I don’t know if you are like me, but I have no problem sleeping on a plane, though that has not always been the case. So, I like to travel…a lot. I was that person who was unable to sleep on planes when I first started traveling, but the more I traveled the easier it became. I used to travel primarily for work, and now, I don’t travel for work at all, it’s all personal. I will be writing a lot about travel, the places I have been, how to travel, including those tips and tricks I have learned (even ones experienced travelers have not thought of). In fact, that might be my next post, but this one, it is about that one time I got a little too comfortable sleeping.
The first time I got on a plane, besides being in my momma’s belly, was when I moved to Boston, for college. Yes, you read correctly, I moved to Boston for college without ever visiting, there is a whole story there, and yes I will tell it, making a note to come back to it. There were a few trips back and forth between the West and East Coast while living there, and even though my flights were red eyes, I never slept. I am not sure if it was the nervousness of flying, or the newness, I really do not know (I was never a car sleeper either), but I never slept until making it to my destination, at which point I crashed. This was obviously not such a good thing, since I often had things to do the day I landed (I always overbook myself).
I was unable to sleep on flights during business trips too. Which sometimes was good, when there was work to be done, and other times, I really wish I could, when I had to land and go right into the work hustle, or worse a meeting. I worked for a company called 5.11 Tactical out of college, and I had to travel frequently for them, being that I worked in marketing. This was a fast paced company, one that you were always on the hustle with, so sleep would have been great. I made due with not having it, as we all do, but if I could have found a way to relax, life would have been much easier.
I do not recall the first time I actually found myself comfortable enough to sleep on a plane, but once it happened that was it. Sometimes I would take something to help, especially on the 5+ hour flights (like a Benadryl), but mostly it was not needed. I used to have to load up my personal item on the plane for entertainment, but now, I just need my music (I really need to start those posts, music, so important to me). The best sleep on a plane is the post vacation sleep, when you board a flight after a crazy trip, YESSSS, the best sleep.
One such time, I had had an amazing vacation, it was a particularly crazy trip, the vacation you need a vacation from, I was on the way home from Jamaica. I am still somewhat of a party girl, though granted I have calmed down a bit, and use my vacations to actually rest a little, but on this trip, a birthday trip, I was all about the party, especially because I was kind of using alcohol to numb the pain of an injury that occurred during the trip. My cover photo was me on my birthday playing music trivia ironically enough (since I do not have a pic of me asleep on the tray table) you cannot see the soft cast, but it is there. Needless to say I felt it appropriate. You can see additional photos from that time in another post. Anyhow I am off topic (what is new, I speak the same way I write). So I boarded the flight, waited until we were in the air, took my tray table down, and fell fast asleep. I woke up as I usually do, right before it is time to put everything back in place for landing, and found myself on my neighbors tray table. I was actually kind of mortified, but she did not seem to mind. I asked her why she didn’t wake me, she said if I was that tired I needed the sleep. Needless to say, wow, she was way nice about it, but yep, that is how hard I was sleeping.
If you are still having trouble sleeping, but would like to sleep, a few recommendations. Ear buds are my first, find music, a book, TV/Movie, something to listen to that will keep you distracted. Bring a book, magazine, TV/Movie with you, many planes have TV’s now, but sometimes you get an old one. For flights longer than 5 hours, take a BENADRYL, Melatonin, or some other sleep aid that works for you. Always check with a doctor of course (I have allergies, so I use that as my allergy pill for the day). I am fortunate that I am flexible and can put my head on my tray table, if you are not able, and are next to the window, prop your head on the window, but lean your seat back a little first. If you use the tray table, I recommend one of the travel pillows that go around your neck, I use the inside part, the hole, so that I can breathe. If you are traveling with someone use their shoulder or lap. If you are lucky enough to have a whole aisle, spread out. The bottom line, get yourself comfortable, if you are not comfortable you will never go to sleep. And remember, breathe, take some deep breathes, calm the mind, and let yourself drift. And maybe, just maybe, one day I will read about you, waking on your neighbor’s tray table.
Be Your Authentic You 