Help! Can’t get to sleep J & F

[dhein]

Hi,

I’ve discovered the wonders of Freq Flyer over the last 24 months and manged to score J seats on LAN (787), Qatar (A350), Emirates (777) & Qantas (747). I was also lucky enough to secure an F seat on Emirates (777) recently. One of the things I was really looking forward to (apart from the great food & extra space) was a decent lie flat bed so I could get several hours of decent sleep. However I’ve had no luck on any of these flights, even the new generation planes like 787 & A350. The last couple I even took sleeping pills, but still no luck - just a broken 1/2 awake daydream sleep that’s not particularly satisfying. I also have Bose in-ear noise cancelling headphones & eyemask. It seems nothing I try helps.

Has anyone else struggled with this? Any tips to help would be much appreciated.

Cheers
David

 

[get me outta here]

Hi David and welcome to AFF. There's a few threads on this from a while ago. Different strokes. Which sleeping tablet did you try? I take half a Zolpidem (the generic Stilnox), tab and it puts me to sleep for 2-3 hours. Then, after a little awake time I do it again.
My advice is never to wait until you are actually on the plane to try a new drug, experiment at home first.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Perhaps an obvious question... were you actually tired when trying to sleep? Some passengers will try to force sleep on the new time zone... trying to get to sleep when their body clock just isn't ready.

My rule is to sleep when tired. Whenever that might be. Food and alcohol can also affect sleep patterns.

 

[Denali]

What do you feel is keeping you awake? Noise, cabin movement?

I use phenerghan, eye mask (my own silk mask) and noise cancelling head phones.

 

[BettyB]

It does happen sometimes to me. I don't try to fight it.

 

[RooFlyer]

I'm the same as the OP. Never had a decent sleep on a plane - even the Etihad Apartment! For a while I used Temazipan, but when it didn't do much, I stopped. My GP won't prescribe anything stronger.

I just lie back and just rest now and have realised that I do actually doze off for short periods - often without realising it until I look at the time.

Its a good incentive never to travel whY long haul!

 

[BriarFlyer]

I have the same problem but have decided not to stress about it, to enjoy the luxury of food and beverage delivery, and endless hours to read and/or watch movies in comfort. One thing that sometimes helps: a restful audiobook (nothing thought-provoking or adrenalin-starting), close my eyes, put on the mask, and sometimes I'll miss several chapters and realise that I have dozed. I find that more restful than trying to force myself to sleep.

 

[RB]

Yep I am another who struggles for sleep. Moving forward in the plane has helped but I still seem to lack sleep. The space & better quality food & booze mean I walk off the plane feeling much better than I used to

 

[dhein]

Hi all, thanks for the feedback.

So for me I think it’s the cabin noise that distracts. Like RooFlyer I’ve tried Temazipan to no effect ..although ironically it does help at home on occasions when I’ve used it. I think I’m pretty sensitive to a quiet, still sleep environment ..and particularly my pillow. I’m sure I doze here and there. With my last flight I had several hours in the Emirates 1st Lounge @ Dubai but didn’t really get to enjoy it as I was trying to catch up on sleep in their quiet area. It would have been great to have arrived refreshed and spent the time enjoying the fine dining etc. I suspect like others, I’ll have to accept snoozing and just enjoy the service. First world problems!

Cheers
David

 

[Hvr]

I actually find the atmosphere in J and F quite soporific and sleep very well. I eat prior to boarding and get into my pyjamas as soon as possible. Once the seat belt sign is off on a night flight I get my bed made up and put the ear plugs in and the eye shades on and sleep very well.

No drinking alcohol or medication. I guess having done shift work for so long means that a bed is to be savoured and enjoyed.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Temazepam can be a tricky drug... I find it has a relatively short window for activation - between 20 and 30-40 minutes... if I miss it, the tablet has little of no effect. Other complicating factors might include how full I am before taking the pill. Given it's short acting and you can wake up from it fairly easily, I like it for air travel... in the event you needed to be alert for an emergency, temazepam isn't too strong to hinder that.

For me temazepam + ear-plugs + eye-mask works quite well!

 

[Haplo]

For me: eat at the group lounge and pass the food on the air - apparently I was told your organs shutdown at high altitude so nothing you eat on the plane actually pass through your body system until you are on the ground.

 

[leadman]

i spend around 20 - 25 nights a year on a plane and previously I took the Sleeping Aid from Target in the US. Just a drowsy antihistamine which worked 80% of the time and non additive. For the past 3 years I just let the body do what the body wants to do. On the *:10 early flight from BKK to MEL yesterday i slept for 5 hours but now really out of wack; just a penalty you pay for all the travel.

Others will disagree, but i don't recommend taking anything, just listen to the body.

 

[juddles]

dhein,

The answer is fairly simple - flight is not natural, nor is sleeping in an unfamiliar place surrounded by people and unusual noises. And no matter how "far up the front" you are, they are all seats, not beds.

Think of it - for all the fancy gadgets and covers and stuff, there is not a First Class seat in the sky that equals a decent normal single bed in a quiet familiar bedroom.

There are people who can literally sleep on anything, anytime, anywhere. But we are not all the same. I have a hideous problem - I am 6'7" and only like sleeping face down. And being so blooming tall my usual habit, which my body is accustomed to, is not only sleeping face down, but having my feet out of the end of the bed. Try that one on any airline seat/bed!!

 

[dhein]

juddles

Well said, and good to know I’m not the only one!

 

[Princess Fiona]

I don’t have a problem sleeping for a few hours onboard.
Before a long haul trip I have very little sleep at home the night before, usually 3-4 hours max. I do all the usual recommended things, change my watch as soon as I get on, drink water etc and a few of the not recommended things drink alcohol and eat rich food . I change into my PJs pretty much straight away and take a Melatonin along with my cheese plate about an hour before I want to sleep. Eye mask, Bose ear buds connected to the chill section of the IFE turn the air vents directly onto me and off I go.
Manage on average 4-5 hours every long haul.

 

[leadman]

I've found my perfect, PJ's now, Van Heusen long shorts. I find better than airline PJ's, and with no socks on i thought i might be soon snapped and make one of the posts here!!!! But it is comfortable and i think this is one key to getting a good sleep.

 

[Glider_]

I'm (thankfully) afraid I don't share your problem, but I do have a small tip that might help a tiny bit; I use a "3d" sleeping blindfold made so the blindfold doesn't touch your eyelids.
3D Sleeping Eye Mask Blindfold Sleep Travel Shade Relax Cover Light Blinder | eBay
(there's a few different styles and since they're so cheap I ordered about 4 and just kept the one I liked best)

I find it easier to stay asleep wearing this style as when my eyes move under my eyelids during sleep I'm not automatically awakened because of the unfamiliar sensation of fabric constricting against my eyes. I also use the foam earplugs instead of corded earphones so I have more freedom of movement and don't have cords brushing against my neck/face. Sleeping me can't stand being touched on the face!

 

[get me outta here]

I also use those eye masks, in the old days using the flat ones made me have bad dreams of being blind.

I'm (thankfully) afraid I don't share your problem, but I do have a small tip that might help a tiny bit; I use a "3d" sleeping blindfold made so the blindfold doesn't touch your eyelids.
3D Sleeping Eye Mask Blindfold Sleep Travel Shade Relax Cover Light Blinder | eBay
(there's a few different styles and since they're so cheap I ordered about 4 and just kept the one I liked best)

I find it easier to stay asleep wearing this style as when my eyes move under my eyelids during sleep I'm not automatically awakened because of the unfamiliar sensation of fabric constricting against my eyes. I also use the foam earplugs instead of corded earphones so I have more freedom of movement and don't have cords brushing against my neck/face. Sleeping me can't stand being touched on the face!

 

[JohnK]

I recently had 4 flights in TG business class. SYD-BKK-HKG-BKK-CNX.

I wanted to enjoy the flights. Stay awake, watch some movies and play some games. Problem is I slept through most of each flight as I was extremely tired. The sleep I had was similar to the sleep I have in economy.

Not perfect sleep but wasted valuable miles on an experience I didn't get to enjoy.