Enhance Your Chances of Sleep in the Air

After checking out your cheap traveloptions, such as cheapairplane tickets, discount hotel rooms, cheap auto rentals, discounttravel deals, cheapdeals, cheapfares, and cheap vacation packages, manyfliers board planes with the intention of using this rare empty stretch of timeto catch up on much needed sleep.

The plan often is to land at the destination rejuvenatedand ready to go. Unfortunately gettingto sleep is often not as easy as it sounds.

To prevent arriving overtired at your destination you needto determine what makes you getting to sleep difficult. Whether your objective is to fit in a quickcatnap during a commuter flight or sleep for an extended period on a red-eye,there are steps you can take to avoid sabotaging your sleep objective,according to Avital Andrews:

• Staringat a screen, be it a smartphone, tablet, or laptop, inhibits a bodys naturalsleep hormones in part because of the bluish hue that is emitted from suchdevices. The blue light interferes withmelatonin production in brains. Whilemelatonin tends to make people sleepy, it needs darkness to work.

• If youneed something to relax you, read a paper book or a Kindle e-reader. Experts have found that reading on anairplane tends to help people fall asleep. Reading helps put your mind at ease, making you feel relaxed anddistanced from the pressures of traveling.

• Do notdrink booze prior to trying to fall asleep. Any form of alcohol consumed within an hour of attempting sleepdehydrates you, leaving you groggy when you wake, exaggerates jetlag, anddisrupts your overall sleeping pattern.

  People experience fewer REM cycles duringalcohol induced sleep and often have to get up to pee. Liquor tends to upset your circadian rhythmwhich in turn means that you will not sleep as long and not get much real restfrom what sleep that you do get.

• Drinkingcoffee is a sure way to postpone sleep. If sleep is your goal, request room temperature water, herbal tea, orwarm milk. Beware of Lipton tea which issteeped in eight ounces of water that delivers 55 milligrams of caffeine. Likewise avoid caffeinated sodas andchocolate, both of which are filled with caffeine and sugar.

• Pickingthe wrong seat is a sure way to inhibit sleep. Middle seats are the worst. If inan aisle seat you will be awoken whenever your row mates need to visit thebathroom or a flight attendant is delivering service. Your best sleep seat is always a window seatwhich offers a wall to lean against, the shade to close, and the option ofbeing left mostly alone. Select a seataway from any bathroom and the galley. Buckle your seat belt atop of your blanket or jacket so that the flightstaff will not need to wake you to confirm that you are belted in.

• Youcant realistically expect to sleep well on a plane if you do not bring theproper equipment. You should pack asmall sleep kit and place it in your carry-on prior to departure. Earplugs and an eye mask help minimizedistractions. Noise cancelingheadphones, thick socks, a neck or under the chin pillow, a blanket, atoothbrush and toothpaste all are known to help fliers sleep.

  If you know that sleeping pills work wellfor you, consider taking Ambien which is a common prescription medicine, or anatural sleep aid such as melatonin or magnesium citrate powder.

• Prepat the airport to enhance your chances of sleep. Go to the bathroom before you board. Eat a normal sized meal, not too big orsmall, prior to departure. Arrive at theairport with plenty of time to get through security so that you do not arriveat your gate flushed and stressed.

  Download a few relaxing songs and appswhile you still have Wi-Fi. An appcalled Sleep Machine offers soothing sounds like the forest, the ocean, or acampfire that many find preferable to simply blocking noise with earplugs.

• Makeyourself comfortable once seated by pulling out your pillow, taking off yourshoes, and slipping on a pair of clean socks. The day of your travel do not wear anything constricting or stiff exceptfor compression socks or tights, if needed. Dress yourself in clothes are loose and comfortable. Wear layers of clothing so that you canappropriately deal with cabins that are too hot or too cold. Remember that jackets can double as pillowsonce rolled up.

• Avoidtaking flights during the time of day that you are usually the most awake andalert. Early morning flights or red-eyeflights are ideal. Try to board a flighttired.

• Youwill have a much better chance of enjoying longer, higher quality sleep whenyou have more space around you, fewer people, and seats that almost turn intobeds. If premium seats are too expensivefor your budget, arrive at your gate early, dressed sharply, and ask nicely ifthere are any open First or Business Class seats.

• Engaginga fellow seatmate in conversation is a sure way of staying awake. Alternatively you can quickly put onheadphones or an eye mask after first sitting and further enhance your chancesof sleeping by asking your neighbor to tell the flight attendant that you donot want to be woken up for drink or food service.