There are many reasons why you may find yourself on a red eye flight. For one thing, they are often a cheaper option. Or maybe you prefer to spend more daylight hours at your destination. They are also fairly common when traveling from West to East, say from the West Coast to the East Coast or to Europe.
I seem to always find myself on an overnight flight. I have a terrible time trying to sleep on planes, or trains, it’s so uncomfortable. So after countless red eye flights, I decided to research the best way to survive them. Here are the things I learned, and how they work for me.
- Avoiding Alcohol or Caffeine.
- Alcohol is dehydrating, and dehydration causes fatigue
- Caffeine is a stimulant as well as dehydrating
- Many people find that alcohol actually wakes them up, there are a lot of studies showing the negative effects of alcohol on sleep.
Alcohol and caffeine both keep me awake so I avoid both of them on red-eye flights in the hope that I will be able to get some sleep on the plane.
2. Dress Comfortably: For me this is usually leggings, a t-shirt and a cardigan for warmth. Avoid wearing really tight fitting clothes that could dig into you while sitting. Also dress in layers so you can take clothes off if it gets hot on the plane, and put clothes on if it’s cold.
3. Stay Hydrated
Dehydration can cause fatigue and dehydration is common on long flights. Due to the dry cabin air, dehydration can occur more quickly than normal. I like to bring along electrolyte water packets. Look for a brand with less added sugars such as Ultima electrolytes.
symptoms of mild dehydration include
- Fatigue
- Feeling thirsty
- Headache
- Dry mouth
- Darker urine color
infants, toddlers and older adults are also more prone to dehydration. This is why I always bring my handy collapsible water bottle with me to fill up after security. The cups of water they give you on the plane are never enough for me! This water bottle collapes down for easy packing, and can be filled at the water fountain near your gate.
Avoid alcohol and caffeine on your flight, both are dehydrating. For more information on dehydration see this article by Harvard Medical School
4. Book a Window seat: For one it is easier to sleep next to the window. You are also less likely to get disturbed by passengers getting up to use the restroom if you are seated in the window seat. I know for me, leaning my head against the window is the only way I ever get sleep on a plane.
5. Come Prepared: Pack your in flight essentials into your personal item bag for easy access to them. I bring a Trtl Neck pillow, which basically acts like a neck .brace with a soft fleecy wrap that goes around your neck to support your head while you sleep. This has been a game changer for me, the traditional neck pillows never supported my head well enough and I would always wind up with a crick in my ncck.
I also really like my foot sling, which gives me an elevated place to put my feet on a flight. This helps relieve some of the pressure on my lower back.
Ear plugs and a sleep mask are also small comfort items you can bring that won’t take up much room in your bag.
6. Take an over the counter sleep aid– Melatonin or The original Dramamine formulation (not the less drowsy) can help you get to sleep on red-eye flights. I will take this during the first drink service, so that by the time they are done serving beverages it has kicked in and I can get some ZZZZ’s .
7. Freshen Up– When you arrive at your destination take some time in the airport bathroom to freshen up your makeup, and hair. This simple act can help you feel more yourself, and comfortable to go out and explore. Check out my blog on what I pack in my personal item bag, for more tips on this.
8. Get out and Explore– Once you arrive at your destination, it will likely be daytime. The best thing you can do to get on the current time zone is to get out and stay awake. It can be downright tempting to check into your hotel and immediately lay down for a nap. This will mess up your internal clock even more, so stay awake, no matter how tempting it is to lay down.
If you found this helpful, check out my post about surviving a long haul flight.
Happy Travels
-Beck
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