Sleeping on long flights - What's the secret?

Hi,

I'm going on some long flights soon, and would
really like to do some sleeping during the flights.

But somehow, I can't seem to get comfortable enough
to get to sleep. I'm 6'3" 280 lbs, and the tiny
seats are -very- uncomfortable after a few hours.

Can anyone suggest a method or even proper drugs
I can use to get to sleep so the flights don't seem
so long?

Thanks for answering here...

On Mon, 22 Nov 2004 09:59:25 GMT in rec.travel.air,
(C. Osbourne) wrote:

Can anyone suggest a method or even proper drugs
I can use to get to sleep so the flights don't seem
so long?

Yeah! LOSE THE LARD. Like about 100 pounds. The extra weight
not only makes it uncomfortable for you, your fat ass squeezes
the folks on both sides of you.

Start and exercise program and eat less.

Business or First Class!!!



wrote in message
...
On Mon, 22 Nov 2004 09:59:25 GMT in rec.travel.air,
(C. Osbourne) wrote:

Can anyone suggest a method or even proper drugs
I can use to get to sleep so the flights don't seem
so long?

Yeah! LOSE THE LARD. Like about 100 pounds. The extra weight
not only makes it uncomfortable for you, your fat ass squeezes
the folks on both sides of you.

Start and exercise program and eat less.

"C. Osbourne" wrote:
I'm going on some long flights soon, and would
really like to do some sleeping during the flights.

Please define "long".

Transatlantic flights from east cost USA to europe are too short to get ant
decent amount of sleep. From west coast of USA to europe, it starts to be long
enough to get a godo few hours of sleep.

Exercise lots during the day. Get up really early (helps set your body clock
as well). By the time you sit in aircraft, you should plan to be very verty
tired from a very long day full of exercise.

You can get a cognac to make you feel more "happy", but don't indulge in
alchool since it will dry you up and that is bad in an aircraft.

If you are not used to sleeping with lights on, get some sleeping goggles.

Can't do much to help you with your size problem though.

"C. Osbourne" wrote in message
news:1Miod.69542$V41.13640@attbi_s52...
Hi,

I'm going on some long flights soon, and would
really like to do some sleeping during the flights.

But somehow, I can't seem to get comfortable enough
to get to sleep. I'm 6'3" 280 lbs, and the tiny
seats are -very- uncomfortable after a few hours.

Can anyone suggest a method or even proper drugs
I can use to get to sleep so the flights don't seem
so long?

Thanks for answering here...


Don't fly American airlines as they presumably do not minister "sleeping"
drugs for free any longer. The ones that comes in bottles are excellent and
makes your meals more enjoyable as well. But remember to have plenty of
water go with it. Most of it will evaporate in the thin and dry air in the
cabin so you will not have to run so often.


Nik

Breaking with usual format to include valuable stuff :

"nobody" wrote in message
...
"C. Osbourne" wrote:
I'm going on some long flights soon, and would
really like to do some sleeping during the flights.

Exercise lots during the day. Get up really early (helps set your body
clock
as well). By the time you sit in aircraft, you should plan to be very
verty
tired from a very long day full of exercise.

You can get a cognac to make you feel more "happy", but don't indulge in
alchool since it will dry you up and that is bad in an aircraft.

Can't do much to help you with your size problem though.

Okay, having dealt with all that; All good advice. Going back and forth
between Europe and the US quite a lot for a period of time, I'm a little
experienced with that "wanting-to-sleep" thing. I'm not nearly your height,
but I have trouble sleeping if things aren't "just so". I have to be lying
down, on my side, ususally covered up, and yes, I try to sleep with my
teddy. Well, I was flying alone a lot, quite a small girl, and I don't like
to fly transatlantically all alone. Just like that, me.

Well, the first time I was really going to have a problem with this, I
re-routed myself through a less stressfull aeroport. ( Charlotte instead of
Hartsfield en route to England from HSV. ) Went BritAir. I learned how to
get myself a little more comfortable because of this first mess.

All ready to go, all packed up, reached my local aeroport to find that
because of a "broken" wheel on my airplane, I had to go back home ( or be
re-routed through two *terrible* aeroports instead. ) The flight just wasn't
going to go that day. I went back home, and had to unpack some very careful
packing.Then I called BA and raised Hell. It was my wedding I was trying to
make, though I didn't tell them that, only that it was important. The dress
was already there.

BA is great. The next day they got me to Charlotte, and onto Gatwick. I was
upgraded to 1st Class, had a lovely duck and some wine. ( No, I mean I had
some fowl and some vino ). I spilled a little wine on my khakis, and the FA
took my whole outfit, dry-cleaned and ironed it, and it was waiting for me
when I awoke the next morning. I could sleep because they'd given me three
seats in FC; The FA gave me some neat jammies, plenty of pillows, a nice
blankie, and I curled right up with my bear, and slept like in my own bed. I
took a sleeping pill, and a Xanax, and had a bit of wine in me.

The moral to the story is : To call ahead, and find out if your plane is
experiencing a problem,and might be delayed or cancelled. If so, well, go
ahead and show up. If you call it to their attention, I think you might get
a really generous upgrade. Although, that was BA, and I don't think every
airlines might be as agreeable.

Happy travels,

- Tess

I am 6'3" but only 230 lbs (192 cm, 105kg) and I know the
problems you will be facing quite well. There is not much
you can really do. Some small issues will help, though.

1. Try to get an exit-seat - they have ample space for
your long legs.
2. Always get an aisle-seat. This way you can try to
get your legs in the corridor. And you may leave
your seat whenever you want, if you cannot sleep.
3. Use earplugs
4. Use something to cover your eyes
5. Consider having a special neck-supporting pillow
6. Take a few drinks, but not more than, say, 4
with your size

Anyway, you will be tired when you arrive. You should
have some time to rest after arrival. Definitely
do not schedule any business meetings right
after arrival - only midget-people may do that.


--
- matti

* http://www.iki.fi/mane/blog.html
* +358 50 486 0098
*

hints for sleeping on *plane-ways by your **hell-of-ease-wanna-be

run (don't walk) in plane's aisle to get more tired, walk around the airport,
stay-up the night before

if ya got the window seat, make sure there's a pillow or blanket somehow always
inserted between head and window (because there could be nerve damage, i've
read it once happened to that 3rd party presidential candidate who probably
hurt al gore's election in florida, but this n.g. is supposed to be about
airplanes not politics, so nevermind)

read, listen, watch boring magazine, book, movie, or a printout of my best
internet junque

take a couple of valerian root herb pills, but do it in the toilet room where
the pills' natural & awful smell won't bother other passengers

eye-covering-sleeping mask (i still have my air france gray one, along with
others that my wife apparently buys at a federated-macy's dept store cosmetics
dept)

hope that they don't sell too many tickets so you could stretch-out on all
three seats (as i do)

hinged arm rests can be moved/unarmed

darn, it's difficult (if not impossible) to stretch-out with seatbelt-on


*Broadway play circa 1960, SLEEPING ON SUBWAYS

**pun on "heloise" newspaper column of miscellaneous hints, which her daughter
writes now

Matti J Kinnunen wrote:


I am 6'3" but only 230 lbs (192 cm, 105kg) and I know the
problems you will be facing quite well. There is not much
you can really do. Some small issues will help, though.

1. Try to get an exit-seat - they have ample space for
your long legs.
2. Always get an aisle-seat. This way you can try to
get your legs in the corridor. And you may leave
your seat whenever you want, if you cannot sleep.

I usually get a window seat because I like to lean against the side of
the plane. I can't sleep sitting up straight.

Don't put anything under the seat in front of you - that will give
your legs more room.

3. Use earplugs
4. Use something to cover your eyes
5. Consider having a special neck-supporting pillow
6. Take a few drinks, but not more than, say, 4
with your size

Anyway, you will be tired when you arrive. You should
have some time to rest after arrival. Definitely
do not schedule any business meetings right
after arrival - only midget-people may do that.

I would also say - practice putting yourself to sleep in less than
ideal circumstances. I can kind of hypnotize myself to sleep. In my
case, I do it by pretending that I don't want to sleep and
concentrating on something mental (with my eyes shut - so no reading,
and no listening to some interesting audio) that is very interesting,
but that may not work for you - I've been practicing this since I was
about 6 years old. I can take a nap on the front seat of my car which
has bucket seats (if I'm driving, I park first - if Bob is driving, I
lay my head on the top of the seat belt wedging it in between that and
the top of the head rest). I can sleep on the cabin sole of our boat
by the mast or on the floor of the airport. It does take practice.



grandma Rosalie

"Magda" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 22 Nov 2004 20:14:31 +0800, in rec.travel.europe, "Nik"
arranged some electrons, so
they looked
like this :


... Don't fly American airlines as they presumably do not minister
"sleeping"
... drugs for free any longer. The ones that comes in bottles are
excellent and
... makes your meals more enjoyable as well. But remember to have plenty
of
... water go with it. Most of it will evaporate in the thin and dry air in
the
... cabin so you will not have to run so often.

Cough syrup for children are great to send you to sleep in 10 minutes
tops.


Old versions of anti-histamines (over the counter stuff) are supposed to do
the same trick quite well. We've used it once after medical advice.
Unfortunately it had the opposite effect on our son...


Nik.