Long haul flight sleep help

[Femalefootyfan]

I have a very long haul flight early next year and even though I’ll be in business class, I rarely get more than about 2 or 3 hours sleep. I’ve tried wine, herbal sleeping tablets, wear earplugs and an eye mask and still only get a few hours.
Does anyone have any suggestions as to what else I can try so I can get a decent nights sleep? The 13 hour flight I have leaves at 9pm so it’ll be nighttime anyway.

So I do

eyemask
into jammies for flight - very soft sleeping bra if you feel you need it (I do)
doable in business.

I take 2 antihistamine
earphones in and a sleep podcast - download before you get on the plane.

ask the hostesses not to wake you up, but hold breakfast for you. They will do that in business.

nytol in the blue packs has the same thing that makes anti histamines drowsy. One of those and a lay flat bed in business class, eye mask, ear plugs and you should be away.

For me what helped me to get some sleep on planes is reframing it. The pressure to get “sleep” often meant I couldn’t! I have gone from someone who couldn’t sleep at all on planes to someone who can have some rest, even in economy.

So I reframe it as “rest”. I do a nightime routine, usually watching a movie whilst my meal is served, then get as comfy as possible- I don’t go fully lie flat in business because it adds to the pressure to sleep but I take shoes off, make sure I have comfy clothes on that I can sleep in, usually just trackies, recline the seat and get feet up, blanket, pillows etc.

Then I put something on that is “low demand/low input”- Emirates have sleep podcasts on their entertainment systems but I actually like a calm documentary that is vaguely interesting, think David Attenborough. I can then watch if I want to, close my eyes if I want but I don’t pressure myself to sleep. I often end up telling myself I will close my eyes and just listen and then wake up a few hours later! In my head as quiet/downtime and I tell myself that any rest/downtime is good and I will be okay the next day if I’ve rested, even if it’s not great sleep.

I would say 2-3 hours isn’t bad for a plane sleep!

Enjoy the resting time. So settle down but don’t stress if you aren’t actually asleep. If you are really awake listen to a podcast or read but try to have a good few hours without watching a film.

What's the time difference? Are you expected to function immediately on arrival? As poster above said I would aim for rest rather than sleep. If you get 3-4 hours it's a bonus. This might help you adjust to the time change too.

Our layover destination is five hours behind where we leave from and no, it’s a leisure trip so not expected to function straight away. We then have almost 3 hours layover, then another nearly 4 hour flight, then a 6 hour layover before our final flight back to the UK, so wanting to get as much sleep as I can during the 13 hour leg.

Thanks for the advice, I will certainly try all suggestions.

Whilst aircraft is noisy I find it quite soothing. You are in business class so you can ask to be left alone. As a poster up thread said try to think of it as rest not sleep. You may only get 2 hours at a time but it will add up.

Phenergan?

I've never slept on a plane for even a single minute! I just accept it's not going to happen and make sure I get a good nap in when I get to my accommodation. Luckily I only fly on holidays!

Ditch the herbal sleeping tablets - go for the real thing.

I've done lots of long haul flying, the only thing that really worked was my doctor prescribing diazepam!

Is melatonin any good? I have a very long overnight flight back from the western US in a few months and was thinking of getting some to try to help me sleep.

I don't really sleep on flights but I always pretend to sleep for a while and sometimes find I have actually fallen for a couple of hours. I think that's a win.

Avoid alcohol
Eat lightly
Lots of water
Calming sleep music
Eye mask
Melatonin only helps once you are there to help adjust to new time, it won't help on the flight itself.

We just returned this week from Cape Town so a 11/12 hour flight. As pps have said I managed to get about 5 hours sleep by thinking of it as rest. I didn’t out my bed fully flat but got under the blanket and watched something relaxing.

Yep. I had a 11 flight. Fell asleep while taxiing down the runway in Mexico and woke up as we landed.

I thought about phenergan, I know I can get it in Australia but I don’t know if I can legally take into Bali, which is where our 13 hour flight starts from, does anyone know if I can?

I’m not a great sleeper on planes. But a few wines and 2 night nurse really helps.

Foot hammock and TRTL neck pillow, blanket and I’m off.

I just don't sleep on planes. Doesn't matter if it's a flat bed or an economy seat. I think it's something about travelling. I would try melatonin next time though.

White noise? I have a snoozeband

You might want to try Sleepeaze tablets, get them over the counter from Boots. You can try one out at home beforehand, but they work fine for me.

I had zero issues taking Phenergan into Bali from Australia. One of those and a glass of red should do the job.

Quite honestly, since it’s a leisure trip rather than for work I’d stop fretting about it. Just relax and enjoy the quiet time to yourself, have some nice food and wine, watch a movie. If you sleep at some point that’s great but if you don’t, it’s not the end of the world.

Lorazepam if you can get it prescribed.