Useful and varied tips for travelers to save money and travel more often and for longer
Six tips to sleep well on planes
Can you fall into the arms of Morpheus on a long-haul flight in economy class? On the occasion of the 21st World Sleep Day, a practical little guide to allow you to sleep in the sky. That’s it, you can get back on a plane again, heading for the vast tropical forest of Parque Nacional Corcovado in Costa Rica or the paradisiacal beaches of the preserved bay of Samana in the Dominican Republic. But before enjoying the sun of the holidays, eight, ten, sometimes 12 hours of flight await you. And not always in optimal conditions. Result: impossible to close your eyes during the whole trip and, jet lag in addition, you arrive on site exhausted. Unless you follow the advice of Sylvie Royant-Parola, sleep specialist and president of the Morphée Florilège Network
Avoid sleeping pills
First, do not take sleeping pills. Especially if you don’t use them normally, insists Sylvie Royant-Parola. And for good reason, they can cause sleepwalking attacks which could lead to inappropriate actions and prove to be dangerous for oneself and for others. Another weighty argument from the sleep specialist: sleeping pills immobilize the person. However, the prolonged immobility already induced by the plane leads to poor blood circulation. The risks of thrombosis and the formation of blood clots therefore increase. Danger here too. We avoid. “Only those who are phobic about flying, anxious about flying over the Atlantic for example, can opt for a light sedative such as bromazepam to ask your doctor for the trip”, concedes the health professional
Wear compression socks (you will be less tired)
Another essential on a long-haul flight: compression stockings. Mandatory only for pregnant women and people with venous insufficiency, the doctor advises everyone And for good reason, if prolonged sitting is bad for blood circulation, compression stockings make it possible to rectify the situation. “They completely change circulatory kinetics and compensate for the action of the calf muscle by allowing active venous return, explains Sylvie Royant-Parola. But they also avoid the feeling of heavy legs and help to feel rested”, she adds
Focus on a comfortable outfit
At home, don’t you think of sleeping in jeans? In the plane it’s the same, priority to comfort. We put on loose clothing, such as jogging or leggings. “We avoid anything that tightens the waist,” said the doctor, who also suggests providing a warm sweater or blanket to compensate for temperature variations and drafts associated with air conditioning. Ditto for shoes. “We prefer a comfortable pair,” she says, not forgetting to take into account that the feet swell during the flight “
Provide the right accessories
The chosen outfit, the compression stockings on, make way for accessories! To sleep well during the flight, it is essential to recreate the conditions for falling asleep. By reducing, for example, noise pollution. To do this, “we provide earplugs or noise reduction headphones,” suggests the president of the Morphée Network. We also put on a sleep mask, usually provided by the airline, which protects against light, as well as a memory travel pillow. U-shaped, it supports the neck and maintains the head
Move, move
The professional is categorical, “it is important not to remain seated during the entire trip”, because of the risk of thrombosis linked to the immobility induced by the plane. To remedy this, it is therefore necessary to move regularly, to move around. Even on a night flight. “Ideally, you should make a round trip in the aisle at least once every two hours,” suggests the health professional
Hydrate
In absolute terms, you would have to drink more than two liters of water for an 11h30 flight. Last but not least, it is imperative to hydrate yourself during the flight And for good reason, the cabins are pressurized, which has the effect of making the air breathed particularly dry and cold. To compensate, Sylvie Royant-Parola recommends “drinking lots of water” and avoiding coffee and sodas. As for alcohol, she strongly advises against it on board. “In addition to dehydrating the body, it disrupts breathing and sleep,” she analyzes. Not to mention that its effects are multiplied by three in flight. We will therefore stay in the water!
