THRILLIST: 7 FOOLPROOF WAYS TO BEAT A RED-EYE FLIGHT

Red-eye flights can be your best friend or your worst enemy. On one hand, a red-eye flight gives you extra time in your destination and allows you to arrive in time for work/school the next day. On the other hand, an inability to sleep on a red-eye can result in a long night and an even longer next day.

Thrillist is here to the rescue with 7 Foolproof Ways To Ways To Beat a Red-Eye Flight.

Thrillist

I agree with some of them, but have some of my own suggestions:

1. Whatever you do, Get A Window Seat (Agree)

If you're in the aisle, your seatmates will no doubt have the world's smallest bladders and will climb over you every 10 minutes to get to and from the bathroom. If you get a window, they won't pee, ever. Which will be incredibly annoying, but it doesn't change the main idea here: just get that window.

For your best shot at one, set a reminder 24hrs before your scheduled departure, as most airlines will let you check-in and choose your seat then, even if you don't have fancy-people status with them.

2. Pop Some Pills 

Think watching Ryan Reynolds in R.I.P.D. will put you to sleep? Of course it will, but that's only 96 minutes. Melatonin, Unisom, and Nytol are said to be the most potent sleeping pills you can get over-the-counter; you should have a selection in your dopp kit, ready to swallow four hours prior to landing. Afraid of going overboard? Try Airsleep, an app that uses "patented Dreamwave Brainwave technology" to knock you out.

I use this trick frequently. I tend to use Nyquil and I am out like a light.

3. Avoid the Red Wine 

Rather than relying on a glass of cab to send you off, replace it with a vodka-soda with lime. Clear liquors cause less of a hangover, and the soda offers at least a nod towards staying hydrated. And the lime is vitamins, maybe!

Disagree! If you are going to take a sleep-pill, don't drink alcohol. The two don't mix well. Trust me from experience.

4. Skip the Meal Cart Service

Plane food's full of preservatives, and also terrible; eat early (like, before boarding) to trick your brain into thinking it's time to sleep soon. This also puts you on track to adapt to your new time zone with a bit of hunger in the belly, instead of being all sluggish and bloated and not ravenously wanting a McGriddles. Nobody trusts a person who doesn't want a McGriddles.

5. Brush  before "bed"

Bad breath's a dead giveaway you’ve recently deplaned, and will leave you feeling super awkward at work during breathing-in-everyone's-face trust exercises. It may seem completely ridiculous, but forcing yourself to hit the bathroom for a brush before reclining your seat will help you fall asleep faster, as recreating your regular routine can be the key to z's.

6. Make It Very Clear You're Not Up For Conversation ... with masks

Look Like An Alien

Talkative seatmates and overeager flight attendants are the worst on a red-eye. Throw on your noise-canceling headphones and a sleeping mask, to establish you're not looking for chats or extra chips. That mask may make you look like an idiot, but an idiot no one will bother! And, as it forces you to keep your eyes closed during the countless mid-flight wake-ups you'll no doubt suffer, you're more likely to drift back off quickly. 


7. Hydrte like Nobody's Business

Yep, bite the bullet and buy a ridiculously overpriced bottle of Dasani at the departure gate -- and save it to pound as soon as you land. You lose water by breathing and sweating when you sleep, and after several hours in recycled cabin air you'll be more dehydrated than if you'd slept on land. And that H2O'll make you feel far more human than what the stewardess refers to as "coffee". 

Every time they FAs come around offer beverages, choice to get water, if you are awake.

My suggestions:

1) Wear Comfortable Clothing

Go to the airport in comfortable clothing. I tend to wear sweatpants and a hoodie. The more comfortable that you are, the more likely you will fall asleep faster.

2) Bring A Pillow

If you can fit a small pillow in your carry-on, do it. A window seat + a pillow+ Nyquil = JD out within 30 minutes of being in the air.

3) Don't Use Electronics 

One way to prepare your body for sleep is skip using electronics. Why? Studies have shown that the light from electronics keep you from falling asleep. Instead of reading a book on your Kindle or Ipad, read a book or the in-flight magazine.


On your next red-eye flight, try some of these 10 techniques out and you may not regret booking a red-eye the next morning.

Do you have a routine to ensure you fall asleep on airplanes?

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