So you have this fantastic trip planned and yes, there is an overnight flight to get there. Do you plan to sleep on the plane and if so, please please share your tips on how to get a good night’s sleep on a plane.
One option is medication. But beware. An acquaintance was in the habit of taking a sleeping pill on a flight as she was an anxious traveller. She got onto the plane with her husband and got settled in and then took her tablet so she could be well and truly asleep by the time the plane took off. Only problem was, it didn’t take off. A technical issue meant that they had to get all the passengers off the plane and onto another one. But her husband couldn’t wake her up so eventually they had to bring on a stretcher to get her off the plane. Oh my goodness – can you imagine! She could laugh about it afterwards. Just as well that she was knocked out and didn’t have to experience the gawkers at the airport.
Well the most obvious option is to go first class or business class with lie flat beds. But the $$$$ are big time on this – unless you have a million aeroplan points hanging around. But if you do go for this option you need to know the difference between the seats. Back in the old days the lie flat seats were side by side so when the seats were extended to flat the person next to the window was pretty much trapped as you would have to climb over the person next to you. Now if it is your husband/wife/partner that is not so much of a problem “Nudge, nudge. Hey, wake up, I need to pee!” But if it is a complete stranger. Um – awkward!
Then there are the other seats which are called business class but they don’t actually lie flat – rather tilted. So if you get one of these you can recline right back quite a way but it’s not flat and my experience has been to fall asleep and end up crumpled up at the bottom of the seat having slid down in the night.
So if you are travelling economy how the hell do you get to sleep on a flight? The Washington Post offered up various positions you could adopt to get a good kip on the plane – and honestly – they are weird.
I am not sure what I would do if the person next to me suddenly knelt down on the ground and put his head on the seat. And check out that elbow – that is clearly trespassing. As for the lady in the yoga pose!! OMG – if that was me I wouldn’t be able to walk!
Being able to sleep on a plane has got the inventive people thinking and being able to make some good business in the meantime. Various devices to help you get a comfy position on a plane are available for sale and some of them are weird and wonderful.
And you know what? If you don’t have a mask then find something that will work as one – you never know – you might become famous
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