
How to sleep on a long haul flight - jgrahamc
http://blog.jgc.org/2010/06/how-to-sleep-on-long-haul-flight.html
======
henrikschroder
I fly short distances quite a lot which have no meals and require no
preparations. Over the years, the experience has gotten so boring that I
usually fall asleep during taxing or takeoff.

Long-haul still has me going giddy with excitement at how this massive metal
construction can ever get up into the air, that makes it harder to get some
sleep. :-) A neck pillow is the best investment I've ever made there though,
it stops you from waking up when your head falls forward.

Also, I'm disturbed by the amount of people who simply don't know how to pop
their ears and sit and try to swallow or rub their ears or whatever else crap
they're doing. Just hold your nose, blow out, done.

~~~
zandorg
Or suck on a boiled sweet.

~~~
grinich
...or hard candy, as Americans call them. ;)

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michaelfairley
Unfortunately, being immobile for an entire long-haul flight severely
increases your risk of clotting
(<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_class_syndrome>). For people with a
predisposition to clotting, this advice could kill them.

~~~
gchucky
A friend of mine takes Bayer on long hauls due to its blood thinning
properties. Not sure if that's proper medical advice, but...

~~~
smokey_the_bear
Aspirin is recommended to prevent blood cloths on planes. You should also
wiggle your toes and flex your legs at least once an hour. My brother, who has
had a blood clot, gets up and walks the length of the plane and back at least
as often.

~~~
hugh3
Any statistics on the actual frequency of death due to DVT? All I remember is
that I never heard of it until a few years ago, then there was a sudden spate
of well-publicised cases, and nowadays I never hear of it any more except in
the little movies which airlines insist on playing me in order to reduce their
liability.

~~~
smokey_the_bear
I don't have statistics off hand, except that I read somewhere that 10% of
people get some kind of blood clot on a transatlantic flight, but most of them
dissolve on their own quickly.

Anecdotally though, it's the only thing that's afflicted anyone young that I
know personally, and three people very close to me have had them in their 20s.
(only one was a blood relative, so it's not just genetics). All of the people
I know had substantial risk factors for them, smoking, birth control pills, or
long flights. Which are also relatively common things, and enough to scare me.

My brother had his first one in 2001, before the media blitz about it, and
doctors were very surprised by it. But they seemed to notice a pattern of
young, highly athletic people getting them in the year or two after that. One
theory was that bruises on the legs create a conducive environment to clot
formation.

Also, although none of the people I know have died, it has substantially
lowered their quality of life. Their clots won't totally go away, so some of
them are on blood thinners for life which restrict what activities they can
do, and are very expensive. And one of them has to have surgery to install
filters in his legs.

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brk
The window seat is key. You don't get people with thimble bladders constantly
stepping past you, and you can sort of lean against the wall of the plane as
well.

For me, it's usually just a glass or two of red wine at the airport bar before
takeoff, and maybe another on the plane. I'm not much of one for taking off my
shoes or getting half undressed on the plane.

I also make it a habit to generally not talk to any seatmates or introduce
myself. Leads to the possibility of someone thinking it's an open invitation
to talk/pester you the entire flight.

~~~
cstross
All good advice but, alas, it doesn't work if _you_ are the one with the
thimble bladder. Which correlates with age and various medical issues such as
hypertension for which diuretics are prescribed. (I speak from experience.)

In that case, you really want an aisle seat within two rows of a toilet block,
so you can stumble to the loo and back without having to fully wake up.

~~~
jules
That's a win-win then :)

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liedra
The no meals thing/only sleep thing works for 10 hour flights but not for 20+
(Europe/US - Australia). For really long haul flights, do all of what he said,
but only at "night time", i.e., when they dim the lights for you to sleep. Eat
and drink (water only, and drink a lot of it, you'll need the excuse of going
to the bathroom to get off your butt and walk around on the plane and get the
circulation going a bit, also it's easy to get dehydrated on long haul
flights) whenever it's offered, though you can probably miss snacks if you're
sleeping.

I always end up tired when I arrive, but I've usually had close to 10-12 hrs
sleep at various points on the plane trip, so I've "had" enough sleep, it's
just the exhaustion of the actual travel and jet lag.

Then the biggest thing for jet lag is, keep busy for the rest of the day and
go to bed "normally", i.e. when it's the actual time to go to bed in the new
place; usually that'll kick the jet lag pretty quickly.

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mrtron
My additional simple trick:

Arrive for the flight tired. I would rather sleep less the night before and be
able to get something done than sleep less on the flight.

~~~
RyanMcGreal
That works great unless something goes wrong with the flight. Then you're
stuck in an airport struggling to make alternate accommodations while sleep-
deprived. :)

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sounddust
You can skip the step of wearing silicone earplugs by getting a pair of IEMs
(Etymotics HF5 and Shure E2C are two good models which cost around $100). They
serve as both earplugs and earphones, and block noise much better than noise-
cancelling headphones.

~~~
ahoyhere
After a while, your ears get all hot, and the in-ear headphones tend to hurt
after a while -- also, you can't judge the true absolute volume level well so
close to your eardrums, and in-ear phones are more dangerous to your hearing
than regular ones.

~~~
sounddust
_After a while, your ears get all hot, and the in-ear headphones tend to hurt
after a while_

I haven't experienced this. I wear IEMs every day, and have worn them on
14-hour flights. Perhaps it depends on the person. In any case I don't see why
they would be hotter (or hurt more) than silicone earplugs.

 _in-ear phones are more dangerous to your hearing than regular ones_

Citation? Given that they block more noise than other earphones, logic would
dictate that you don't need to play them as loud to achieve the same clarity.
I find that I keep the volume on my iPhone very low when I use IEMs, as
opposed to near-maximum when using the supplied earphones or headphones.

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ajg1977
These are good tips, but my number one tip for sleeping long haul is to wear
something super comfortable on the flight.

I have a pair of baggy tracksuit bottoms and long-sleeve t-shirt, that roll
down into nothing, which I change into in the departure lounge or on the
plane. With a pair of thick warm socks it makes the world of difference.

I love seeing people on the SFO->LHR flight who dress like they're on the way
to an evening in a cocktail bar. They invariably end up looking disheveled and
grumpy by the time we arrive.

~~~
rue
Yep, this, always. Plus a sweatshirt with hood in case it is cold which is
almost always. I do not even wear jeans; compression tights are the only
compromise and not much of one if you go for the good ones.

If you need to go straight to a meeting or whatever, just pack a suit carrier.
Takes 10 minutes to change and you will arrive to the carousel around the same
time your luggage does.

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disposable
I am 6'2 and I passionately hate people who keep their seat reclined for the
entire duration of the flight. With the seat in front reclined it is
_impossible_ to eat the meal. It is also _absolutely_ impossible to use a
laptop. For this reason I actually never recline myself, unless I have a child
sitting behind me.

~~~
jgrahamc
Bitch to the airline. Hardly the passenger's fault.

~~~
disposable
Hardly an option.

Besides one either gets the "don't do to others what you don't want to be done
to you" view on things or one doesn't. In this case you clearly don't.

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edw519
My routine is surprisingly similar. The only thing I would add is that the
Mindfold mask is by far the best I've ever used. It's so good that my
experience is almost binary: with the Mindfold, sleep, without the Mindfold,
struggle.

<http://www.mindfold.com/>

~~~
jrockway
I like this one: <http://www.amazon.com/Tempur-Pedic-Sleep-Mask/dp/B0027OUUFW>

(Although, it was much cheaper when I bought it a few months ago!)

I sleep with this every night and find it to be quite comfortable. Being able
to have total darkness and still be able to open your eyes is great. Sometimes
I am woken up by my alarm clock and think, "why is my alarm going off at 3am"
before I realize I have the eye shades on. Then I take it off and notice that
I forgot to close my shades, and the sun has been directly in my eyes for a
few hours ... and that I didn't even know. It's great.

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simplegeek
Off-topic, but it seems you guys fly a lot. Any solids topics on how to get
over fear off flying? I simply cannot get over that, though I flew a lot in
past.

~~~
miri
It depends a little bit on what specifically you fear when flying. If it's the
safety of the plane, I'd get really familiar with how planes work. Having
flown a lot since I was a child I can "feel" the plane and know that things
are all right. I know the sounds of flying through clouds, brake flaps, the
thump of the wheels, and it all makes me feel very much in control of my
situation. I usually know what will happen, and it's reassuring to see the
plane respond exactly as usual to everything (even turbulence). Having grown
up with parents in different countries, I've flown quite a lot, and from a
very young age, so I've experienced my share of "scary" situations. Finding
out why things happened made me able to deal easily with them later, even
though I was scared back then. (I also learnt to sit straight during landings
in windy conditions - I thumped my head during landing at one time. I was just
a small child and excited at finally being able to see everything on the
airport on such a cloudy day, but I took home a life-long lesson :P ) I've
held quite a few hands and talked to people who were terrified while flying -
suffering from anxiety myself, I can sympathise. One such time we actually had
to switch a plane because a there was a minor problem with the last check
before take-off (something about some control lights - I remember it being
fairly minor). The woman I was sitting next to was terrified, of course -
instead of relieved that they made us switch planes for an error that probably
would not have interfered much with the flight. Logical thinking like that
doesn't work when you're terrified, but good preparation to reduce the number
of unknowns can get you quite far.

So yes, tl;dr: Go geeky, and learn about how commercial airliners work
(they're actually quite cool!). Then compare your knowledge to what happens
during a trip and see how predictable it is, and after you can try focusing on
just how cool it is how everything works :) Good luck!

~~~
simplegeek
Thank you. That helps. Off-topic, but are you studying in Norway? Which
university you're a part of?

~~~
miri
Studying in Norway - at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. I
<3 Gløshaugen.

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astrec
I fly around 100-120k miles a year so aircraft have become a place of rest.
Simply sitting on one usually puts me to sleep.

That said, I take a number of very long trips each year e.g SYD-NYC etc. and
find that ordering 2 or 3 rum and cokes after dinner and diving under the
blanket knocks me out for a good 8 hours. Steering clear of the in flight
entertainment helps too - plain old reading is much more calming.

Never used a neck pillow as I've always found the adjustable headrest to be
adequate.

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lionhearted
If you can get a second blanket, there's a way to wrap blankets to cover your
ears, head, and eyes, while leaving your mouth and nose alone. This keeps it
warmer, darker, and quieter - it's not hard once you think about how to do it.
Sometimes I'll use a long coat like a blanket, and wrap the airline-blanket
around my head/eyes/ears in this fashion for sleeping.

~~~
jgrahamc
Actually I sometimes do that also. Depends on my mood. On some flights I've
been known to cover my head with a blanket to create a cocoon and give my seat
mate the "I'm a weirdo, don't talk to me" vibe.

~~~
lionhearted
Good stuff - I only half-cocoon with the wrap because I can't sleep so well
completely under the blanket. I might try one of those head pieces after
reading the article - I'm usually on the road for a while so I fight hard not
to pack around extra gear, but if I'm doing a lot of flights in a short period
it's probably worth the $10 just to see if there's a benefit. I'm flying
tomorrow but it's only a two hour flight, I might try next time I do a long
haul - cheers for the recommendations.

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brc
I'd agree with many of his comments, and add:

\- lip balm so your lips don't get dry and cracked \- red wine works better
for me than beer \- I eat the meals because I like to nap after meals \- don't
watch movies because the bright lights will keep you awak \- listen to
relaxing music on your headphones, but choose a playlist that will run out
after about 30 minutes \- a small pillow can help if you get uncomfortable on
flat, hard plane seat cushions. Soemtimes the airlines give you these, but a
folded up shirt under your thighs will also help \- dont sit near the toilets
or galleys because they will be noisy \- if you suspect the flight might be a
bit empty, get a seat near the back. It's noisier but there is a much higher
chance of nabbing a row of seats to yourself.

Finally, pharmaceuticals : sleeping tablets work great, and the best sleep I
ever had was stretched out across 5 seats on a 777 after a tiring weekend and
a mild sleeping tablet.

~~~
liedra
I never drink alcohol (or caffeine) on long haul plane flights -- dehydration
is really really awful, and you dehydrate so quickly on planes with the air
conditioning going all the time. But then again my "long haul" flights are
20hrs+, not 10.

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mattmaroon
Skip the Bose. I flew a lot, and the best thing I ever did was ditch
QuietComforts for Shure EC series in-ear.They cost a little more (and a lot
more than the mp3 player you plug them into) but are well worth it.

To put it in numerical perspective, I had my mp3 player on volume 20 with the
Bose, and volume 11 with the Shures to get the same level of music.

~~~
Anechoic
_To put it in numerical perspective, I had my mp3 player on volume 20 with the
Bose, and volume 11 with the Shures to get the same level of music._

That says more about the sensitivity of the Bose vs the Shure more than the
sound blocking ability.

That said, I have Bose QC-1 (first generation) noise canceling headsets and
Etymotics ER-6i (which just my replaced the ER-6) in-ear headphones. I tend to
use the Etys much more than the Bose simply because the Etys are easier to
pack (I can stuff them in my pocket vs having to make room in my carry-on for
the Bose).

The in-ears do work better than noise canceling headphones, but they are not
as comfortable for very long usage.

~~~
mattmaroon
Not pumping however many extra decibels into your ear due to the extra
blocking is pretty valuable. I actually found the Shures to be more
comfortable than the QC2s for long, but I found the QC3s to be more
comfortable than the QC2s as well.

~~~
Anechoic
_Not pumping however many extra decibels into your ear due to the extra
blocking is pretty valuable_

Absolutely true, but comparing the DAP volume setting doesn't tell you that.
The Bose QC-x are relatively insensitive, so the DAP volume will be on a
higher setting regardless of the amount of noise blocked/canceled.

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Jun8
The one thing that kills comfort during long flights is the inconsiderate
person in front of you jacking their seat all the way back. somebody wan
selling a device that disabled this, but I cannot find the link now. I would
pay good money, say $20, for such a covert device.

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miri
Actually, I'd skip the super-loose socks and go for a pair of compression
stockings instead (and some aspirin before I go), with slightly loose, thick
woollen socks on the outside for warmth and comfort. Feet get cold, and deep
vein thrombosis is a risk on long flights.

Why compression stockings? They reduce the risk of deep vein thrombosis during
air travel. Here's a link to a Cochrane review for those curious:
<http://www2.cochrane.org/reviews/en/ab004002.html>

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maw
Not that I've ever managed or ever will manage to get more than about 20
minutes of contiguous sleep on a plane (I'm tall, and have a hard time falling
asleep in ideal conditions, which planes are not) but having a hoodie with a
very large hood can be helpful. Ideally, one made of a thin material, so you
don't cook yourself a la barbacoa. You then pull the hood over your head and
face, and pull the drawstrings. People leave me alone when I do. For this
reason, I call hoodies "portable privacy".

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crazydiamond
Interesting link at the end to alternate nostril breathing. I find focusing on
the breathing - rising and falling of stomach - to be great as well.

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jamesbritt
One thing I've tried that never seemed to work: Heavy drinking.

Very disappointing, and going through customs afterward is painful.

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WalterBright
What worked for me was to not sleep for 30 hours beforehand.

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ahoyhere
Ha! You describe my strategy almost exactly. Right down to the backwards neck
pillow, same headphones, and the positioning of the double blanket.

Great minds think alike, eh?

I'd also add that having thick, slightly compress-y socks and taking off your
shoes can help.

The best eye masks, btw, are the Sleep Shades made by Bucky, with special soft
padding that blocks out light from below your eye sockets. You can get them on
Amazon.com. I have lost them on several continents and always gone to the
expense and trouble of buying new ones.

When I have trouble falling asleep, I add in some Dramamine, or if the
flight's really uncomfortable / full of screaming babies / extremely long
(like Vienna -> Wellington), Xanax.

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GrandMasterBirt
Once i saw the title I had an immediate answer. Quite simple:

a) NOISE. You need noise. So much that it is not too loud but becomes
background and ignorable. Practice on the NYC subway.

b) Head Rest. Something to keep your head in place and no pressure on the
neck. Do that and you can sleep sitting or standing (yes I can)

c) Nobody touching you. anyone around you can do what they want, but as long
as body-contact does not CHANGE all is well. You can be touching their hand or
shoulder to shoulder, but as long as there is no change you are fine. Sleeping
in weird non-super-restful positions = you are more alert so small things will
wake you.

Again, practice on NYC subway and you will be an expert in no time.

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rubashov
50mg Trazodone + ear plugs + eye mask. It's like teleportation.

