17 Helpful Things That'll Make Sleeping On A Plane Suck Less

Solutions to sleeping on a plane that won't be such a pain in the neck.

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1. This Ostrich pillow that provides full facial coverage for anonymous sleeping.

amazon.com

Promising review: "I nap everywhere. I use this on the plane all the time. Sure, I get weird looks, but I can't tell because I am asleep. Works much better than a headrest pillow for me. It is bulkier than your average pillow, but I can still fit this in my carry on." —Amanda Bond

Get it from Amazon for $88.

2. This natural sleep supplement with melatonin to help promote a restful sleep.

amazon.com

Promising review: "I tend to wake up a lot during the night and have a hard time falling back asleep. I've used HUM products before and figured I would try their zzZz's, I really don't like pills to help me sleep and how I feel groggy and grumpy the day after. The Hum zzZz's work great. It helps me fall asleep fast and stay asleep, although I find that it takes me a while to wake up so I will only take it on days that I can wake up later in the morning." —TaraJo

Get it from Amazon for $14.

3. A super soft wrap-around pillow designed to hold your neck in the most ergonomic position during rest.

amazon.com

Promising review: "This thing is the greatest thing invented since chicken and biscuits. It's like a nice scarf with just enough support to keep your neck just in the right position. I highly recommend it. Works great with big headphones too." —Deana Hero

Get it from Amazon for $30+ (available in four colors).

4. These inflatable footrests for taking the pressure off your legs and reducing the risk of deep vein thrombosis.

amazon.com

Promising review: "I just used this for international travel and it was great! I'm short (5'2") and I can reach the floor if I point my toes. It's nice to have this footrest. It's best if you have an aisle seat. When you want to get up, you don't want to stand on it. Just reach down with your hand and slide it out toward the aisle. You can leave it on your seat while you walk around. If you have a window or center seat, it can be difficult to maneuver around it, or to reach down to pull it out. It's quite bulky and there isn't much space between rows of seats." —Jakes

Get a two-pack from Amazon for $15.

5. This travel scarf with a hidden inflatable pillow inside.

sleeperscarf.com

Get it from Sleeper Scarf for $49 (available in eight styles).

6. This chin support to stop your head from eventually lulling over to your neighbor's shoulder.

amazon.com

Promising review: "I am very impressed with this Usleep Travel pillow so far. After having a two-level disk repair and one total disk replacement in my neck, most traditional travel pillows make my neck extremely sore. This is an extremely comfortable travel pillow with a great design. Most traditional travel pillows actually put too much pressure on the back of my neck. This pillow's design has zero contact with the back of my neck, which is a lifesaver for me." —DIY NaNa

Get it from Amazon for $19 (available in three colors).

7. A contoured sleeping mask designed to take the pressure off your eyes.

amazon.com

Promising review: "Love this mask. I was using my husband's eye mask and it was always so tight on my eyes. I love this mask because you can adjust it and because it doesn't actually sit on your eyes. As someone who focuses a lot on my skin and appearance, the last thing I want is a tight eye mask on my eyes (the most delicate part of the face). Because the mask has a dome shape over the eyes, it doesn't actually touch your eyes. Perfect! It's also PITCH black. No light shining through at all. The quality is great and the fabric is soft." —Amazon Customer

Get it from Amazon for $13 (available in seven colors).

8. This pashmina that'll pull double duty as a travel blanket.

amazon.com

Promising review: "It's pretty, I love the light gray. It works nicely as a scarf, but it's easy to use as a wrap or light blanket. Won't travel without it." —Amazon Customer

Get it from Amazon for $45 (available in seven colors).

9. This swinging footrest for preventing lower back pain and leg swelling.

amazon.com

Promising review: "This was a lifesaver on a recent non-stop flight from LAX to Paris, and back. Not only was the footrest super comfy and easy to use, it really made the long flight bearable. At the end of the flight my feet and legs were not swollen at all, like they usually are after a long flight. I like to kick off my shoes during long flights and when I put my shoes back on, they fit like they normally do, no swollen feet, ankles, or legs. I will never fly again without this footrest." —Dawn Sanders

Get it from Amazon for $15.

10. A face cradle—perfect for those who like to sleep face-down.

amazon.com

Promising review: "After years of going through blowup neck pillows that invariably break, a friend leant me this amazing new adjustable neck pillow and after one flight I had to get my own: It really helps! As someone who flies across country almost weekly, this new adjustable take on the travel neck pillow makes a world of difference and is already helping to alleviate a lot of my neck and shoulder pain." —MisaelART

Get it from Amazon for $60 (available in four colors).

11. These noise-cancelling headphones to let you hear your favorite podcasts or calming music over the roaring engine.

instagram.com

Promising review: "If you want to experience what it’s like to go deaf and only be able to hear beautifully presented music, the QC35s are for you! With unbeatable noise cancellation, superb comfort, exceptional sound quality, and solid build quality, $350 may seem like a hefty price but it is worth every penny." —Alice Zhang

Get it from Amazon for $349 (also available in white).

12. This hoodie pillow that sets up some peripheral privacy with style.

amazon.com

Promising review: "One of the best neck pillows I've owned. It's inflatable so you can alter the firmness, and the soft hood is great to pull up for privacy/keep you warm, or to pull over your eyes to sleep. Been using this for travel, but even more at home." —Jody L. Haggart

Get it from Amazon for $25 (available in six colors).

13. A cross-body pillow that's a great option for side sleepers.

amazon.com

Promising review: "I have tried several different travel pillows and this unusual style actually works. I read the reviews and decided to give it a try, even though I have never seen anyone else use one on a plane. It was more comfortable than I expected and I was able to sleep without getting a terrible pain in my neck. I wore it in the position around my back like a guitar and it worked. I did not try to attach it to the seat back. I also like that you can adjust the amount of air in the pillow for just the right amount of support in any position." —LJD

Get it from Amazon for $27 (available in four colors).

14. A set of earplugs meant for air travel.

amazon.com

Promising review: "For the first time in 20 years, I can fly without excruciating pain. And I am talking excruciating shoot-me-now kind of pain. My ears will not pop on their own or with any trick I have tried over the years. I have tried nasal sprays, decongestants, anti-inflammatories, plugging my nose and blowing, chewing gum, drinking, you name it -- nothing has helped much to the sympathies from many a flight attendant. My ears would remain super plugged for several days, as well. Finally, I can fly with minimal discomfort. There would be frequent bubbling and subtle popping, sometimes some aching as on this last flight in one ear and that ear remains somewhat plugged three weeks after return home, but nothing compared to what it would have been without EarPlanes. Thank you for this invention!" —Tina Holgate

Get a three-pack from Amazon for $14.

15. This cuddle-able wedge pillow that'll give you a lot of flexibility in how you want to position yourself.

amazon.com, Winnie D. / Amazon / Via amzn.to

Promising review: "My husband and I are both medical students away from home and we do a lot of traveling. I have had the challenge of awkwardly trying to get some shut eye on planes for years. This pillow isn't the perfect solution, but I am not convinced there is one. This is the best way I've found so far to sleep sitting upright — either on the airplane on in an airport chair. It is easy and pretty quick to blow up and deflates quickly and folds up to almost nothing. My husband (6'8") and I (5'5") can both use it comfortably. This will be a great travel companion!" —DrFox

Get it from Amazon for $22.

16. This infinity pillow you can cozily wrap yourself (or your dog?) in.

amazon.com, KG2012 / Amazon / Via amzn.to

Promising review: "I am a person who has a hard time getting comfortable when sleeping on a plane and traditional U-shaped pillows did not give me the support or comfort I needed. Because I was going on a 13-hour flight to Europe (with one stop) I went to a travel website to research pillows as I wanted to ward off jet-lag. Once I double wrapped the infinity design over my neck I was in comfort heaven! When sleeping on planes my head tends to tilt to the side or forward, putting a strain on my neck. No matter the angle my head was supported with the right amount of firmness. I took it off to support my back while eating and propped it against the window so I could lay on it. It helped to cancel out white noise and kept me cozy during a chilly flight, I love this pillow so much that when I realized that the pillow in my hotel room was inadequate I augmented it with the Infinity." —RacerX CDG

Get it from Amazon for $39 (available in four colors).

17. These refreshing wipes—when you finally wake up from your sleep, they'll make you freel right as rain.

amazon.com, Cole / Amazon / Via amzn.to

Promising review: "While I use these at home frequently, I consider them essential for travel. This works as a thorough but gentle face wash in morning or at the end of the day. I use it to remove even eye makeup before I pass out from a busy day." —Dr Jocey

Get a 25-pack from Amazon for $5 (available in four sizes and four styles).

Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.