To want to fly for 14 hours in the daytime?

[Cattleclassy]

I’m not a great flier, we have a 14 hour flight coming up to visit family and have previously
done an overnight red-eye flight.
I always lie there wide awake all night (with headphones) unable to move because I don’t want to disturb DH and other passengers. Time passes so slowly. I’ve tried melatonin (no obvious effect) and zopiclone (horrible hungover after effects and metallic taste).

I’d like to try flying daytime this time so at least stuff is happening around me and time might pass more quickly.

DH thinks that’s a terrible idea.

Have any of you seasoned travellers (ideally the insomniacs) tried both? How was it? Which did you prefer?
At least we won’t be flying with small children any more ( at least not our own!)

I’d always choose a day flight over a night flight

First of all, you don’t need to lie there frightened of disturbing anyone! Just reserve an aisle seat if you’re that bothered.
I find that using noise cancelling headphones and an eye mask helps with sleeping - but I’m also more than happy to watch the TV all night if I can’t nod off.

I prefer day flights. Can you do with a stop somewhere on route?

In an ideal world for 14hr flight I would fly 6am-2pm. 3hr layover so can walk around, have nice lunch somewhere. Then final 6hrs. Depending on time difference but you then usually arrive late in evening and can just go to bed a bit later and up next day so also less jet lag.

There’s no reason you can’t still watch a film, read a book/kindle, or listen to music, an audiobook or podcasts on an overnight flight - you don’t have to just sit there watching the minutes tick by.

Sadly I have been spoilt for long haul flights by work paying for business class. I did an economy night flight and didn't sleep at all, I was so uncomfortable. Lots of people around me were still watching TV or reading though.

Coukd you afford Premium Economy? It's much more comfortable and some seats are in pairs. I slept a full 6 hours last week. I did take half a Nytol though.

I'd suggest both you and your husband use an eye mask and earplugs. If you want to watch TV you won't disturb him and you will stand a better chance of sleeping. Take your own.mask so you are used to it.

I would take a Night Nurse pill in order to conk out for an overnight flight that long. YANBU to try a daytime flight either. I’d tell your husband that you’ve tried it one way now both of you should try flying another way. It would be fair. Plus, you can build that into the whole experience of the trip and not treat it just as a grudging obligation, which is his attitude regarding night flights.

@Cattleclassy

I’d like to try flying daytime this time so at least stuff is happening around me and time might pass more quickly.

Bare in mind on most airlines the cabin routine is often (though not always) exactly the same, regardless of time of day, day or night flight.

Usualy a bit of bustle for the first hour or two until the first meal service is finished, then often (sadly) there’s a tendency for the blinds to come down/windows darken (TBF some people do need to sleep, even in daytime) , then a bit more bustle last hour or so for final meal.

We fly a fair amount and I would take a day flight every time. Even in business or first class it is often difficult to sleep on a plane. There's just too much going on. And if you're a plane sleeper (like my husband) you can normally sleep to pass the time even if it is daytime - so he gets to sleep, I watch films and we both arrive happy!

If you do a stopover the flight time is going to total more than 14 hrs. It doesn't divide neatly like that.

But as @notimagain said, the routine on a day flight will be the same as a night time one. But, for you it might be better in that you won't have a night without sleep. Wouldn't hurt to at least try it.

As I can't sleep on planes I ideally choose flights who arrive early evening local time so I can just crash. Helps with the jet lag too.

@RubyStorm - yes I know. But it’s does divide still.
Ie I have a flight soon. 5hrs ahead. 6hr flight, 3hrs stop, 5hr flight. If I leave in morning around 7am I still have a pretty good sleep overnight, can fly, take break, fly, and my body time is only about 9pm so I’m not knackered, even if it’s 2am local time. With hotel near arrival airport I xan be asleep around 3am local time (10pm my time) and wake up 9/10am local time so I’m straight into local time.
I have a small child also so a break is much better than through flight. Plus if child or I don’t sleep on night flight we will be shattered, day flight it doesn’t matter if you all stay awake or take nap.

Regardless of what time of day you fly, book an aisle seat so you can move about as you want.

I don’t care when I fly, I don’t jet lag, which is brilliant and I can sleep anywhere at any time of day. Which is quite often on a daytime flight. Don’t bank on not having to disturb sleeping people to get up just because you’ve chosen to fly during the daytime. Book the aisle! It also means that you can walk up to the galley and request wine drinks and snacks whenever you want, which is a massive improvement on having to run the bell, wait, and feel like you’re annoying the staff.

DH can sleep pretty much anywhere, anytime (annoyingly for me!). He always has to have the aisle seat as he’s tall and can’t fit his legs in otherwise. Thanks for the suggestions for making a night flight a bit more bearable.

It’s interesting that on long haul daytime flights they still put down blinds and go quiet for much of the flight, I hadn’t realised that.

Also a very good point about me not losing a night’s sleep, I hadn’t even thought of it in that way.

I’m going to lobby for a daytime flight this time.

Totally agree with you @Cattleclassy
I'd rather fly in daytime as much as is possible then arrive with a view to crashing out and catching up and adjusting to jet lag and time in an actual bed.
Night flights, watching other people apparently sleep while I feel exhausted, disoriented and frankly murderous then turning up in a strange place hanging by a thread at fucking cheery breakfast time - nah, nope, noooooo, niente, non. 😂

Book the aisle seat across from DH - then you both get one, and you can relax and get up when you need to.

I hate hate night flights.

Can't sleep.

Day flights I at least don't have my body nagging at me that I'm tired and I need to sleep.

I always do day flights if I can.

I struggle to sleep on flights. Would rather a daytime flight too.

Could you book an exit row so DH has extra leg room and you can still have the aisle (or have extra space to hop over him)? Also worth checking the differences in leg room with different airlines that fly that route. We have a similar length flight to visit family and find LATAM is more generous with leg room than BA for example.

There’s also the option of booking aisle seats for both of you - either across the aisle or behind/in front - especially if DH is going to sleep the whole way anyway so it’s not like you’ll be interacting!

Book aisle seats opposite each other so you each have an aisle, this is what we did before having children. There's no reason to be stuck in a middle seat just because your husband takes the aisle every time!

I prefer them too.
But I hate watching movies on flights so I usually take a couple of really good books and either read, think or sleep.

I HATE the hot air on flights and it's always about 1000degrees to get everyone off to sleep while I sit there sweating.

I prefer day flights too. Nothing wrong with that.

I get hideous sore cankles and restless legs and while I do sleep, it's an uncomfortable unpleasant experience constantly waking to move my legs.

My flight to Vancouver was daylight .Arrived at 4pm local time and it was so easy to keep going until about 10 pm and then sleep. No jet lag .
I was annoyed that the cabin was darkened about three hours before landing because I wanted to look at the icebergs and scenery. It wasn’t sleep time for my bodyclock.
I walked up to back of plane and opened a blind so I could look out window.

Can’t you both have aisle seats? If he’s going to be asleep for the flight he’s hardly going to be a scintillating travel companion!

I don't sleep well in planes but do dose a bit so it goes faster. Not sure what you think will be going on during the day, but if you are going to be awake anyway might help you not be so tired once you arrive. Depends what time it is at your destination.

Which daytime would you be flying in - UK or your destination? It won't help to arrive ready to crash out in the evening UK time, except it's still midday where you are.

I can't sleep on planes and once time zone changes are factored in it doesn't make a bit of difference when I fly. I'm tired and out of sync regardless. You just have to bite the bullet and power through with espressos.