A red-eye flight is either a gift or a curse depending on how prepared you are. Red-eye flights are night flights that take off during the late hours of the night and reach their destinations very early in the morning. In most cases, such flights are cheap and less crowded, thus saving you one whole day. However, if you have had your experience with such flights ending up confused, dehydrated and sleepy at the airport, then you have probably tasted the bitter side of them.The greatest problem with red-eye flights lies in the disturbance of your circadian rhythm. This biological cycle determines when you will be asleep or awake. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines it as the regulation of wakefulness and sleepiness rhythms. Here are five tips to help you feel fresher after your next overnight journey.
Prepare yourself before the flight
The biggest mistake that people make when travelling is thinking that they will be able to catch up on sleep when flying. Actually, sleeping upright in the loud cabin doesn’t equal sleeping in their comfortable beds at home. Doctors suggest not being sleep-deprived before red eye flights. Ideally, a person can get enough sleep before departure. If the flight starts later in the evening, it is better to have a quick nap in the afternoon because it is unlikely that a person will sleep well in the plane after not sleeping for many hours. It is necessary to avoid arriving at the airport exhausted and tired. The main thing here is that a healthy organism reacts differently to disrupted sleep. Sleep specialists from Johns Hopkins Medicine suggest preparing the organism for a new sleep cycle beforehand when having a flight with changing time zones.
Make your seat comfortable for sleeping
You will never have a perfectly good night’s sleep when travelling by air, but you can increase your chances of a good sleep. Using a neck pillow, eye mask, and noise-cancelling headphones/earplugs can make a big difference. In particular, using an eye mask becomes very important because light is a powerful stimulator telling our brains that it’s time to be awake. Harvard Health explains that decreasing light exposure during sleep helps our body adjust to its biological clock, while even wearing an eye mask might help to increase your alertness the following day. According to the CDC, exposure to blue light from gadgets makes it difficult to sleep.
Be mindful of your food and beverage intake
It might be very tempting to have some coffee before you board or consume a few alcoholic beverages to help yourself sleep, but both these options will only leave you feeling worse once you reach your destination. While alcohol may help you get drowsy, it will usually ruin the quality of sleep. Caffeine, on the other hand, can linger in your body for many hours and hinder your ability to go to sleep when you are on a plane. Stay hydrated during the whole trip. The air in the cabin is very dry and may cause you to become dehydrated.
Do not watch a screen throughout the duration of the flight
One of the major reasons why people love flights is watching movies, but if your aim is to reach your destination feeling fresh, you need to reduce your screen time. The blue light that is released by mobile phones and entertainment devices suppresses melatonin a hormone that regulates sleep. According to Harvard Health, reducing blue-light exposure helps you sleep better.
Body reset on arrival
Your post-flight routines are equally as important as your pre-flight activities. If you arrive in the morning, you should spend some time outside and get natural light. Sunlight will help reset your body clock, showing that it is daytime now and that you have to stay awake.Don’t take an afternoon nap even though you feel tired. According to sleep specialists, if you still want to take a nap during the day, keep it short for about 20 to 30 minutes. Daytime sleeping for several hours will be harmful because it will only complicate your nighttime sleep. According to the CDC, the most efficient methods of recovery from jet lag include getting natural sunlight and having regular sleeping hours.
Is flying red eye really worth it?
Yes, for many people, it is indeed worth it because it is generally cheaper, there are fewer people in the airport during night time, and arriving in the morning allows you a whole day ahead at your destination. But it is not suitable for all travelers who find it difficult to sleep in an upright position or those who will have crucial business the very next day upon arrival. It all comes down to managing your expectations. According to sleep experts, you might not get a good night’s sleep in the plane but this is totally okay since you are not expected to have eight-hour continuous sleep in it.
