Women Travelers - Sleeping on overnight flights

Have searched these boards, and found one tip for getting some sleep: bring one's own pillow and use it as a body pillow.

I will be flying several Delta BE flights soon, most of which still have the recliner type business seats. I've never been able to get even a nap in them, even though it's business class!

Other than bringing my own blanket and neck pillow, does anyone have any tips?

Thanks.

I find that a tylenol pm works wonders

I take a Sonata. It lasts about 4-5 hours and it works just fine.

Bobette

1/2 Ambien following the meal. Works great!

Be sure to use the lavatory & brush your teeth after dinner- just to have some sort of normal pre-sleep routine.

Wear your eye shades.

I take noise-cancelling headphones and an iPod- have a special "sleep" playlist (it helps to play this sometimes at bedtime at home so that you get programmed to respond to it).

Ambien does nothing for me, but I find that a couple of glasses of wine help. If you know a yoga (or other) routine for relaxing parts of your body, this is the time to use it.

And if nothing works, don't beat yourself up about it. Just try to think about something pleasant and listen to your music. Maybe you'll at least doze a bit.

Thanks, everyone.

Ambien doesn't work for me, haven't tried Sonata.

I use noise-cancelling headphones, but hadn't thought of a sleep playlist. Good idea!

One more request: Biggest problem is trying to curl up in a recliner seat. Anyone successful with this?

Thanks for all the help so far.

Thanks, everyone.

Ambien doesn't work for me, haven't tried Sonata.

I use noise-cancelling headphones, but hadn't thought of a sleep playlist. Good idea!

One more request: Biggest problem is trying to curl up in a recliner seat. Anyone successful with this?

Thanks for all the help so far.

Ask for an extra pillow. I've found cuddling around an extra pillow allows me to curl up in the seat...

Thanks for all the advice here...I also found some suggestions in other blogs connected with this forum.

Happy traveling.

1. have dinner, but not much liquid (goes against what we're all told, but I don't want to be woken up having to use restroom). Keep bottle of water handy in case I get thirsty.
2. use restroom, brush teeth, and take bra off. I always wear something super loose, with some sort of wrap around me. For some reason, taking bra off makes me feel like I'm getting ready for bed.
3. like others, I get an extra pillow or blanket. I travel with one small blanket. I also have the wrap. I curl up, using all these items (airline pillow, my blanket, my wrap) and tuck into areas around my body to position it. Cover up with airline blanket and sleep.
4. I sit on side away from restroom if possible, just to cut down on noise.

Brush your teeth first is a biggie, at least for Americans. It's like a program we've had drilled into us. Can't sleep no matter how tired I am, must brush teeth first!

Having seen their effects on others, I won't risk the sleeping pills, but if it works for you, fine -- I'm just not willing to chance it for myself.

Drugs, earplugs/ipod, eyeshade, warm slippers, warm blanket, neck pillow, chapstick. Try to get a little nap before the trip, get a little nap on the plane, then take a *little* nap when you get there. Between all those little naps, you're not so very exhausted, but ready for a good night's sleep when the night finally comes at your destination.

I was coming back to US from Shanghai and was seated in a business class. I took my ambien, took requip for my restless leg syndrome and upon insistance from a friendly but stranger next seat companion had a couple of glasses of wine and then folishly made the mistake of taking some tablet that he gave me as a sleeping helper.
Nausea, confusion, discomfort, stomach pain, agony, anger, embarassment, stupidity, etc were some of my feelings immediately after I consumed all of them in a period of half an hour. But still no sleep!
I still take ambien and a couple of glasses of wine without any problem, but will never accept any medication from a stranger. I should have known better being in a medical environment.

Melatonin works for me (find it near herbal meds and vitamins in the drugstore). I take two pills when they start boarding; it takes about an hour for it to kick in. I prefer melatonin to Ambien etc because it makes me feel sleepy but not groggy.

I take Ambien & melatonin. I also brush my teeth and change before bed - I change into a loose t-shirt and yoga pants with no bra, which I find are more comfortable for sleeping.

I take off all my makeup. I use Purity face wipes. I have my own pillow and small but warm blanket and change in to loose clothing and slippers. I might look silly, but dont care, sleep is most important. About half hour before sleep I take a Nyquil. I sleep with my Bose headphones on. I sleep great on planes, which I'm very lucky for that.

I was coming back to US from Shanghai and was seated in a business class. I took my ambien, took requip for my restless leg syndrome and upon insistance from a friendly but stranger next seat companion had a couple of glasses of wine and then folishly made the mistake of taking some tablet that he gave me as a sleeping helper.
Nausea, confusion, discomfort, stomach pain, agony, anger, embarassment, stupidity, etc were some of my feelings immediately after I consumed all of them in a period of half an hour. But still no sleep!
I still take ambien and a couple of glasses of wine without any problem, but will never accept any medication from a stranger. I should have known better being in a medical environment.

Not sure if I'm reading this right. You're saying that you took some pill given by a stranger? If so, you're far braver than I am, and you're lucky too; a pill given by a stranger could be *anything*. You have to worry about everything from allergies and interactions to malicious intent, and I'd rather not do that at 37k feet!

I will be flying several Delta BE flights soon, most of which still have the recliner type business seats. I've never been able to get even a nap in them, even though it's business class!

Other than bringing my own blanket and neck pillow, does anyone have any tips?
When I fly BE on DL, I don't bother with my own blanket and pillow. Their pillows and duvets are really comfortable. (I cannot say that for all airlines, for example, if I fly Affairs on AF, I bring my own as their pillows and blankets aren't very good IMO.)

I bring my own eyeshade, iPod and prescription meds and usually manage to get some sleep, even in the recliner seats, despite being a side sleeper.

1. Remove bra (I wear a shelf-bra camisole over it to help restrain the boobage)
2. Wash face and clean teeth
3. Take an old-fashioned anti-histamine, like Polaramine. It makes me sleepy, especially if I've had a glass or two of wine, as well as controlling nausea if things get bumpy.
4. Wrap fleece, cardi or jumper around handbag, and use as a pillow.
5. Insert earbuds, and select either soothing music, or a familiar book reading.
6. Snuggle into pashmina.
7. If not in a window seat, apologise in advance to the person I'm going to end up leaning against...

The ritual, and the familiar "smell of me" from the pashmina and fleece almost always does the trick.

My seat baggie always contains, my Eagle Creek pillow, a pashmina or large silk scarf, and noise canceling headphones. The noise canceling headphones along with a naptime playlist were the biggest improvement for me, as previously I was unable to sleep on planes. I am now able to at least doze off.

Melatonin, a glass of wine, a pillow and a moisturizing facial mask (the disposable type in foil packets) work for my mom.

Benadryl, noise cancelling headphones

I am becoming a Benedryl convert. A glass of wine. Benedryl. Eyeshades, noise canceling headphones (though hard to sleep with). I wear a sports bra on long flights. My boobs have become grandmother boobs and I can't sleep in an underwire and I won't sleep on a plane without something.

1. change to airline with life-flat seat in business
2. upgrade to an airline with First class seats - tend to be larger and lie flat with a smaller number of passangers - tends to be quieter
3. Try the new suites on the A 380
4. The ultimate upgrade to a private jet :D:D:D
5. Better yet, upgrade to a job that does not require overnight trips.
6. If you are traveling for fun, don't sweat it; don't worry about sleeping and just schedule an extra day on the way there and back to compensate. Stay in a nicer hotel with better beds while away.

these are some tips from a guy.... I am sure it is not what you wanted to hear but could not resist.

I'm a Tylenol PM fan as well. It drys me out, so I try to drink a lot of water.

For clothing, loose, breathable fabrics (yoga clothing is great) with layers to handle different temperatures in flight. I won't wear an underwire bra on a longhaul flight, but I prefer some support so I wear a camisole/tank top with a shelf bra built in.

For long haul, its all about being a functionista, not a fashionista ;)

Yes, get a really good sleep mask that will block ALL light. Not have a little crack where suddenly light will be hitting your eyes.

Also in the past I found it important to tell people next to me that I don't want to be woken when they come around offering drinks and other things.

And they will wake you for seatbelts if there's turbulance. Unless you belt it over the blanket and it's visible to them. You can't have a pillow or other blanket bunched over it so they can't see.

melatonine is fantastic.

Benadryl, good earplugs (the kind in the amenity kits on most airlines are too hard and hurt my ears), a good soft sleep mask that doesn't irritate my skin (my favorite for travel is from a BA F amenity kit).

I change into pjs before the dinner service and try to start relaxing then - if the "quick" service option for dinner is appetizing, I often choose that. After dessert it's sleep time... I wash off all my makeup and apply good moisturizer, tie my hair back, and off to sleep.

On shorter (transatlantic or SA to NA) flights I let the FAs know that I do not want to be woken until 30 minutes prior to landing. Of course, by the time, they are usually making announcements anyhow so I wake up. Brush teeth, change into day clothes, and I can reapply any necessary makeup during landing/taxi.

Depending on the flight length, I can typically get 5-7 hours of sleep this way.

Also, as a "side sleeper", I find anything but a true flat seat to be relatively uncomfortable. In a J-class non-flat seat, I will try to compensate by pushing the headrest up as far as possible (gives me more "horizontal" room) and try to put something under my feet (coat, etc.) to give me less leg dangle. Having my legs dangle is for me the biggest cause of no sleep. When I have to sleep on a red-eye in a domestic F seat, I always try to prop my feet on my carryon and get a window seat so I have something to lean against.

For those of you who are using benadryl or Tylenol PM, a much cheaper alternative is Wal-Mart's generic motion sickness. A bottle of 100 costs less than $5.00. I use this product since it prevents nausea and causes drowsiness. I take it a few hours before my flight and then one more pill after I am onboard.

If I am in coach (only once in the last thirteen months and that was my last AA DFW to CDG flight over Thanksgiving), I gather as many of the coach pillows as I can and convert them into one big pillow by sticking them inside of a cashmere sweater and tying the sleeves to keep the pillows inside.

I skip the entree and eat only the salad, cheese, and crackers if I am in coach on an international flight. I request my free glass of wine by showing my Executive Platinum card. I use noise-cancelling headphones and a sleep mask. However, even with all of these aides, I rarely really sleep.

I have no issues taking a nap on long haul flights.

I've just purchased a travel combo pillow and blanket that can be easily placed in my carry-on for my next trip so I don't have to use what the airline provides.

I just try not to have much food/drink with a lot of sugar and/or caffeine which can keep me awake.

Also, as a "side sleeper", I find anything but a true flat seat to be relatively uncomfortable. In a J-class non-flat seat, I will try to compensate by pushing the headrest up as far as possible (gives me more "horizontal" room) and try to put something under my feet (coat, etc.) to give me less leg dangle. Having my legs dangle is for me the biggest cause of no sleep. When I have to sleep on a red-eye in a domestic F seat, I always try to prop my feet on my carryon and get a window seat so I have something to lean against.

I could have written this post! Glad to know I am not the only side sleeper who can't get comfortable.