(photo above: Me about to grab some shut eye in first class)
This also applies to when sleeping on a train, bus, tram, subway, trolley you name it. Hopefully this will cover sleeping anywhere in public in general.
I was inspired to write this post after flying to Newfoundland this past weekend to visit my lovely friend Candice Walsh. Flying there I caught a little shut eye in hopes to prepare me for my big weekend of partying with her and on the way home…. well… I basically passed out.
When I sleep on a plane I generally wake up to the realization that I was just doing the “head back mouth wide open ugly sleep” and pray that I wasn’t snoring, drooling or making other noises. Unfortunately I do wake myself up from time to time by making noises though… don’t we all??? (I hope haha) This past time I woke up and thought, “Wow poor people around me, that couldn’t of been pretty” and also I thought, “These flight attendants must have great stories to tell about people like me”, or maybe not so “great” stories to tell but a story nonetheless.
A couple obvious ways to look attractive while sleeping on a plane or to at least look less unattractive would be to get upgraded to first class because 1) You are in First Class and can look however the heck you want, people in the back will still be envious 2) You have a nice big comfy chair that should recline back further than most causing your jaw not to hang open and/or you are in a pod and actually have the luxury of sleeping flat out with no worries. Another obvious way is if you are in economy scour the plane for extra seats and snag them if you can that way you can lay out and aside from being more comfortable you can also avoid unattractiveness.
Other options for looking more attractive when sleeping on a plane are (but not limited too):
1)If the headrest bends on either side use it to cradle your head and keep you more upright.
2) Lean your head forward or to the side before you even fall asleep.
3) Cover your face with your hat/sweater/blanket.
4) Apply a fresh coat of make-up and lipgloss before getting on the plane.
5) Chew gum, hopefully this way your body will subconciously keep your mouth closed because of the gum and you don’t either 1) choke or 2) wake up with it in your hair or another unfortunate place.
6) Travel with a neck pillow or another kind of sleep aid like eye shades that can at least help hide your identity.
7) DON’T SLEEP
What about you? Are you an ugly plane sleeper or a pretty plane sleeper? Do you have any other tips? Was there something I left out? I would love to learn more!
Have you ever had a photo taken of you while passed out on a plane only to be shown to all of your friends and passed around afterwards? Lets hear your stories and your photos too if you have them!
~Cailin
41 Comments
Hilarye
May 30, 2012 at 1:37 pmHahaha I second get upgraded to first class. It’s the only way to get a good night’s sleep on an airplane!!
Top Ten (10) Tips for Surviving a road trip | Cailin Travels
July 12, 2011 at 12:21 pm[…] from the sunlight for your laptop or it makes a great bright blue burka like cover for yourself if trying to sleep in public (like on the train). For the driver, have your seat set up right and make sure the a/c […]
Angeline
July 5, 2011 at 10:51 pmI’ve only flown first class once, and I was so excited to be in first class that I didn’t want to miss a minute by sleeping,and miss all the good food and wine….when in “steerage” I read and am practiced at holding a book up in front of me even when asleep…I do it every night :)
esra
May 21, 2011 at 11:27 ami recommended this article to my friends since we travel together alot and its an old habit between us to take photos of each other while sleeping…the last person who goes to sleep survives the embarrassment!!!
Cailin
May 22, 2011 at 2:46 pmThats hilarious! I am sure you could have a whole photo album of bad sleeping faces by now! I’m sure I would be the person trying the hardest to stay awake longest not only to survive having photos taken of me but so I could take photos of others :)
Annmarie
May 20, 2011 at 7:46 pmThis article was perfect. I hate waking myself up while flying and being horrified at the possible noises and or facial expressions I was making. Great read!
Cailin
May 22, 2011 at 2:43 pmThanks Annmarie! Its unfortunate (for myself and I guess the others around me) with how many odd noises and faces I can make when sleeping :)
Colleen Setchell
May 20, 2011 at 5:20 pmGreat article, had me in stitches :-) Luckily I don’t make noises when I sleep, no wait, hang on……maybe I do… oh crap!!!
Happy flying!
Cailin
May 22, 2011 at 2:42 pmhahaha I’m glad I gave you a few laughs Colleen, thanks so much for the comment! :)
jeanne
May 20, 2011 at 4:10 pmI wish I could have the chance to be an ugly sleeper…eyes can never close on a plane.
Cailin
May 22, 2011 at 2:41 pmI wouldn’t be able to fly if I couldn’t sleep on a plane, most of the time when i travel that is my only chance for shut eye because I’m on the go so much!
Erica
April 8, 2011 at 3:34 amI’m definitely a plane sleeper and have absolutely no class about it. I’m a chronic drooler and napper so lets just say that I no longer care what people think when they look at me sleep lol!
Cailin
May 22, 2011 at 2:40 pmIf you have issues like that then that is definitely a good attitude to have hahaha Sometimes its just worse the ugliness to get a good sleep isnt it?
Liz
March 21, 2011 at 6:31 pmI’m definitely not a pretty plane sleeper. However, if you follow rule #3 and cover your face with a hat/sweater/blanket, people might think that you’re even uglier than you are… Like so ugly that you must cover up. I think it’s better to just reveal your plane-sleeping face than to leave it to the imagination :)
Cailin
May 22, 2011 at 2:39 pmhahahaha I’ve never thought about it that way before Liz! very true, hmmmmmm will have to think about that next time :)
Natasha
March 20, 2011 at 4:41 pmLoved this post, reminds me of my friends taking photos of me asleep on group holidays! Not pretty! I think it’s best to huddle against something and put your sunglasses on during the day. A hat helps too!
Cailin
May 22, 2011 at 2:38 pmOh man I think I have been able to sneakily grab friends cameras and delete all the horrible photos they have taken of me so far, however I am sure some will surface at some point :)
Graham
March 18, 2011 at 11:34 amhey, great post :) just back from a long flight where i saw a Sky Mall advert for the ‘SkyRest’ – one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen!
Cailin
May 22, 2011 at 2:36 pmoh I’ve seen that before too Graham! I don’t know what I would do if I actually saw someone using that! hahaha to me I don’t think that would be comfortable either :)
Catia
March 16, 2011 at 9:47 amI’ll have to keep these in mind, although I think covering my face is the only way I’d ever be a ‘pretty sleeper’. I’ve been told I get an extremely worried / deep in thought / angry look when I’m sleeping… and I don’t even want to think about the noises I might make or random twitches & kicks!
Cailin
May 22, 2011 at 2:14 pmI think the same goes for me Catia! hahaha
My jaw always drops open and I’m sure its just hideous! hahaha
Brooke
March 16, 2011 at 12:34 amI have a hard time sleeping on the plane, but I often try to tilt my head down when I do. I’ve never flown first class so I can’t even imagine what that might be like!
Cailin
May 22, 2011 at 2:13 pmA lot of people seem to have a hard time sleeping on a plane but I can fall asleep in a second!
First class can be pretty awesome, but sometimes you don’t want to sleep because you don’t want to miss any sweet food or other things that you might get in first class! haha
Alouise
March 15, 2011 at 9:36 pmI always have a hard tiem sleepy on a plane, unless I’m exhausted. Then I might sleep for an hour.
On my Contiki tour in Europe there was this guy who took pictures of everyone sleeping on the bus. I don’t think he ever got a picture of me sleeping, but he got some good shots. Or some interesting ones at least.
Cailin
March 15, 2011 at 9:46 pmA guy on a Contiki tour I went on did that same thing! But I got a hold of his camera and deleted mine :)
Valerie
March 15, 2011 at 9:00 pmHi Cailin!
Great articles on your blog!! Keep up the great work!! I have one tip which has worked for me a couple of times – but it can be quite a gamble: try to plan it so you get three seats to yourself! On a recent trip from Canada to London, UK, I booked my ticket online with Air Canada within a week of traveling.
I assessed the available seating at the time of booking, and seeing that the plane was not that full, and that there were a good number of middle rows (i.e. a jumbo jet with 3 seats on either side and 3 in the middle) with only one or no seats reserved, I booked a middle seat in a middle row that had no one else booked. I took the risk of having people on both sides of me, but that would likely only happen when all of the other window and aisle seats were taken – because people would prefer to have an empty seat beside them. Plus, if you did end up having someone beside you, there was less of a likelyhood that you would have both seats filled up, so I could just move to the other aisle seat and leave the middle one empty.
With having three seats to myself, I laid down and had about 4 hours of solid sleep!!
Cailin
March 15, 2011 at 9:45 pmThanks Valerie!!
Definitely good tips! I would fear of getting stuck in the middle though, there is nothing I hate more than the middle seat! :)
Randy
March 15, 2011 at 3:49 pmI have a hard time sleeping on the plane/train/bus for long periods. Pretty much, as soon as my head starts to lean, I jerk awake. However, I think things could be different in first class, especially if I had a pod.
Cailin
March 15, 2011 at 9:44 pmI have had the luxury of flying in a pod before and it is oh so lovely, everything is much more lovely up there and the free booze helps you sleep too! :)
Chris @CAroundTheWorld
March 15, 2011 at 3:41 pmI am definitely not a pretty sleeper. Or a pretty flier, period. It’s not what I wear – I try to look decent or at least wear something nicer than the sweatpants I see all around me. But the air in the plane makes my skin dry out, my contacts watery, my hair icky. Yeah, you don’t want to be the one picking me up after a long flight. My poor husband.
Cailin
March 15, 2011 at 9:42 pmThe air on planes is so dehydrating! I thought I was the only one! haha
I’ve only had a boyfriend pick me up at the airport once and well….. we aren’t together anymore…. ;) hahaha
Bucket list
March 15, 2011 at 2:20 pmHaha, great post.
I usually go for number 7. Just can’t sleep in such a cramped area.
Cailin
March 15, 2011 at 9:36 pmI think you might grab some shut eye if its a 15 hour flight though! ;) I’m pretty good at passing out anywhere hahaha :)
Candice
March 15, 2011 at 2:15 pmI am a huge ugly sleeper. Pretty sure I terrified half the plane on my return flight from New Jersey. Flight attendant couldn’t look me in the eye, just slipped my customs form into the seat-pouch instead.
Cailin
March 15, 2011 at 9:31 pmHad you been drinking as well Candice? ;)
Verity
March 15, 2011 at 11:56 amI am such a terrible looking sleeper. My Dad took a photo of me sleeping on the train recently and I looked like an elephant seal. Once, stuck on a bus for 40hours I resorted to the covering my face with a scarf so children wouldn’t laugh at me. I think I’m just going to have to opt for the first class (sigh wouldn’t it be nice).
Cailin
March 15, 2011 at 9:31 pmAn elephant seal!?!? hahaha I’m not sure which animal I look like I will have to think about that one! ;)
jill- Jack and Jill Travel The World
March 15, 2011 at 11:31 amOh gawd, I’m such an awful sleeper in general Jack just cringes in embarrassment everytime I twitch and kick myself to sleep… especially in public places. Like on a plane :)
But honestly, I’m just soo thankful for a the little bit of sleep I can get on a plane so I told him to cover me with me a blanket if other people start getting to worry about me, lol.
Cailin
March 15, 2011 at 9:24 pmI’m a bit of a kicker and shaker too! hahaha I’m sure he pretends he doesn’t know you ;)
Stephanie
March 15, 2011 at 9:55 amhaha I’m sure I’m an ugly sleeper- and I can’t really be bothered to care too much! When I wanna nap, watch out.
Cailin
March 15, 2011 at 9:23 pmhahaha good to know Steph! It’s never really occurred to me to care before until I actually thought about it hahahaha :)