Traveler
Imagine being able to fall asleep effortlessly on planes and trains, and always arriving to your destination feeling recharged and ready to go - doesn’t that sound great? With Speed Sleep, you will never suffer from jet lag or sacrifice precious vacation days due to travel fatigue, and you’ll be able to avoid the sleep trouble that can occur when crossing time zones and staying in unfamiliar hotels.
Ways to Sleep on a Plane:
Book the Right Seat
- Sit next to a window so you can lean on the wall.
- Sit next to a window so don’t have to get up when someone else needs the restroom.
- Do not sit on the very last row. Often the seats on the last row do not have room to recline.
- Do not sit in from to the exit row. These seats sometimes don’t recline as well.
- Sit forward in the plane so you will be further from engine noise.
- Exit rows will give you more room to stretch out.
Be Prepared
- Wear comfortable clothing.
- Wear layers that can be added or removed depending on the temperature of the plane.
- Don’t have caffeine 4 to 4 ½ hours before your flight.
- Don’t have alcohol 4 to 4 ½ hours before you fly.
Helpful Sleep Accessories
- Take along a sleep mask.
- Bring ear plugs or a CD player and headset and a relaxing CD.
- A neck pillow can make you more comfortable if you can’t get a window seat.
Tell the People Around You that You Plan to Sleep
1. Let your sleep mate know that you plan to nap. A simple, “I’m beat, I think I’ll sleep this trip.” works like a charm.
2. Let the flight attendant know you plan to nap and you won’t need a beverage or ask if it is possible for her to hold it for you.
Fly Business or First Class
- If you can afford it the seats are more comfortable.
- You can get info at Seatguru.com about which airlines offer the most comfortable seats.
Remember, when traveling across time zones. Sleeping in-flight can combat jet lag.
Hotels are upgrading their mattresses, pillows and linens in order to lull travelers to sleep and, hopefully, back for another visit. Westin’s “Heavenly Bed, “ which features a custom-designed pillow-top mattress with 900 individual coils, three sheets, a down blanket and five goose-down pillows, was among the first salvos in what some hospitality insiders are calling the hotel industry’s “bed wars.”
Even independent hotels have jumped into the fray-and, at times, escalated the conflict. Amenities can include everything from customized pillows to aromatherapy treatments, and if all else fails, the concierge can always send up a plate of freshly baked chocolate-chip cookies and a glass of warm milk. “A good night’s sleep is your best tool for having a productive day, “says The Benjamin’s (a hotel in Manhattan) Mara Begley.
--from Entrepreneur/ February 1, 2002
Sleep Deprived Business Travelers
Due to hectic schedules, business travelers often don’t get enough sleep. According to a 2003 National Business Travel Monitor survey, more than half of business travelers say they don’t get enough sleep on the road. A tired work force costs companies $100 billion annually in lost productivity due to sleepiness, according to the National Sleep Foundation in Washington, D.C.
When our bodies have trouble adjusting to the light/dark rhythms of different time zones as we travel we may experience one or more of the following symptoms.
12 Symptoms of Jet Lag
- Mild depression
- Dehydration
- Irritability
- Irrationality
- Nausea or upset stomach
- Insomnia or irregular sleep patterns
- Headaches
- Sinus irritation
- Fatigue
- Sinus irritation
- Disorientation
- Grogginess
Frequent changes of time zones, shifts or working long hours can reduce productivity to only 60 percent. Jet lag is typically worse near the north or south poles where there are extreme periods of light and dark. Making yourself stay awake or taking a nap, depending on the direction of your travel, can significantly reduce the effects of jet lag. It is also recommended that you drink plenty of water and avoid too much alcohol on long flights.
With long hours and interrupted schedules, many travelers turn to caffeine for a pickup. Brenda Barrick, director of Capital Region Sleep Disorders Centers suggests travelers avoid caffeine and take a 15 to 20 minute nap in the middle of the day instead. “It is important to get refreshed throughout the day,” she said. Although many people don’t feel the effects of caffeine it can affect the stages of sleep, which can leave the traveler feeling tired.
--from Central Penn Business Journal
---from Business Travelers are Sleep Deprived by Brianne Disylvester
Experienced travelers, especially those whose jobs require frequent flying across eight or more time zones say there are ways to overcome jet lag. Remedies range from staying hydrated on flights to taking short term sleeping pills.
Dave Miller, senior manager of global corporate affairs for Applied Materials in Santa Clara, CA, said he stays awake the night before a long flight, sleeps on the plane (yes, in a coach seat), drinks plenty of water and wears noise canceling headphones.
“The key is that the flight doesn’t beat you to death,” he said.
---from San Jose Mercury News, 21-Nov-05
