Our upcoming flight to Italy has me getting into “gathering and packing” mode, so I started thinking about what to wear on the plane. And is there anything I can prepare to help me fall asleep while in flight? There is nothing worse than arriving to your destination early in the morning feeling jetlagged without any sleep. And I thought, let’s do some research on the subject!
After pulling up quite a few articles and blog posts, one hit home with more than any of the others. Smarter Travel suggests the following (paraphrased in my own words):
No complicated clothing: You don’t want to be dealing with lots of buttons, belts, wraps and definitely NOT anything that is constricting or tight. Two reasons, too tight or constricting can cut off blood flow as well as put you at risk for developing a DVT (deep vein thrombosis). And the simpler the clothing, the easier to get up to move about the plane and/or evacuate the plane in an emergency (God forbid!).
Yes to simple, loose breathable fabrics and dressing in layers. Cotton or linen fabrics are perfect. And definitely nothing that is made from an unbreathable fabric, such as leather, raincoats, etc. These fabrics hold the heat and sweat in making it extremely uncomfortable on a hot plane sitting on a tarmac waiting to take off. Moisture wicking athletic wear is a perfect solution – comfortable, cool and breathable!
Other do’s and don’ts:
- comfortable shoes (preferably slip on) over anything that has a high heel
- very little perfume or cologne – don’t take a bath in it before boarding the plane please
- do wear clean, fresh clothes – sometimes you might save a shirt that you only had on for a short period of time the night before – odors do hold in the fabric and in a cramped plane can intensify
- if you wear contact lenses and/or glasses, opt for the glasses. Contact lenses can certainly become dry and irritable in the recycled air on a plane
- no offensive clothing please. if you can’t wear it to your in-laws for Sunday dinner or church, it’s not acceptable.
- your best defense to be comfortable? no warm weather clothing – layers, layers and more layers. You might be running through the warm airport to your flight and sweating, then sitting in a warm plane on the tarmac waiting to take off and then THE BIG CHILL during the flight. Be sure to ask for a blanket and pillow as your boarding or once in your seat or better yet, bring your own! Flights to Europe can definitely be colder than most, so you want to be comfortably warm.
WHICH LEADS ME INTO MY NEXT DILEMMA – HOW DO I TRY TO SLEEP ON THE PLANE?
My husband always falls asleep on the plane which leaves me wide-eyed and anticipating the next day’s itinerary! Here are my suggestions which recently helped me:
- Noise-canceling, Bluetooth headphones – I can sync up to the TV if I want to or just try to close my eyes and relish in the quiet
- A comfortable, lightweight sleep mask (especially on those daytime long-haul flights!)
- A nice, comfortable, cooling gel infused neck pillow. yes I know that some of them are too high in the back and push your head up – tip: turn it around. It actually fits better!
- Definitely slip-on shoes so it’s easy to get up and move about the plane. I like not having shoes on during a long flight, so I throw a pair of dark socks into my bag so that I can pull them on and not worry about my feet or the socks looking like they’ve walked through the desert. I have also seen some people wearing their slippers.
- And I always bring an antihistamine (Benadryl or other allergy med) in case I just can’t get to sleep. You could try melatonin or valerian root but be sure to try any sleep aid at least a week before you depart to know if you have any problems with it. While I’m not a doctor, I do advise against using Ambien or Lunesta because of their hallucinogenic side effects. Not great when you’re at 35,000 feet!
It’s also a good idea to set your watch to the time zone you’re going to when you get settled on the plane to start getting your mind in tune with the new time zone. Here are a few other great suggestions:
- A week before you’re departing, try staying up a little later and getting up a little later as well.
- STAY HYDRATED! SKIP CAFFEINE! STAY HYDRATED!
- You can notify your flight attendant that you want to sleep so she knows not to disturb you for drinks and snacks.
- Lastly, set an alarm on your phone for 45 minutes before landing. This gives you time to wake up, go to the restroom, gather your things and have a cup of coffee leaving you less groggy and ready to begin your new adventure!
I hope at least some of these tips will help make your globe-trotting, country crossing flights more bearable for you! When you’re ready to start planning your next dream vacation experience, please contact me at jill@travelbylabuenavida.com or info@epicureanjourneyswithjill.com
Now, time for me to start planning my own packing!
Bon Voyage!