How To Sleep Comfortably on a Plane: Tips and Tricks

Travel can be a great way to rest and recharge, but getting enough sleep on the journey there and back is challenging, especially on an airplane. It can be difficult to fall asleep on a plane, from cramped seats with little legroom to distractions such as engine noise and surrounding chatter.

Science-backed methods for sleeping more comfortably on a plane can help ensure you arrive well-rested.

During travel, these techniques can help improve the comfort of your surrounding environment and regulate your circadian rhythm (your body’s internal clock).

1. Plan Ahead With Good Hydration

Hydration is important for staying comfortable enough to sleep and minimizing jet lag’s impact. The air on a plane can be dry, increasing your dehydration risk. Dehydration increases the risk of jet lag, which occurs when your circadian rhythm hasn’t adjusted to the time of day in a new time zone.

Symptoms of jet lag can include:

• Difficulty going to sleep (after eastbound flights)
• Waking up earlier than usual (after westbound flights)
• Stomach issues
• Decreased appetite

Drinking enough water before, during, and after your flight is important to help prevent symptoms and sleep more comfortably.

2. Eat High-Carbohydrate Foods

The food you eat during travel may influence your sleep. Meals high in carbohydrates may promote sleep, while meals high in protein are more likely to keep you awake.

Choose carbohydrate-rich foods to promote better sleep during your flight, such as:

• Bananas
• Whole-grain bread
• Brown rice
• Potatoes

3. Use a Neck Pillow

Consider using a neck or travel pillow to make sleep more comfortable. Pillows that give appropriate cervical support (support to your spinal cord, head, and neck) are helpful for better sleep quality. Options that keep your head in a neutral position don’t allow for much head movement as you sleep.

4. Take Melatonin

Melatonin is a hormone your body naturally produces, it’s also available as a supplement to help support your body’s sleep-wake cycles. It may help reduce jet lag symptoms if you take it while traveling. During overnight flights, melatonin can be a helpful sleep aid for transitioning into a new time zone.

Speak to a healthcare provider before adding any new supplement to your routine.

5. Use Earplugs

Earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones can help reduce noise from the surrounding environment on your flight. Studies suggest that earplugs help improve sleep quality by blocking distracting, disruptive, or annoying noise around you. This may lead to a more relaxed state that can lead to more comfortable sleep.

6. Wear an Eye Mask

An eye mask can block out light for more comfortable sleep and better sleep quality. Eye masks reduce exposure to bright light, and the dimmer light may help the body produce more melatonin, encouraging sleep.

7. Reduce Screen Time

Phones, tablets, or in-flight entertainment screens can distract you from falling asleep. Multiple studies have found a link between excessive screen time and poor sleep quality. Try to reduce your screen time while you’re flying to help you sleep better.

8. Wear Comfortable Clothing

Wearing comfortable clothing and other flight-friendly clothing (like compression socks, if your healthcare provider recommends them) can create a more favorable environment for sleep. Compression stockings and socks are designed to gently squeeze your legs to move blood up the legs, reducing swelling.

Remember to also plan ahead for the changing temperature within the airplane. Dress in layers that you can add or remove.

Other strategies can help. Try limiting or avoiding the following to get some quality shut-eye while flying:

• Alcohol and caffeine: Both increase dehydration and symptoms of jet lag. Alcohol disrupts sleep and can lead to obstructive sleep apnea, a condition that causes breathing problems while you sleep.
• Sleeping on short daytime flights: Sleeping for the duration of shorter flights may disrupt your circadian rhythm and make you feel more tired. Sleeping on overnight or long-haul flights may be better.
• Naps: If you’re on a shorter flight and only want to nap, limit your nap to 30 minutes. Napping for more than 30 minutes will cause your body to enter deep or slow-wave sleep, making you feel more tired.
• Hypnotic medications: Talk to your healthcare provider about using medications such as Ambien (zolpidem) or Imovane (zopiclone) during flights. These drugs may help you sleep, but they come with side effects.

Sleeping on a plane can be difficult because of many distractions, like noise and light. Sleeping on a plane can also be uncomfortable due to physical limitations, such as cramped seats.

To sleep better on a plane, use strategies to help regulate your circadian rhythm and improve the comfort of your surrounding environment. Tips like wearing an eye mask and earplugs to reduce exposure to light and noise, wearing comfortable clothing, eating foods high in carbohydrates, staying hydrated, using a neck pillow, and taking melatonin.