WineCountryUA

The UC rules explicitly state
Is sleeping allowed at any United {Club} lounges?

It more than just a matter of blankets -- such as snoring or spawling on the furniture or ...
But there is a thread already for that discussion

Collierkr

Interesting. Thanks!

Now if they can just keep feet off the furniture we will have a cleaner place to "sleep".

nomad420

Just FYI there is a later flight at 11:45pm. I am taking that in a couple of weeks. As my meeting wasn't until late morning this gets you in at 8:30'ish. Play it slow and you are on the lee side of rush hour. I head to the airport, try not to drink too much maybe a glass of wine and basically sleep the flight. What time is your meeting, I may have missed that.
As far as a nap, I have "passed out"/slept briefly in the back business section of UC at the desk and no one said anything but I am well aware of the no sleeping rule.

RooseveltL

My suggestion -
Adjust your sleep pattern in West Coast by waking up East Coast time for the full week prior and STAY awake. Basically 4AM PDT daily and avoid any naps over 20 minutes.
No fluids or meals within 2.5 hr of departure.
First to board red-eye, get a window seat, push down window shade {even though this an unsafe practice during take-off/landing}, put on eyemask and ear plugs and zonk out! You may need to wake up after 10k to adjust your seat but maybe you are zonked out and will sleep the entire trip. I've done this and shocked!
I've been able to sleep takeoff to landing and semi-functional for the day.

hardworking21

Appreciate all of the guidance! Sadly no hotel for me to check into, as I'll be off to NYC later in the day (where my hotel will be for the night / next few days). Does anyone recommend using sleep aids (e.g., Z-Quil, etc.)? And sadly can't get on the 4:15 flight as I have mtgs till 5 PM in SF

Kacee

No! They will make you groggy.
It's not a theory. It's the published rule and it is sometimes enforced.

fumje

Go to bed early the day before, and get up early the day of the flight. Better yet, start two days early if possible. Certainly, as Kacee said, don't use sleep aids, and especially not if for the first time.

MostlyUA

Sadly, I have done red-eyes a lot in my career.

I use 5 mg of zaleplan when I board so that i can go to sleep soon after takeoff. This seems to work better than Ambien although they are in the same class of sleeping medication. Alternatively, you can drink half a bottle of Dreamwater, which also seems to do the trick - of knocking me out.

The problem with medications is that if you have to deplane for any reason (eg. medical emergency), you will be groggy and may fall asleep while waiting for the plane to reboard. THAT has happened to me.

threeoh

It seems like the advice "don't use a sleep aid for the first time, not knowing how it will affect your body, on a flight where being awake upon landing is critical" is good advice.

WineCountryUA

Agree plus a transcon is too short for many to fully flush from their system
Sleeping pills and planes: Embarrassing tales from 35,000 feet

CDSEA

Every trip I take is a "redeye to a meeting" scenario.

Often they are 9 to 10 hour flights and I can get a shower before hand. Sometimes I can't get a shower but I never get a nap.

I employ the "coffee nap" strategy: I ask the FAs to wake me up and give me 2 black coffees with an ice cube about 45 min before landing. After I drink them (quickly) I put my eyeshade back on and doze off.

When the airplane lands I wake up, generally by this point the caffeine is hitting my bloodstream in full force. By the time we are on the gate I'm off and running past everyone in the terminal on full go mode. I have a protein bar in the car on the way to the meeting or hotel and I'm set to function close to 100% all day long.

While I'm normally on longer flights, I have had great success with this method on 5.5 hour transcons.