How to actually sleep on a plane

Being a bit sleep-deprived when you board can help

- Sally Wadyka

What is worse than being crammed in a too-tight, too-upright seat on an overnight flight? Being wide awake the entire time. Short of receiving a golden ticket - that is, an upgrade to a lay-flat pod - there are some strategies for making a long flight more restful so you will not arrive feeling totally wrecked.

SHOW UP SOMEWHAT SLEEP-DEPRIVED

Most red-eyes involve traveling west to east over multiple time zones and trying to fall asleep earlier than you normally would at home. "Being a bit sleep-deprived when you get on the plane can be beneficial," said Professor Jamie Zeitzer, co-director of the Center for Sleep and Circadian Sciences at Stanford University.

Try to stay up a little later than usual the night before the flight, and get up extra early the morning of. If you are tired when you board, he said, "it might outweigh the fact that you're uncomfortable and trying to fall asleep at a weird time".

SKIP THE ON-BOARD MEALS

"We sleep better if we don't eat right before we go to sleep," said Dr Virginia Skiba, associate medical director of the Henry Ford Medical Group Sleep Laboratories in Michigan. "Eating a light, non-greasy meal a couple of hours before the flight is your best choice."

Ms Kristin Luna, a Tennessee-based travel writer who has been to more than 130 countries, said she always eats a meal at home or at the airport before departure, and packs snacks to eat before landing. "Given the option between an extra hour of sleep or waking up for the cabin breakfast service, I choose sleep every time," she said.

TRICK YOURSELF INTO SLEEP MODE