You probably do not have much trouble sleeping on a plane if you fly all the time (or if you are the sort of person who can sleep just about anywhere) – but sleeping on a plane can be a challenge if you only travel every once in a while, or if you have a hard time sleeping in unfamiliar (and uncomfortable!) places; of course, a plane would be a great place for sleeping if you were able to doze off, because sleeping on a plane would enable you to fall asleep in one place and wake up in another, feeling rested and ready to keep going with your day – and if you take just a few simple steps, you will be able to make sleeping on a plane much easier for you!
One reason lots of people experience difficulty falling asleep on a plane is that they are unable to get comfortable, and while you will probably not be able to get as comfortable on a plane as you would be able to get in your own bed, you can increase your comfort with a good pillow; with a U-shaped pillow that you can fit around your neck, you will be able to lean back comfortably, thereby edging your body and mind closer to that greatly-desired sleep.
The fact that there is more light and noise than people are used to is another thing that tends to give them problems on a plane; many people who have long thought it was impossible for them to sleep on a plane have found that all they needed was to insert some ear plugs and put a sleeping mask over their face, and this was enough to help them doze off for the duration of the flight.
And if you are going to be taking a long plane ride – one on which being able to sleep will be a necessity, instead of just a luxury – you will want to go overboard in trying to make yourself tired before the plane is set to leave. Try to limit your sleep the night before you board the plane, and skip your morning coffee (or anything else you typically consume to help you stay awake), and this will make it much easier for you to drift away as the plane takes off, and to make the long flight pass much more quickly.
