I can fall asleep almost anywhere. I routinely fall asleep in the break room at work. Once, I was helping a friend fix his car, and I fell asleep on his garage floor when he went inside to get water.
But in a hot metal tube tearing through the sky, with my neck all kinked? Get out of here, man.
Can you fall asleep in a car? You know those metal cages tearing down roads where more people get killed than in those metal tunbes tearing through the sky…
A car is far more comfortable and less noisy than a plane.
If you’re comparing the comfort of a car to the comfort of a plane, you must be riding in the rich people seats.
This is a comfort issue. I don’t care about getting killed.
Oh. Calling if a metal tube tearing through the sky made me think you objected more to the concept than the comfort, despite your kinked neck reference. Guess I misread.
I probably could have been more clear, too.
I am gonna be honest with you here. Some of us born with a gift, given directly from god. They can sleep, without thinking embarrassing memories, without using any medicine, without finding comfort itself. But you and I… and many others… we are not welcomed to this dream world of easy sleepers. We are not gifted.
My partner is one of these. I have photos of him sleeping on planes, trains, boats and cars. He can be worried about something, or stressed about tomorrow, and still fall asleep within 5 minutes of laying down. I am so jealous.
LOL. I cracked up
It is impossible for me to sleep on a plane, I have tried everything. In the end, I just have flight anxiety, and there is nothing I can do.
While many times it is a gift it is a curse if we suppose to be with someone. We go on a road trip? You barely close the door I am asleep. We ride buss I am asleep as soon as I sit down. Air plane I wake up 8 hours later. Hang out in bed I am gone.
I have to fight to stay awake but that is in vain. I will lose the fight five minutes later.
I usually have trouble falling asleep and can’t just take a nap in the afternoon - never could.
But on a plane I’ll be asleep minutes after the engines started and I’ll happily sleep for hours through an entire flight. Something about the engine noise and movement of the cabin is very soothing to me. Same for trains, busses, cars.
And yet I’ll regularly lie in my bed awake desperately trying to fall asleep…
Headphones in, zone out, drift off, wake up with a crooked neck.
neck pillow, eye mask, noise-cancelling headphones, and not comfortably
Pure exhaustion from all the “hurry up and wait” of airport bullshit.
By the time I’ve gotten out of bed, gotten ready, travelled to the airport, dragged all my shit through the airport, unpacked and repacked half of it through security, boarded the plane … my body just kinda gives up on being awake.
1-2mg of Melatonin, remain motionless with eyes closed for ~20 minutes, you’ll be out like a light. Make sure you take a smaller dose - most gummies are 5 or 10 mg, it honestly works better if you subdivide.
I rarely sleep longer than 90 minutes at a time, unless I’m physically exhausted already. And yes, the neck hurts, but exhaustion hurts more.
So I actually have a lot of trouble sleeping, and have restless legs and periodic limb movement disorder. I also have pretty bad diagnosed ADHD and brown noise absolutely helps calm me down… So that engine noise? Puts me right to sleep I don’t know what it is about it.
Also I usually smoke a bunch of weed before going to the airport so that helps.
Sensory reduction (earplugs, facemask) and some benadryl.
Noise cancelling headphones and the antihistamine tablets that say “will cause drowsiness do not operate machinery or drive” washed down with a pint of beer. Sleep for 6 hours no problems.
If it’s hot in the plane, that might be blocking you from sleeping. Personally I’m always cold in planes and fall asleep relatively easily both on planes and elsewhere.
It also helps to be jet-lagged. Knocks you out right quick :P Only applies to return trips though.
First you find a comfortable position. Sometimes a pillow helps. Then close your eyes.
Failed at step 1
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Hot? I’m usually cold on airplanes. That would definitely make a difference for me.
Neck pillow for the neck kinks. I don’t like the horseshoe shaped ones though, I like the trtl brand style. Expensive, but it became worth it when I took a job requiring a couple flights per month minimum.
I had this conversation with some friends this week and we all swore that planes used to be freezing cold, but now they’re all hot. It’s crazy.
While I’m usually also freezing on the plane I noticed that Japanese Airlines cranks up the Heat during the night.
There’s such a huge difference between airlines and their post-meal temperature. BA will go into full sauna-mode. Cathay goes to freezer.
Tell you GP that you have anxiety when you fly. They’ll prescribe a benzo.
Enjoy your snooze.
Then you start snoring and people wake you up anyway.
My last flight had a massive snorer. It was pretty funny at first. At hour 8 it was insanely frustrating. He was woken up four times by various people. Went straight back to snoring.
Diphenhydramine, melatonin, neck pillow, and EYE MASK. Critical to block out light. Bonus for noise cancwlli headphones playing noise.
