuietComfort 15 headphones with good noise cancellation. I turn on calm music and immerse myself in my world. I love to fall asleep to the sounds of nature - forests filled with birds singing. Complete inner peace.

6. Getting ready for bed. I never try to sleep before take off. Still, something will wake you up. Most often on takeoff shakes. The conductors read out a bunch of all sorts of useful and not very information about the flight. As soon as the plane gains altitude and they are allowed to move around the cabin, people will run to the toilet, the crew will start delivering drinks and food, while continuing to broadcast useful information to the entire cabin. All this will annoy you. Wait this moment. Read a good book or watch a movie. Be sure to eat. On a full stomach, as you know, you sleep much better. After eating, do not forget to go to the toilet. Wash your face. Brush your teeth. Do whatever you normally do before bed at home that your body is used to. Now sit back, recline your seat, put on warm socks, wrap yourself in a blanket so that the seat belt is on top of the blanket, buckle up (then in case of turbulence you will not have to be conductors), insert earplugs or wear headphones with pleasant music, an eye mask and good night…

7. If you are afraid of flying or have had a busy day, then a small amount of sedatives will not hurt. But don't drink chemicals. Well helps Novo-Passit. This will relieve stress and help you sleep. Just check with your doctor before you go to the pharmacy. He will probably recommend a drug that is more suitable for you.

8. Earn miles to upgrade to business or first class!

Here are 8 easy steps to help you fall asleep on a plane or just make your flight more comfortable.

Find cheap flights

For me, a flight is an extra few hours of sleep, which is always so lacking. Moreover, I do not expect to get enough sleep during the trip - do not waste precious time in a new place for sleep. I usually arrive at the airport rather exhausted: fees, work, last things before leaving. I get to the chair and bainki. Another thing is how to make sure that after such a dream you feel really rested. I'll tell you about this.

First of all, you need to create all the conditions for sleep.

Right place

Here you can give some advice.

First, I immediately run from the front rows of the economy class, where children usually sit and flight attendants scurry about.

Most convenient places , in my opinion, at the porthole: he sat down and fell asleep, leaning against the window. No need to constantly twitch, skipping neighbors and waking up when someone passing by accidentally touches you.

The row in front of the emergency exit is also not bad, but the seats there do not recline completely. Although who will give them to you to recline on the whole in other places. :)

On the front row after the emergency exit, you can safely stretch your legs.

Seatguru.com will show you where the seats are in your aircraft and even highlight the comfortable ones.

right side

Somnologists (comrades who study sleep) advise even on an airplane choose the side you usually sleep on to feel at home anywhere. Used to sleep on the right side - book a chair on the right. I can’t say that it somehow affects me, but if there are problems with sleep, it’s better to play it safe.

With the choice of the side, another moment is more important - where the sun will be most of the route. After all, you can’t really rest on a hot porthole. To find out, you can build logical reasoning, taking into account the time of departure, duration and direction of the flight, or you can trust special services. Enter in the search engine, for example, flight number + flightradar24. The first link will take you to sites where you can track any aircraft online and see many interesting things related to a particular flight.

So, the plane - departing in the morning, due to the change of time zones, will fly across the whole country in the rays of the morning sun, so the left side will warm up more.

By the way, if you fly from west to east in the evening, do not forget to close the curtain if you do not want to wake up at dawn, which will come earlier than you expect.

Correct position

How to sleep sitting, if it seems that in any position is uncomfortable? The best option- Lie down on all three chairs. This can be done on the last rows if the flight is not completely filled. But it’s worth running there immediately after the landing is completed, until someone just as smart has taken your “bed”. If you are not so lucky, you will have to be placed on the same chair. Doctors who care about our spine say that less load on the vertebrae occurs at an angle of 135 °, that is, when the backrest is fully reclined. But it is unlikely that the neighbor in the back will allow you to do this.

The vertical position is the most dangerous for the vertebrae, as there is a risk of their displacement in the event of a sudden movement. But this can be corrected by placing a roll of clothes or a blanket under the lower back.

The most crazy idea is to lean your head against the front seat. If you don’t immediately go from the board to the emergency room, then at least you will constantly feel all the movements of your neighbor.

It is better not to cross your legs - and so at a height, but without movement - the risk of thrombosis increases.

Surround yourself with comfort

Pillows, headphones or ear plugs, blankets, socks (or slippers?), Yes, even a favorite toy (but what, but the neighbors will not pester for sure).

clothing should be free, not restricting movement. I even saw people who change their shoes into slippers, although I myself just take off my shoes. Don't forget to take something warm: it's not so easy to fall asleep when your feet are cold or it's windy in your neck. I disdain the local blanket that they give out on board, but it already lies under the waist, remember? I am saved by a stole, in which you can wrap yourself even with your head.

By the way! Pillow under the head. Basically everyone rides with C-shaped airbags, but I find them uncomfortable. I spied on a life hack: put soft things in a pillowcase. Fast, compact and clean.

On the eyes - mask. A baseball cap would work, though.

In order to surely isolate myself from talkative neighbors, I put it in my ears headphones with good noise reduction and turn on some melodic music. The main thing is not to start singing along! Ear plugs are uncomfortable and useless: they only muffle the sound.

Watching a movie before going to bed or rummaging through your smartphone is not a good idea (and at home too). Blue radiation screens interfere with the production of melatonin - the sleep hormone. It is better to read something paper, it usually helps me.

The air in the plane is very dry. So if you have sensitive skin, take moisturizing cosmetics: cream, micellar or thermal water, - anything, if only dryness is not annoying. Tip from the impudent and economical: go to the duty free and use the testers.

How to let your neighbors know you don't want to talk

So to say, in words, politely and kindly explain that you are tired and these 5 hours above the ground are your only opportunity to sleep in the next day. It's even easier with foreigners: pretend you don't understand. Sometimes it makes sense to warn your neighbors that you are going to sleep for the entire flight. One day a caring lady woke me up so I wouldn't miss dinner. This is also true for flight attendants - immediately ask you not to disturb.

Maybe a hundred grams?

If you really want to, then below - above the ground, they will not help you fall asleep. As well as tea and coffee. Some herbal tea - yes, the main thing is that it should be soothing, not invigorating.

You should not eat too much, especially with something heavy and fatty: the stomach, which is intensively digesting lunch, will not let you rest.

How about a pill?

Just the one the doctor ordered. Most sleeping pills contain antihistamines, which means you will slow down long after you wake up. Synthetic melatonin seems to be better, but it has side effect- the risk of thrombosis, which is already hoo in the plane. If the flight is short, it is better not to throw pills. They are designed for long time so you get off the plane tired. Better read, breathe deeply, meditate - at least try!

More comfortable flights for you!