This Is How To Actually Sleep On A Plane

So that you're not a curmudgeon at Christmas. Thanks to this Quora thread.

1. Get a window seat.

karmajello.com / Via Quora

Reason #1: You can use the window as a hard, vertical pillow upon which to attempt slumber. Reason #2: You're not at the mercy of your neighbor's bladder.

2. Buckle your seat belt on top of your blanket to keep the cabin crew from waking you up.

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Wrap yourself snugly in a blanket and then give that belt a cinch.

3. Don't even try to nap during takeoff.

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Everything is jostling around and the pressure is changing and people are talking and your body is like: WTF, I'm in the sky. Wait until after the drinks/snacks carts pass through the cabin to attempt your feat.

4. Try this vertical bed hack.

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First, you need two coach pillows. Tightly roll the first one up and place it behind you — just underneath the shoulder blades — to relieve the pressure that can build up in your back during a flight. Next, fold the headrest flaps inward to keep your head from lolling back and forth. Now, fold the second pillow in half and place it on one of your shoulders (so that your head can rest on it when you fall asleep).

5. Shoot for a 90-minute nap.

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Ideally, you read this post and become a magical being that snores through scary-ass turbulence. But, if that isn't in the cards, try for a 90-minute nap instead. When you sleep, your brain cycles through various stages, each lasting 90 minutes. If you wake up after a 90-minute sleep cycle, you will be closest to your normal waking state, according to Professor Richard Wiseman in his book Night School. The result: feeling refreshed rather than hungover.

6. Make a playlist that lasts 90 minutes to wake you up at just the right moment.

Alison Caporimo

When the music stops, the lack of background noise may gently rouse you from your sleep.

7. Try booking your flight on JetBlue.

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Airfarewatchdog polled 1,700 U.S. fliers to find out which airline has the most comfortable economy class seats. JetBlue won! Why? That little bit of extra room counts. "Even with recent reductions in seat pitch, JetBlue still offers a minimum of 33 inches between seat rows," Airfarewatchdog founder and president George Hobica told Mashable.

8. If the drink cart wakes you up, ask for a coffee and then go back to sleep.

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It takes 20 minutes to start feeling the effects of caffeine. If you get woken up and feel like hell, drink a quick cup and return to your nap. In 20 minutes, you'll wake up feeling energized and alert.

9. Download white noise to your phone.

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Research has shown that white noise can drown out other noises, like that person coughing next to you or the baby that simply cannot. Download nature sounds like rain or neutral sounds like TV static if music just isn't doing you a solid.

10. Wear thick, warm socks.

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After 10 minutes in the air, your aircraft has become a tundra capsule. “Blood flow distributes heat throughout your body, and if you have bad circulation, your extremities will get cold and cause sleeplessness,” Wiseman told BuzzFeed. Hack your circulatory system and wear cozy socks to keep a chill from waking you up.

11. Sit on the left side of the plane.

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Skyscanner polled over 1,000 frequent fliers and found that the left-hand side of the plane offers the best seats. Why? Passengers claim that the windows are off-center, which allows for extended wall space that's easier to fall asleep on.

Good luck up there!

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And if all else fails, pop meds.