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We hope you all had/have a wonderful Spring Break. We had grand plans for an East Coast adventure to visit family and a new little niece, and catch some sleep on a plane after a busy few weeks, but we decided to stay home in the end to organize our life. It has been a very busy semester for Jason at the University, so laying low and getting work done while everyone else was away on trips was the best plan for us this time.
One of the unexpected things on our list involved finding a way for Jason to sleep wearing goggles following his LASIK surgery. I had an epiphany as he tossed and turned the first night – my travel pillow! I have trialed various versions of the trusty neck pillow over the years and had a few options for him to try – hard memory foam, soft memory foam, and a foam version with a buckle strap to hold it in place. All with a hole in the middle for his goggles when used as a regular pillow. Ultimately, he opted for his version of a throw pillow and the couch for 5 nights, but it left me shaking my head. He is an adamant hater of the travel pillow, which is unfortunate. It makes my life so much more manageable on those overnight flights! We all know getting sleep on a plane is nearly impossible unless you’re one of the blessed who can sleep through anything.
I should elaborate. Jason is a hater of the neck pillow in flight situations (but also apparently in this recent one as well) because he is a stomach sleeper. He has never been able to sleep even slightly upright. This poses quite an issue on all our overnight flights to Europe. He usually arrives with no sleep, and we typically try to keep the arrival day very busy so we are immediately operating in the right time zone. Oh, and lots of coffee.
Our trials after no sleep on airplanes
You may recall our trek from Edinburgh to the tip of the Isle of Skye as soon as we got off the plane last April (read about it here). Not the smartest thing we’ve ever done. We’ve also tried hop-on-hop-off bus tours in Edinburgh and Dublin to get the lay of the land…and fell asleep. Most recently, we found a slight winner by taking a walking tour of Hampton Court in London that kept us moving all day (read about that here), although the train ride there left us head bobbing. But the best option we’ve found is a flight that arrives later in the morning, an afternoon shopping trip to get organized for the rest of our trip, checking into the hotel as early as possible and getting an early dinner before calling it an early night. That leaves us ready to take on the first full day in the country come morning. The main thing here is to avoid going to bed or taking a nap until it’s the correct time in your new location.
If you are one of those people who can sleep anywhere, we’re totally jealous. I too do not sleep well unless I’m in my own bed and following my night routine, which is really annoying for someone who travels so much! But, I have adopted what I call high-maintenance hacks to help get a little shut-eye on flights and in hotels. Let’s talk about airplane sleep hacks first.
Location, Location, Location
Now, everyone sleeps differently, so you may prefer seat location other than what we suggest, but here’s what we do. We typically look for flights with seating that’s just two seats across, next to the window. I typically take the window seat so I can close the shade, and lean my head and sometimes my knees against the side of the plane and Jason typically takes the aisle seat so he can stretch out. This way, we’re only dealing with each other and our known sleep habits and not crawling over strangers or have them crawling over us in the middle of the flight. We also try to choose seats in sight of the lavatory, so we can see when it’s empty (so as not to crowd the aisle), but also far enough away that we’re not jostled by every person on the plane on their way to use it.
Many airlines let you see the seating charts available before you book your flight (I know this is true of United and American). Seat Guru is also another helpful tool for seeing what the seat options are on a particular style of plane before you book.
Stick to your Routine
You may find it a little odd to brush your teeth and put your favorite jammies on in the midst of hundreds of strangers, but your typical nighttime routine helps to mentally prepare your body for sleep. If you don’t opt to change clothes (we don’t), at least dress in comfortable layers so you can regulate your temperature and comfort level. Eating dinner at your regular time, brushing your teeth (with a bottle of water), and journaling or reading a book like I do can help your brain realize it’s time for some shut eye. This could mean opting out of the onboard meals and not turning on your screen in favor of trying to sleep. Even if you aren’t using a screen, wearing your noise cancelling headphones can help lower the volume on the plane so you can catch some zz’s.
I SWEAR by the neck pillow but also, the lumbar pillow.
As mentioned, I’ve tried many versions of neck pillows looking for the best option for me. Currently, I’m using a memory foam version with a buckle that straps the pillow around my neck (this one). As a side sleeper, this works best for me because it allows me to slightly tilt my head without it completely, embarrassingly, falling over and jerking me awake. Previously, I used a softer memory foam “C” shaped pillow that I wore backward (opening at the back of my neck) to keep my head from falling forward and my head/neck against the seat, but it wouldn’t stay put. I’ve also tried a hard memory foam version, but it was just downright uncomfortable and extremely bulky to pack. My current version rolls up and packs into its own little bag that I tie on the outside of my travel backpack. Space saver!
The real MVP for uncomfortable plane seats is the little pillow and sometimes the blanket they often give you on overnight flights. I typically stick these behind my lower back to help support it.
Let’s get a little high-maintenance
My pillow came with an eye mask and earplugs in a cute little case. At first, I thought that was excessive. I’d never used an eye mask in my life! I grew up in the country where the night is black and still bask in the darkness today, so there has never been a need to make it even darker. So until recently, I’ve always just closed my eyes and wore my noise-canceling headphones with sleepy music playing during the flight. Well. I was wrong. On our last overnight flight, I was desperate for sleep, so I put on the eye mask and plugged in the earplugs. Complete darkness, peace, AND some sleep ensued. I’m forever changed.
Get your feet up
I once had a chiropractor tell me I need to keep my body moving on long trips. Unfortunately, we know how impossible this can be on an airplane or a long car trip. It’s true that on long-haul flights, the flight attendants are more okay with you getting up to walk around and stretch your legs, but even this has its limits. I have scoliosis and it’s very painful for me to sit or stand for very long without moving. His tip was to put my backpack under my feet and then remove it in roughly 20-minute intervals to keep the curve in my low back moving while I’m forced to be in one seated position. This worked beautifully for me along with a little lumbar pillow until we started traveling with our computers. I didn’t want to crush it in my backpack, so I went on a search for another option.
Hello, foot sling! This little gem works perfectly when we have to take a long flight. The strap hooks over the tray table on the seat in front of me and adjusts to whatever height I need it. A note of caution though – don’t irritate your neighbor in the seat in front of you. Carefully put your feet in the sling and remove them without leaning into it so you don’t jerk their seat. Nobody likes someone jerking the back of their seat around. I love that this version of the foot sling has a hard metal insert to keep the base flat so your feet don’t smash into each other. As a bonus, it packs flat into its bag, and it’s highly padded, so it’s like you have your feet up in your favorite recliner at home…almost.
While the sling does a great job of getting my feet up and my back moving, it really only works well in economy seating for me. In premium economy, the seats are too far apart (I’ll never say that again) for it to be comfortable in my low back for me. In United’s premium plus, I don’t need it at all because there are built-in footrests, which are glorious. While we would all love to fly business or first class and have the space to actually lie down, that’s generally not feasible for anyone looking to stretch their dollar and miles over multiple trips. Our biggest splurge so far has been for the premium plus cabin on miles and now I’m forever ruined. But if you haven’t jumped on the points/miles train yet (um…why?), this sling helps so much with the cramped seating situation. And…the metal part comes out, so it’s completely washable!
Don’t forget about your circulation
And finally…compression socks. This is a new one for me that I’ve just recently started experimenting with. I’ve started to notice how tired, sore, and swollen my legs and feet get after a series of long flights. It takes all of my willpower to drag them through the border control line at the end of our flight and then I have to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate to get them working again. Liquid IV is a great help to rehydrate faster, but I’ve been looking for an option with far less sugar. Instagram knew and I stumbled upon these from Basis Hydration that we’ll be taking on the next trip.
I’ve been hunting for some extremely stylish compression socks to give a try at the recommendation of my sister, a surgical tech who spends her day on her feet sporting fabulous compression socks. You bet I ordered some of these for our next flight with an army of students. Maybe I can embarrass them with my stylish travel mom fashion. Or maybe, I need some of these to really up my game! I’m glad I found some made with Merino wool, it’s my favorite fiber for socks – especially travel socks because wool doesn’t stink at the end of a long day.
Hotel sleep is crucial too
As a bonus, I give you my hotel sleep hacks.
I’m an extremely light sleeper, every little noise has my eyes popping open. Our first defense against this is choosing hotels in quiet locations, away from busy highways, and busy tourist locations with nightlife. We also choose high floors away from elevators. If we can be tucked away in the corner room at the end of the hallway on the top floor, this is best. I love being a Hilton Diamond member so we can choose exactly where we want our room!
When all or some of that fails, sound machine. I have an app on my phone called White Noise Generator that allows me to create a symphony of sounds (rain, fan, rustling leaves, rolling thunder, white noise, etc.) to drown out any other noises and lull us to sleep. If you can still hear things happening around you, pull out your trusty earplugs and turn up the volume on your alarm if you need it the next morning. Getting enough sleep is crucial to the enjoyment of your trip. Trust me.
I hope this leaves you with some shut-eye
Flying is my least favorite part of our travels for various reasons, but these airplane sleep hacks have made it more bearable for me. And yes, all these things fit into our carry-on only packing routine! I’m hoping one or a combination of these hacks can help make your trip far more comfortable too. There’s so much world to see, we want you prepared to take it on!
