Top five tips for how to sleep on a plane

You say the word cruise and people automatically think luxury and comfort and when you're sailing out of your home port I think I'd agree with that.
But what if you have to do a long haul flight first?
Now I deliberately don't take long haul flights as with two small children in tow, (Harry's 3 and Summer is only 7 months), the thought of a long haul flight terrifies me. I'd have no idea on how to keep them entertained for that long!
But for those looking to connect with a cruise ship on the opposite side of the globe a long haul flight can sometimes be a torturous ordeal. Sleeping through it is normally the best option but I know a lot of people do struggle to sleep on planes.
That's where this guide comes in...........



Tip one - Trick your body into sleeping. This is actually a lot easier than it sounds. The main reason so many people struggle to sleep sitting up on a plane is that their bodies tense up and they struggle to settle into a sleep pattern. If you can, (it won't always be possible), try to lie down for half an hour/an hour before your flight, (maybe in the concourse somewhere), it will help relax your body and you should just drop off, (fingers crossed).

Tip two - Wear your pyjamas. Well maybe not quite, but the days of people wearing their suits to fly on a plane are long gone. Dress comfortably. There's no point dressing to look good when you arrive if you're going to look like a wreck when you get there because you haven't been able to sleep.

Tip three - Stick to your routine. I don't mean sprawl right across the plane and steal the duvet off the lady opposite you either. I mean if you always brush your teeth before you sleep then do so, if you always have a drink before bed then do so. What ever you can do to trick your body into thinking it's bed time is a good thing.

Tip four - Travel equipped - Ear plugs to drown out the noise of everyone around you, an eye mask to block out the light of the guy reading in front of you and some kind of pillow for extra comfort. Bring them along and you should be sleeping like a baby.

Tip five - Follow the crowd. If the cabin crew are walking around offering drinks, handing out meals or going through safety procedures then there's no point tying to go to sleep, you're not going to manage it. Be patient, let everyone settle down and try and sleep at the same time as everyone else; you'll find it a lot easier.

Obviously I've just included the top five tips that I could think of from experience. If any of my readers have any better tips than feel free to add them below.

Happy cruising.