Why do people sleep on planes?

[TonyHancock]

Don't need pills to be asleep before takeoff. A night entertaining clients in Amsterdam will do the same job

I'm too frightened to ask you what you do for a living.

 

[Duffa]

This is more long haul but what about people who take "knockout drops" to sleep? I've never taken a sleeping tablet in my life - probably through growing up hearing stories of celebrities dying from "an overdose of sleeping pills" and I've never had trouble sleeping outside of transport.

I have always wondered if you might suffer an 'accident' while asleep which would be a little embarrassing. Also if there was an emergency how would you go? Could you be woken up? How alert would you be? Of course fingers crossed that never happens but it's a concern of mine. I don't know what it would feel like so can't judge.

I took my first temazepam 10mg in Y on a 12 hour flight some years ago
Five minutes after swallowing it, a food trolley came out. Thought, bugger it, I better eat as this may be the only food. Then just as trays were gone the movie came on (yes, the only movie- it was a long time ago) and I really wanted to see it. So I watched it too.
4 hours elapsed and then I was wide awake. What a waste of time
On the next leg, out of Asia to Melbourne, I had 3 glasses of shiraz with breakfast - slept like a baby for about 4 hours!!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

It mostly depends on the type and quantity of sleeping tablet you take.

There are some 'light' and short acting tablets that will be effective for say 4 hours. These are quite sensitive in that if you miss the initial sleep window (about 15-20 mins after taking), or get woken up, you will not be able to go back to sleep again.

On the other hand if you are sleeping under the influence of a couple of xanax or valium you might not be so easy to wake.

Sleeping pills affect everyone differently: a conversation with your doctor will find the options.

I took my first temazepam 10mg in Y on a 12 hour flight some years ago
Five minutes after swallowing it, a food trolley came out. Thought, bugger it, I better eat as this may be the only food. Then just as trays were gone the movie came on (yes, the only movie- it was a long time ago) and I really wanted to see it. So I watched it too.
4 hours elapsed and then I was wide awake. What a waste of time
On the next leg, out of Asia to Melbourne, I had 3 glasses of shiraz with breakfast - slept like a baby for about 4 hours!!

Indeed I was referring to temazapam in my post - it is a short acting (4 hours) with a fairly limited 'window' to fall asleep. Miss it and the tablet may not work all together.

Of course with any drugs, YMMV. Consult your doctor before taking.

 

[DSFlyer]

Ex Army here - and even though its been decades some habits you never seem to break - when there is nothing better to do _always_ take the opportunity to get some sleep I'm usually asleep before we even take off ... night/day doesn't matter. The only reason I'll wake up usually is another ex-army thing (heheehe), the only thing better then sleep is food.

Ex police here and same. Take some sleep when you can get it as you never knew when you might finish, work a double shift etc. Always able to catch at least 30 minutes between Brisbane and Sydney which would be my shortest flights. All those years of sleeping sitting upright on night shift in the constables room or in a car makes sleeping on a plane at anytime a breeze.

 

[tuapekastar]

I can be utterly dog-tired, but unable to really sleep on a plane. Nevertheless I'll happily shut my eyes on short flights and at least try and doze. Got a MEL-SYD on Saturday arvo and ver likely to doze ( but not sleep).

 

[Travelqueen]

Yesterday I had an unexpected trip for family illness.
Qantas was fantastic and got me on a flight with short notice.
I was grateful to get a seat at such short notice, and headed to the airport.
The flight was totally full ( school holidays ) and I was in the middle seat, very last row of economy.

On one side of me was a passenger who must have had a big celebration the night before, and the alcohol smell was permeating through his skin.....
On the other side was a lovely, but slightly confused elderly lady, who needed assistance with walking, and thought that it was ok to sit on her seat and half of mine also.

No complaints, as I was thankful to be given a seat. However, as I tried it keep myself as small as possible in my space, and closed my eyes. It gave me another reason why sleeping on planes is a good way to pass the time.....

TQ

 

[Dr Ralph]

I flew SYD-AKL this week at 945AM and many people on the plane were spread out sleeping across seats.

These people may have been on connecting international flights?

 

[Archphoto]

Or had very early start to their morning. 4am for me next Friday to get first flight out of ADL to connect to QF23. I'll be the one asleep at 10am on that flight.


Sent from my iPhone using AustFreqFly

 

[harvyk]

Or had very early start to their morning. 4am for me next Friday to get first flight out of ADL to connect to QF23. I'll be the one asleep at 10am on that flight.


Sent from my iPhone using AustFreqFly

Same here, any international flight (or virtually anything longer than golden triangle + ADL) with me automatically involves an early start, either by doing a CBR-SYD/MEL/BNE flight or driving up to SYD very very early first. The excitement of what's about to happen gets me up / keeps me awake for the trip to the international port of choice, but once on the plane and faced with hours of doing nothing, a little bit of sleep never goes astray.