Flights certainly have a charm about them. On the first five or even ten times, we get on an airplane to miraculously find ourselves thousands of kilometers away in an hour or two, it is truly a wholesome experience. But soon the childlike wonder expires and is replaced with routine boredom. However, what we all like to do on a flight is take a nap.
Flights provide both business and leisure travelers with an opportunity to relax and rejuvenate. Landing at your destination fully rested and ready to embark on either an exhilarating holiday or an exciting business venture is an ideal way to approach flights. However, sleeping on a flight is not quite the easiest thing. It can be noisy, there will be some turbulence, and co-passengers are rarely the most discreet bunch. Therefore flight accessories for sleeping and aiding sleep do play a part in how well one’s flight goes.
Best flight accessories for sleeping
There are a lot of aids available for travelers on flights looking to sleep and relax whilst in the air. Let’s see a couple of the important ones:
1. U-shaped memory foam pillow
Probably the most important and basically a necessity is a U-shaped memory foam neck pillow. Economy and even business class seats do not provide apt comfort in their seats to have an undisturbed and jerk-free sleeping experience. A pillow of this sort is essential to sleep without straining one’s neck along the way. Even in shorter duration flights of an hour or two, a lot of other accessories can be disregarded but not a neck pillow. Its necessity stands out.
2. A travel blanket
While some tickets and airline packages come with the comfort of a travel blanket, nothing beats the comfort of a homely and familiar blanket. If it is weighted, that’s even better.
3. Noise-canceling headphones
A bare prerequisite to life today, noise-canceling headphones become even more so in flights. Flights are noisy, and co-flyers can be so too. An accessory that provides respite from the noise while playing audio of your own choice? That is truly worth carrying.
4. Gel foam eye mask
It can be easy to overlook as an accessory but eye masks provide comfort and a break from overhead lights and the quite overwhelming stimuli of being on a crowded flight. Gel foam masks are extremely comfortable, providing a subtle cooling effect on the eyes, keeping the face from puffing up from sleep. The eye mask molds itself as per one’s face shape and builds an exquisite atmosphere for the perfect rejuvenating sleep.
5. A portable footrest
Not a necessity per se, but for middle-aged and older travelers and for flights traveling long-distance, footrests and foot hammocks can be life savers. They provide gentle support to one’s feet and relief from uncomfortably resting on the floor for long durations. If the traveler wishes to be active and steady on reaching their destination, a footrest must be considered.
6. An audiobook repository
Even with all the physical comforts allowed on an aircraft, sleep can be hard to come by. Often we can find people watching a movie to sleep, but it is statistically not the best way to fall asleep. With all the lights and visual stimuli, it can be very hard to get into a state of mental and physical rest. That is not the case with audiobooks. Audiobooks are not overstimulating and can ease the listener into a peaceful state and eventually fall into a state of sleep.
7. An iPad/smartphone holder
If you are not an audiobook kind of person, a movie or tv show can still work for you. A holder for your iPad or smartphone is needed, however, for you to rest peacefully and not hold your phone uncomfortably in your hand as you want to rest yourself.
8. Disinfectant wipes/liquid sanitizer
Flights and generally any means of transport can bring out a lot of pet peeves in people. Even though needing sanitized surroundings used to be a pet peeve a few years ago, it is a necessity today. To that end, disinfectant wipes and liquid sanitizers are a must not just for peace of mind but to steer clear of legitimate health concerns as well.
9. Eye de-puffing cream
While a gel foam eye mask somewhat helps in keeping one’s face from puffing, having a de-puffing cream surely helps much more. People often deal with dark circles and puffy faces, and when going on a vacation or for a business meeting, people need to look appropriate and poised. Eye creams can help in that department greatly.
Conclusion
Sleeping on flights is routine and if we try hard, sleep arrives naturally with no accessories at all. However, those looking to make their flight and their sleep as comfortable as possible can pick and choose from the abovementioned list.
Flight Accessories For Sleeping FAQs
Why should we sleep on flights?
If a traveler wishes to feel rested and rejuvenated when their flight lands at their destination, they should sleep on the flight.
What are some of the necessities for comfortable sleep?
A U-shaped neck pillow, a gel foam eye mask, a blanket, and noise-canceling headphones are often considered necessities to sleep peacefully on a flight.
What are some nice things about sleeping on a flight?
A footrest, a comfortable change of clothes, a weighted blanket, and some sort of eye de-puffing cream are some nice things to have for a comfortable sleep on a flight.
What kind of entertainment can we look to have on a flight?
An Ipad or smartphone for movies, audiobooks, kindles, or music are all appropriate entertainment for a flight and may help with the process of falling asleep as well.
