Getting good rest while aboard is not always easy. Here's how the well-travelled manage to some shuteye.
Brian Kelly is the type of traveller almost unheard of among frequent flyers – a rare breed who actually enjoys sleeping at 30,000 feet.
Kelly, also known as The Points Guy, is an influential New York-based blogger who quit Wall Street to write about airline points programmes. He clocks up about 300,000 miles in the air every year – many of those on the long-haul flights most travellers dread.
“I get great sleep on planes. I like travelling first class to Asia and Australia because I can get a full sleep-cycle in, I will sleep for eight or nine hours,” says Kelly. While he does sometimes travel in economy for domestic US flights, he flies internationally in first or business class.
People pay for first class to get total privacy, Kelly says. “You are in your own cocoon rather than in an open-air seat where the cabin is much louder, and people near you get in your space. The new phase of luxury sleeping on aeroplanes is not seeing anyone else.”
For most though, flying economy class involves jostling for elbow room and trying to get some shuteye against the sound of a roaring jet engine. Even so, there are some tips and tricks from the experts to help you sleep like you’re one of the privileged few at the front of the plane.
The difference between economy and luxury flying is vast – and it’s not all about legroom, says Jamie Zeitzer, an associate psychiatry and behavioral sciences professor at Stanford University and an expert in circadian rhythms.
“It’s not just that the seats lie flat – which definitely helps – it’s that there is nobody touching you. There’s no one sitting right next to you. The psychological aspect of it is really quite considerable when you can physically stretch out your body and your mind, it makes a big difference,” he says.
But what if this “lie-flat” experience is just a pipedream? What makes sleeping on a plane so much harder than on land?
For most travellers, a lack of privacy and personal space; dry, recycled air; turbulence and noise are a few factors that make it really hard to fall sleep. But Zeitzer says two big barriers to sleep are actually within our control: stress and anxiety.
“There’s the social stress: you have no space, and there’s the physical stress: you are physically compressed into your seat,” he says.
The causes of anxiety vary person to person, but fear of flying aside, it’s the pressure to fall asleep that keeps most people wide awake, Zeitzer says. Sleep is unique and there is no universal method for dozing off. But Zeitzer has two strategies that can at least help lessen the disruption.
The first thing, he says, is try not to think about it.
“When you worry about falling asleep, you won’t fall asleep, it just won’t happen. “So, it’s easier said than done, but if you can find a way to not worry about falling asleep, that’s the easiest thing to fix,” he says.
The second thing is to mitigate the anxiety by zoning out and imagining yourself elsewhere.
“It's about taking yourself out of that stressful claustrophobic positioning that you have in the plane.”
Zeitzer recommends getting some real or imagined breathing room. “An eye mask with noise-cancelling headphones and some music can block out a lot of the world,” he says.
There are all manner of solutions to these problems. Some bring special pillows or headphones. Others swear by melatonin supplements, a naturally- occurring hormone involved in sleep cycles widely thought of as gentle sleep aid. However, Zeitzer advises caution; since it is an unregulated substance there are few reliable studies on its effects.
Finally, plenty of people still drink enough alcohol to blot out their surroundings, and many opt for sleeping pills. Some combine the two – but it’s a risky move, warns Betty Thesky, a flight attendant with 30 years experience. She says: "I’ve seen grown men lie down on the floor and stick their head in the aisle. It’s dark in the cabin; someone is going to step on your face! I see that all the time.”
“People end up in jail, they take their clothes off, they try to get into seats with strangers, they do all kinds of crazy things so I really do think it’s dangerous.”
For Thesky, thinking ahead and a sharp eye are a better option. She’s always surprised by people sitting crammed next to each other at the front of the economy-class cabin when there are often seats free further back.
“When I’m a passenger, I’ve got eyes everywhere looking to see if there’s a place that I can hurry up and scoot into, and you need to move quickly because the good seats will get taken fast.”
She also brings a blanket, travel pillow, essential oils “and I will have a drink or two, which I do think helps – but don’t do too much! I will watch movies and tell myself I’m going to do something else to get my mind off of sleeping.”
Kelly says it also helps to find out which type of plane you are flying on ahead of time.
“The A380 is my favorite,” he says, “it’s the quietest plane in the sky, the newer aircraft are quieter and easier to sleep on.”
He advises a window seat in the middle of the cabin away from the engine, galley and bathrooms for optimal quietness.
Spending thousands of dollars on the most premium seats won’t change the fact that you are hurtling through the sky with hundreds of other people. But if you can create a feeling of privacy and space around you and stop stressing about getting to sleep, you might just get some shuteye after all.
To comment on this story or anything else you have seen on BBC Capital, please head over to our Facebook page or message us on Twitter .
If you liked this story, sign up for the weekly bbc.com features newsletter called "If You Only Read 6 Things This Week". A handpicked selection of stories from BBC Future, Culture, Capital and Travel, delivered to your inbox every Friday.
Katy Kaminski, of AlphaSimplex, says investors are still 'evaluating' the impact of US midterms on AI trades.
Katty Kay and economist Maddalena Ronchi on what happens to male hiring managers after the birth of a daughter.
Tech Now highlights some of the standout inventions, emerging technology and trends at VivaTech in Paris.
Join American photographer Hallie Cowan Barrera as she captures nature's smaller creatures.
Ken Fisher, of Fisher Investments, says that the months following midterms is 'historically' a profitable period.
Japanese scientists are using AI to decode Maemuki, the mindset behind a happy and more resilient brain.
Clayton Allison, of Prime Capital Financial, says that US midterm elections are a 'volatility' event for markets.
Leading tech CEO Hardy Pemhiwa tells the BBC how AI could transform Africa's digital landscape.
They may look peaceful, but sea anemones use venomous cells and specialised tentacles to defend their territory.
Apotropaic marks, or witch marks, found in a historic royal residence reveal fears and superstitions of the era.
Thomas Germain and Katty Kay unpack five key questions that everyone should be asking about AI.
Scientists are using cutting-edge technology to protect one of the world's most famous shipwrecks.
Phil Palumbo, of Palumbo Wealth Management, says hiking rates 'aggressively' would harm the US economy.
Seagrass may look unassuming, but these underwater meadows play a powerful role in tackling climate change.
BBC journalist Manuel Scheuernstuhl goes on the hunt for an authentic German pretzel in New York City.
London's Darjeeling Express is ground zero for chef Asma Khan, a champion of women's empowerment.
Aliko Dangote, the businessman behind Africa's biggest refinery, shares his vision for economic sovereignty.
Seacom's $2bn cable vision aims to strengthen Africa's role in the global digital economy.
Matt Orton, of Raymond James, says there are questions about how much capital Anthropic needs to keep growing.
Watch adaptive athlete Ollie Thorn take on the tough challenge of reaching Everest Base Camp by handcycle.
Copyright 2026 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.
Loading comments…