How to Sleep on a Plane—Even If You're in the Middle Seat

18.03.2024 - 17:33 / cntraveler.com / Meaghan Kenny

There’s nothing more irritating than watching your seatmate snooze effortlessly next to you while you queue up another in-flight film and fall further into sleep debt on a red-eye. As a frequent traveler, I know all too well that catching up on deep sleep certainly isn’t feasible for everybody—especially nervous flyers or those with insomnia—but trying to get in at least a few extra hours, even if it’s not a full night’s sleep, is the key to enjoying a better vacation.

“The best bet to feel your best while traveling and at your new destination is to go into your trip with low sleep debt,” says Jeff Kahn, sleep expert and CEO of the sleep tracker app Rise Science. “The less sleep deprived you are, the better chance you have of weathering insufficient sleep on the plane, as well as quickly adapting to your new time zone.”

Although getting a good night’s sleep in economy might seem like a bit of an oxymoron for those of us who have spent many a red-eye trying to get into a comfortable position, it’s not impossible to sneak in a few hours of quality rest if you’re willing to prepare a little bit in advance. Below, we tapped into our network of sleep professionals and frequent fliers to decode exactly what the secret is to resting well at 30,000 feet, whether you’re in first class or are short on legroom in economy. As it turns out, figuring out how to sleep on a plane isn’t overly complicated after all.

This article has been updated with new information since its original publish date. Additional reporting by Meaghan Kenny.

The first question to ask: Should you actually be sleeping at all? “If you haven’t started to adjust your schedule before your flight to align with the time zone of your destination, you can start to shift your schedule on the plane,” Kahn says. “Set your watch to the time in your destination’s time zone when boarding the plane, and try to sleep (or not), eat, and get sunlight accordingly.”

You might also want to avoid eating on the plane if it’s nighttime in your new time zone, Kahn says. A 2017 study found that eating according to your new time zone while in-flight can speed up the adjustment. If you land at night, or if you find yourself awake during the night, try to resist eating until breakfast time in your new location. Further research shows what you eat may also have an impact: studies suggest that high-calorie diets may prevent adaptation to your new time zone.

Putting in a little extra effort to elevate your in-flight experience will pay off big time once you’re strapped in for a long flight. I love creating my own business class-inspired amenity kit to keep all my sleep essentials easily accessible while also making an economy class seat more comfortable.

“​​The first