Sleeping on planes......

[Milboo]

I am hit or miss about whether I can sleep - depends on how tired I am going into the flight and also people around me. I will sleep better on the way home - ie the adrenalin is gone! But any sleep I do get is usually broken up. And it's only Y or PE seats for me.

My only lie flat experience has been a crew bed and that was best I've ever slept - solid 4 hours.

 

[RickyT84]

In general, I am not a good sleeper on planes as I mostly travel in Y.

For overnight flights coming back from Asia, I usually manage to get about 2 to 3 hours of shut eye (but not deep sleep). The best sleep that I had coming back from Asia (HKG) was in CX J (in reverse herringbone configuration). Managed about 6 hours and still managed to enjoy dinner and breakfast.

For European and TPAC flights, the results vary. I had some good experiences where I slept 9 hours on a flight from LAX. Guess i was tired as I came in from JFK. But I also had bad experiences where I managed to only get 5 hours sleep on a flight from DXB which really worsened my jet lag.

 

[AVC]

After 10 years Army and 20 years shift work, I can sleep anywhere, anyhow. In planes, trains and trucks. Or through a firefight.

Can rarely even manage more than 8 hours in a comfy bed, my normal is between 6 and 7.

Still prefer the premium cabins though, comfort always wins. Engine noise doesn't bother me a bit. Screaming kids are a fish of an entirely different kettle though. Grrrr. But the Bose helps with that.

Mrs VC has hell's own time sleeping on aircraft. Or even normally. 8 hours min for her.

 

[wandering_fred]

I'll admit to sleeping better in PEY/Y+ than in standard economy. Last year HKG-LAX was certainly 9+ hours out in PEY. Managed 5 on HKG-MEL on the 7 or so hour flight. Alas the flat beds in J don't offer any longer naps, so they are used as recliners when I am lucky enough to occupy one.

I've fallen asleep on more than one take off roll. Without discrimination with respect to the class.

Happy wandering

Fred

 

[Deleted member]

I'm with Blackcat , I prefer day time flights, sleeping is best done in bed (on the ground).

 

[tuapekastar]

Lousy sleeper in any situation here (except when I specifically don't want to sleep, then it is unnervingly - and annoyingly - easy). I have got on planes after falling asleep (briefly) in the lounge, absolutely dog-tired, and been totally incapable of sleep. After 24 hours with little sleep, i have failed to get any decent amount, no matter how tired i actually feel, and this includes long haul F and J on flat beds.

On short haul domestic (flights 1 to 2 hours) which are usually at either end of the day, I am happy usually to just close my eyes for as much of the flight as possible, but little real sleep ensues.

Never tried pills, perhaps I should!

 

[Hvr]

After 10 years Army and 20 years shift work, I can sleep anywhere, anyhow. In planes, trains and trucks.

<snip>

Being a shift worker does help in being able to sleep anywhere.

Have worked all night and will head off to bed in a few minutes for eight hours sleep.

 

[blackcat20]

Lousy sleeper in any situation here (except when I specifically don't want to sleep, then it is unnervingly - and annoyingly - easy). I have got on planes after falling asleep (briefly) in the lounge, absolutely dog-tired, and been totally incapable of sleep. After 24 hours with little sleep, i have failed to get any decent amount, no matter how tired i actually feel, and this includes long haul F and J on flat beds.

On short haul domestic (flights 1 to 2 hours) which are usually at either end of the day, I am happy usually to just close my eyes for as much of the flight as possible, but little real sleep ensues.

Never tried pills, perhaps I should!

i can fall asleep while at the gate, wake up during takeoff thrn struggle to sleep during the 14 hour flight... Have not yet been game to take drugs of any sort.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Not a great sleeper on flights. The higher the cabin, the better the sleep for me. I don't take any pills other than Melatonin washed down with Champagne.
Best sleep ever was on JL F HKG-LAX. Eight hours solid, those tempura mattresses are to die for

 

[TiredOldFlyer]

Many years ago when I bought my first aircraft Mrs Toff was a very nervous passenger
so off she went to a hypnotherapist and still today she goes to sleep on departure and
generally sleeps until arrival. Off course now we are able fly F or J I get cross and threaten
to book her down the back !

 

[Alanslegal]

If I am in F I will go through the whole three hour meal service at anytime of the day, watch a movie or two and then fall asleep after my seat is turn downed. In J, I would decline the meal service if its late at night >11pm and try to sleep. In Y, I try to plan my flights around times which are convenient for rest/sleep, if going eastbound a late evening departure with hopefully a morning arrival, and westbound it will be a day flight.

 

[Pushka]

I was reading this thread in the waiting room of the Drs this am wondering if I should ask for chemical help for a months time. Decided against it. Popped across to Chemist Warehouse and bought some melatonin (used to be unavailable in Australia) and decided the PrincessF plan of this and Champagne will do the trick.

Pleased to be doing a day flight to HK to experience all the treatments of J but an overnight flight to Paris landing at 6am will do me in otherwise.

 

[gaz0303]

I don't sleep in long haul Y, struggle in J on flights from south-east asia or the red eyes from Perth. Doxylamine succinate nor alcohol work. But, put me on a dash8 and I can be gone before take off, anytime of the day.

 

[OATEK]

I have always been able to get some sleep on international flights, much to SWMBOs chagrin at times (like during turbulence).

But my feeling is that I sleep twice as much in J as in Y, due to both increased comfort and less disruption from fellow pax.

On recent trip to Europe got 2 hours to HKG, 6hrs to HEL, and that left me in a good position on arrival in Paris. In the days of travelling to Europe in Y I used to have the 6pm crash - you know where you just involuntarily fall asleep at that time where ever you are for the first day or two. But have no trouble getting through to 9 or 10pm first night in Europe since switching to J "beds".

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Anybody tried Kirkland Signature sleeping tabs? Info here: Best Over The Counter Sleep Aids

I stumbled across this site couple weeks back and my niece in Houston has secured me a bottle and sent across - will report back in a few weeks after I try them.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I never eat on these flts and clearly tell crew DO NOT DISTURB until must wake and change for landing.

See at home, I don't race in, get changed immediately into PJs, tell the family not to disturb me, and go straight to sleep! So I don't do that on a plane either.

I like to get on, relax, have a drink or two, hope to get excited by something interesting on the menu, and watch a couple of episodes of a show.

As for the ability to get some solid sleep... I find planes relaxing. No phone, no email, no internet, no games requiring attention. No pets, no family, no front door bell. No drink mixing, bottle opening, or stacking the dishwasher. No where to have to drive. I don't even have to sit myself up in the morning... I have a button to do that for me!

8 hours (or even 10 I seem to get on trans-pacs) is a great way to recharge the batteries, and I seize that opportunity whenever I can!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Anybody tried Kirkland Signature sleeping tabs? Info here: Best Over The Counter Sleep Aids

I stumbled across this site couple weeks back and my niece in Houston has secured me a bottle and sent across - will report back in a few weeks after I try them.

Yes! They are the same as Kroger Sleep-Aid... but i find them unpredictable. They are fairly strong... not short acting like temazepam... and sometimes you can be 'out' for many hours (or at least feel pretty groggy).

The first time I tried them was on the ground in the USA... slept the whole night, had two cups of strong filter coffee the next morning, and promptly fell asleep again for another four or five hours. Not pleasant at all.

If I have a very long flight I might take 1/3-1/2 a tablet. But I prefer tempazepam, and if I wake up after four hours, take another one if required. At least with temazapam you can snap out of it fairly quickly, which is far from guaranteed with the sleep-aid.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

See at home, I don't race in, get changed immediately into PJs, tell the family not to disturb me, and go straight to sleep! So I don't do that on a plane either.

I like to get on, relax, have a drink or two, hope to get excited by something interesting on the menu, and watch a couple of episodes of a show.

See at home - at roughly around midnight or slightly after which is when vast majority of my Oz-Sino flts are I never have a drink or two, never hope to get excited by something to eat at 2am and never watch movies or TV shows at that ungodly hour - I would kinda find it strange to do it on a plane rather than sleep - but clearly we are all different MEL.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

MEL how are the 'after effects' if you take 1/3 to 1/2? And does the reduced dosage get yo to sleep k? I assume recommended dosage for an adult is one tab?

 

[Pushka]

Yes! They are the same as Kroger Sleep-Aid... but i find them unpredictable. They are fairly strong... not short acting like temazepam... and sometimes you can be 'out' for many hours (or at least feel pretty groggy).

The first time I tried them was on the ground in the USA... slept the whole night, had two cups of strong filter coffee the next morning, and promptly fell asleep again for another four or five hours. Not pleasant at all.

If I have a very long flight I might take 1/3-1/2 a tablet. But I prefer tempazepam, and if I wake up after four hours, take another one if required. At least with temazapam you can snap out of it fairly quickly, which is far from guaranteed with the sleep-aid.

Advil PM (USA only) knocks me around crazy too. Temazapam is fine.