To sleep, perchance to dream away your entire flight.
The very best flights are those which are spent entirely asleep.
Unfortunately, it is often very difficult to fall asleep while stuffed into a small seat, sitting upright. There are ways, however, to increase your chance of Zzzzs. Some of them are no-brainers, such as abstaining from caffeine during the flight. Duh! Others are less obvious.
Make Flying a Drowsing Success is a wonderfully helpful Los Angeles Times article by Logan Kugler, which spells out the best recipe for sleeping at 35,000 feet. Most of the suggestions I’ve heard before but there were a couple of new ones which I found very interesting. For example, Kugler recommends eating a banana which is packed full of melatonin, serotonin, and magnesium–apparently all good things to help you sleep.
The most interesting tip I learned, however, is about the small window of time when sleep will come most easily. Apparently during takeoff the cabin experiences increased G-forces and decreased oxygen levels, giving your body a one-two punch of sleepiness. I’ve dozed off many times during this short window and just assumed I was tired from the trek to the airport. Now I know there is a scientific reason for doing so, you can bet I’m going to take advantage of this window every time I get on a plane now. Thanks Kugler!