8 No-no’s if You Plan to Sleep on a Plane

1)      Don’t engage your seat mates.  A nod is plenty.  A verbal greeting can turn on a Chatty Cathy and there may be no way to turn them off.  You don’t have to be rude, but you don’t have to hold a conversation with a perfect stranger when sleep is important to you.

2)      Skip the cocktail.  The alcohol will sap the energy out of you when you wake up, and if you do sleep after having a drink, it will be less restful than if you stuck to water.

3)      Don’t hide your seatbelt.  You finally drift off, the seatbelt sign comes on, and the flight staff can’t see your seatbelt and wakes you up to make sure you’re buckled in.  Make sure you buckle up over your blanket or over clothes so they don’t disturb you.

4)      If it’s a long flight, don’t leave your seat to chance.  It’s one thing to miss an hour nap because you ended up sitting in the middle or aisle seat getting jostled every time your seat mate wants to visit the bathroom, it’s another if you were counting on an overnight sleep to kick start your business meeting or vacation.  When you can, make seat reservations that keep you out of passenger traffic.

5)      Leave your devices alone.  Videos, social media, etc. stir up a mind that should be quieting down.  Trade your phone or notebook for a paperback while you wait at the gate and wait for take-off.  Whatever was going on out there in cyber-space will still be there for you when you land.

6)      Don’t leave your shoes on.  Do you sleep in your bed with shoes on?  Try to simulate the way you would sleep at home as much as possible.  Of course, if you have odor issues, skip this one and protect those around you by leaving those shoes on.  Instead, where softer shoes that you don’t feel as much.

7)      You’re tightest pants and your heaviest jewelry are not a good idea.  Where something loose fitting and comfortable.  I am not advocating flying in pajamas here, but don’t constrict yourself.

8)      Caffeine is off the table.  No coffee, tea, soda, chocolate right before you head out.  You’ll thank yourself if you skip your caffeine fix until you land.

Another thought, a do, would be to schedule flights in your natural sleepy time if you can.  I crash energy wise around 3pm.  Put me on a plane, without shoes, with a window seat, caffeine-less, and in a flowing, comfortable outfit around 3pm, and the flight staff will have to wake me up to get me off the plane.