I KNOW I'm not the only one who goes through this, but sheesh, I sure feel like it when I'm on that plane, and am surrounded by people sleeping like little babies. It makes me want to just poke them. If I'm not sleeping, nobody is, dammit....
This got me thinking...why is it that they are sleeping??? What do they know that I don't?? I have a friend....let's call her Deb (haha!!), and that woman falls asleep before the freakin' plane even takes off!! And she sleeps HARD. Then she wakes up, all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, and is genuinely surprised that I didn't sleep as well as she did. She is so lucky that I love her....or she would be on the receiving end of that aforementioned poke.
So, here is what I have learned to do for myself...I'm not sleeping like the dead, mind you, but on my last flight I did manage to catch at least a couple of hours of dream time.....
1. Limit your caffeine intake pre-flight....some people can drink a cup of coffee then go right to bed and have no problems. I am not like that. At all. So, if I am wanting to sleep on the flight, no caffeine for me at all! My mind is already busy enough about whatever trip I'm taking!
2. Bring a pillow. I have two of those horseshoe-shaped neck pillows that we all see in the airports and I LOVE them. My advice? Get one! Heck, get two, they are always on a 2-fer sale anyways.
3. Pick a window seat. For me, this is a must. I'm not one to get up to the loo a dozen times during a flight, so I don't need an aisle seat...however, I NEED to lean my head against something when I'm trying to sleep.
4. Pack a thin blanket in your carry-on if possible. This is something that I now have tattooed on my brain. My last flight was from Montego Bay to Calgary. I'm not one of those "always cold" people, but let me tell you - I was FROZEN on that dang flight!! I would have given my left arm (which is a big deal, as I'm left handed) for a Snuggie!!! Yes, there are usually blankets for purchase on flights, but I have a ton of little, thin, blankies that I can roll up and stuff in my backpack...and I'm totally doing that next time!
5. Stow your carry-on up top....ok, I'm of two minds on this one. If I'm on a full flight, I do NOT like to stow my bag up above in the compartment. I don't know why...maybe it's because people seem to lose all rationality when the plane lands and everyone is standing and scrambling for their bags before the door of the plane is even open...and, I'm usually at the window, so I need to wait to grab my bag anyways...I don't know, it's a little thing I have. That being said, if the flight is not full, I do occasionally stow my bag up top. That way I can stretch out my legs and be a little more comfortable.
6. Wear noise-cancelling ear buds/headphones....are they still called headphones?? Anyways, I recently purchased some of these noise-cancelling ear buds from a certain Alberta-based airline and I honestly can't believe the difference they make. Sometimes I don't even play my music, I'll just put them in instead of earplugs.
So, that is what I have learned thus far on my travels. Like I said, I'm not sleeping like a baby yet, but I'm getting there!! I'd love to hear some of YOUR tips for sleeping on the plane....share them in the comments so we can all see!!
