We have all been there at one time or the other where we have a long flight that is scheduled to land early morning at our destination, we ask our selves the same question, can I get some sleep on board the flight? Or there isn’t enough time to do that.

Well here are some tips and tricks that will help you tackle the whole issue and get the best out of sleeping on board the airplane, these tips would offer you a great chance to be ready once you hit the ground on your next travel destination.

1- Book a window seat

You will get a lot of benefits out of that, first of all you will get a wall that you can lean on as you sleep, another great outcome of that is the fact that no one will bother you asking to pass through to go to the toilet. So you can relax and enjoy a continues undisturbed sleep. Another added benefit of booking a window seat beside having the control over opening or closing the window shades. Is the fact that you will get to enjoy all the scenery while taking-off or landing.

2- Get ready to rumble… Errr Sleep

Head out to the airport in your pajamas! Just kidding, but seriously you should wear loose comfy cloths preferably in layers so you don’t feel constricted, while layers can be removed or added depending on the airplane’s temperature.

Another great idea is to take your shoes off once seated, this will help your blood circulation system to run properly while on high altitudes, plus it will get you ready to begin your travels on foot once you land. Your body is not made to sit still for long periods of time in constrained seat like the ones on planes.

3- Kick back and relax

You can use an eye mask to block light, or ear plugs to block cabin noise, I like to use in-ear speakers to listen to some soothing music while I sleep, or a very boring audiobook to get me to sleep.

When you decide to recline your seat always look behind you to make sure the coast is clear before pushing the button to put your seat back, it is always polite to ask the passenger behind you, at least to give them heads up that you’re invading some of their airspace.

4- Time to advertise

Tell the flight attendants that you are planning to get some sleep, sometimes they pass by offering food or refreshments, you can also ask them to hold your meal if they can till you wake up. Remember to always smile and be very polite while asking them. You should also warn your neighbor about wanting to sleep, in case he or she would feel lonely and want to wake you up to chit-chat.

I am still waiting to see a DND (Do Not Disturb) sign that I can hang over my neck.

5- Take a pill

I strongly recommend against that, but in some cases you need to be fresh and ready once you land. So if you have any trouble sleeping I think that sleeping pills can encourage you to sleep, but don’t take those unless the flight is over 8 hours, so that you would get the full night sleep benefit out of them. Be aware that some of those pills can have what is known as a “hangover” effect once you wake up… Trust me you don’t really want that! So ask your doctor about the best sleeping pills out there.

6- Wakey Wakey!

This is the most important part of sleeping on a plane, since it could ruin the whole sleeping experience giving you unpleasant headaches and/or bloodshot eyes, the best way is to set an alarm clock, if that might sound dorky to you, ask someone to wake you up at a certain time. Waking up an hour or 45 minutes before you land is best to give you a chance to freshen up and gather all your stuff, tie your shoe, or at least get a glass of water or juice or a quick cup of coffee or tea.