thefareguru

How do you guys sleep on longhaul flights? Especially those of you with sleep problems like me?

This year, I've done YVR<=>LHR, YVR=>KIX, NRT=>YVR, YYZ<=>FRA. All seats were up front, but I find them uncomfortable. The bump in the middle etc. They are not really comfortable. Not plush at all and not really flat. My feet get irritated by the foot rest. I have not had 1 minute of sleep on any of these flights.

Do any of you use anything that you can buy on the market to pad the seat? Or perhaps a super sleeping pill? I've been given zopiclones by my G.P. recently and they did bugger all.

I need to do some mileage runs to make SE again and am dreading them and in fact am considering letting it go. Who wants to see The Zombie of Hong Kong? Just watch me getting off the aircraft there...if I go. Or a day later in YVR because I have an airfare in L class that allows no minimum stay.

Perhaps I'm missing a routing that has aircraft with seats that are more comfortable than others? Don't think so - same airline, right? At the moment, without your help, I have about as much chance of having a restful night's sleep on Air Canada as I have of teaching my dog to fly. In fact, I think that I have a BETTER chance of teaching my dog to fly than I have of getting a few hours sleep in AC Business Class.

All hints appreciated.

Derek

Ambien.

IluvSQ

SQ First Class

thefareguru

I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate this advice, SO I WON'T!

thefareguru

Thanks. I don't even know what this is, if it's OTC or prescription, but I'll get it and try it out.

Doc Fraud

Not being able to sleep on an airplane certainly makes long hauls much more difficult! I feel for you.

One of my tricks for dealing with jet lag is to hit the ground running upon arrival so I generally have a full but not overly demanding schedule planned for arrival day. To ensure that I don't drift off, I do everything possible to enhance the quality of my sleeping to extract maximum benefit out of the few short hours of an all night flight. Here are a few things I do:

1. Avoid sleeping pills and excessive alcohol. My body is stressed enough by the 6-14 hours of time change, I don't need to make it worse by having to metabolize "stuff" out of my bloodstream. Most of the sleep aids have warning about sleeping for 8 hours, and most flights just don't have that length of straight sleeptime.

2. Arrange flights as close to bed-time as possible. I know for Asia its a little trickier, but for YYZ-FRA or LHR I'll go out on the 10:00 PM flight.

3. Get a seat where nobody wakes you up as they climb over you to go to the lav. I favour the middle section D,F if I can't score a single.

4. I sleep better on a full stomach so I will either eat before boarding, or I'll order the quick meal. Sometimes I'll do both! 1 glass of wine max! Most of the FA's on the longhauls recognize the habits of the FF and will make an effort to serve you quickly and leave you alone.

5. I snag a couple of extra pillows and build a little nest for lumbar and side support. Pillows are a little scarcer these days, but thank heavens AC went back to the padded ones instead of the blow ups.

6. I break out the sleep mask and the ear plugs. They look stupid, and aren't the most comfortable things when you first put them on/in but I've found they do make a difference. Some people swear by their Bose, but I find them a bit bulky.

7. I cocoon myself like a mummy in my blanket/quilt, of course putting the seat belt on top. (If you have kid, think back to how you wrapped a new born in their blanket and you'll get the idea)

8. I adjust the seat to its most comfortable position, which varies from seat to seat and from acft to acft. Full down is not neccessarily the best, as some of the buggers get these lumps in the springs when adjusted fully down. Use the pillows to fill gaps in the lumbar area rather than trying to adjust the seat to do this. I think the lumbar adjustmet on the 767's quit ages ago and the little lever is just there for decoration.

9. Lights out and let the white noise of the airplane, assisted by the insulin required to digest your meal and the light buzz from a glass of wine, lull you to sleep. DO NOT THINK ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO SLEEP.

10. Hope and pray that your mind will function properly on 4-5 hours of sleep I have followed these routines for years and I have not yet driven my rental car over any pedestrians in a sleep deprived haze

Good luck

DF

Derek

It's prescription. Doctors will often only prescribe few pills for a specific trip. However, it doesn't seem to be as addictive as older sleeping pills, and the effect wears off nicely after 8 hours (no drowsiness in the morning, unless you get woken up too early, YMMV), so many doctors will prescribe it for insomnia.

I can get enough effect out of 1/2 a pill, others need a full pill (or more).

gsfromc

After about 10 YYC-LHR or FRA trips a year for six or seven years...

1. Eat before I get to the airport of grab a quick bite at the airport. Alternative is the Express Meal right after takeoff. This leaves you longer time to sleep. And don;t get woken up for breakfast. I usually take a yogurt and banana with me.

2. I swear by Melatonin. Can't buy in Canada but can in any pharmacy (or Walmart) in the US. Take on etable just as you put your seat back to sleep.

3. Use No-jet-lag. You can buy at travel stores and some health food stores sel the generic for about 1/10 the cost.

4. A good neck pillow, I got one at a travel store that has a large 1" dia hole to blow it up, it padded and doesn't leek. Look around a bit. Also good ear plugs and a sleep mask.

5. Loose clothes, short sleeved shirt. It helps if you're cool and comfortable and use a blanket to cover up.

6. Water... drink at least 500 ml every couple of hours or so.

I can usually get 5-6 hours solid sleep (in business). Then when I land, don;t nap. Stay active and even better is to do 30 min or so in a gym or a jog around supper time. Stay up until 10 pm or so, then a hot bath (apparently a favorite trick of Japanese travellers I was told), a glass of red wine and a melatonin and I can usually sleep through until at least 6 am or so.

That's my routine.

shuuy

1. Eat before boarding
2. Eye mask and ear plugs
3. Fall asleep as soon as you can after takeoff
4. The night before, get up really realy early
5. The day of landing, either have a 1 hour cat-nap midday, or have an evening workout and go out and party that night (i.e., stay up late).

This enabled me to fly JED-FRA-YYZ Sunday-Monday, and then get a call from a sick sick individual (i.e., Partner) who made me fly to NYC Monday to start on a due diligence. I adjusted to the time zones instantaneously

taupo

Halcyon, along with all the other things like eating before boarding etc.

bobsyouruncle

Melatonin is actually available in Canada (BC at least). You can buy 100 tablets (1 mg) at Costco for $9.99. It works for some people and not for others. I take them occasionally and it seems to work at home but I've never been successful sleeping on long-hauls either. When I fly to Europe I try to schedule the first day with no obligations and try to adjust to the local time. Usually that means walking for hours on end to try to stay awake until bedtime. Occasionally I will take an hour nap during the day but it's a stuggle to get up after only an hour.

wali

Melatonin has been available in Canada since 2005.
It is the #1 seller in my store...180 tabs for $12.

Another good herbal remedy for sleep is called Calms Forte...it is a homeopathic Remedy...very safe& extremely effective!


wali

isi

(1) Find some time to exercise day of departure. You can always go for a bike ride in Vancouver -- that often does the trick for me.

(2) I know a few people who just can't handle it, but still have to travel and so they break up the trips. For example, instead of YVR-LHR; do YVR-JFK --take a break-- JFK-LHR so you get two mid-length flights instead of one mid-long one.

(3) Experiment with different airlines. Fly LH C to Europe from YVR instead of AC or try SQ or TG or ANA to get to Asia.

(4) If all else fails, melatonin or if that doesn't work ambien.

Simon

Unless something has changed recently, Ambien is not available in Canada.

I have to disagree on the wine thing.

The ONLY time I have managed to fall asleep on a plane without Zopiclone (works, but horrendous stuff the next day) was when a CO FA pumped me full of white wine GRU-EWR. 6 hours later... "what? I slept without Zopiclone?"

Simon

BOH

Would that really make too much difference?. Surely YVR-LHR direct is about 9 hours but JFK-LHR about 7-7.5 hours?. In between you would first have a transcontinental of 4-5 hours to JFK.

I looked into this as I suffer from claustrophobia so seriously considered breaking up LHR-YYZ by going via YYT or YHZ which are more-or-less straight line routes so can be broken up without adding too many flying hours. Thankfully I have found it not to be necessary.