10 Ways Airlines Are Helping You Get a Good Night’s Sleep in the Air?

Five minutes after take-off your head reclines, the lids close and you are in the world of sleep, not to be brought back to life till the landing gear touches the ground and they are about to land. And all the while you are sitting there, with your glazed eye, with a pull at your neck and you are certainly not getting a wink, much less forty.

Actually, falling asleep in the air is mentioned as the number one difficulty in flying. To deal with this annoying paradox, airlines are constantly experimenting with augmenting the sack time of their passengers and several sleep-friendly features have already found their place in the contemporary aircraft cabins.

In this case, have a look at what the airlines are doing to make sure that you have a good night's sleep.

10 Sleeping Tips in Overnight in Flights

1. Suites

When you are in need of a good night's sleep at 30,000 feet, then it is undeniable that Etihad The Residence is the best bet you can get. The luxury three room suite comprises of a living and dining room, a bathroom fitted with a shower and a bedroom with the size of a 208cm (6ft 10) simple bed. With a starting price of about £12 000 one-way fare, The Residence can be considered one of the most expensive sleeps you will ever get, though you will definitely get some sweet dreams in a suite.

2. Angled lie-flat and fully flat beds

The fully-flat bed can be considered the most powerful innovation that has made the cabin more comfortable. They are the coveted seats that were initially introduced by British Airways in 1995, and this offers a 180 Degree recline where the passengers can stretch themselves out and sleep comfortably. Fully flat beds are found only in First Class and Business Class cabins but have become common and are provided by most of the airlines today.

The slightly less comfortable angled lie-flat seats are however, found in some airlines. These seats, although they also lie lying down horizontally, lie at an angle to the ground. Their position is between 150 and 170 degrees and this implies that there is a slight downward slope on them that most passengers slowly slide down. They are not as comfortable as fully-flat beds, but it does mean that they do provide an adequate chance to sleep.

More recently, the Air New Zealand Airline has introduced the so-called Sky Couch, a row of three seats in the economy cabin that has been turned into one comfortable bed. They are located on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and 777 of the airline and have been a huge success since their introduction in 2011. Being popular is a trend that can easily be emulated. The problem is that three Economy Class seats are just too short for the majority of adults will be able to fully stretch out and even four seats will be insufficient to accommodate taller clients.

3. Mood Lighting

Nowadays, LED mood lighting is being installed on long-haul flights on most major airlines. These lights, in addition to establishing the atmosphere and causing drowsiness, have several biological effects helping passengers overcome the time-zones. The advanced lighting can be found on most new planes and it assists in aligning the body clock of the passengers with the time zone they are entering and therefore lessens jet lag and the overall fatigue on landing.

The lights have as many as 16.7 million options, cooler hues of either dawn or dusk or warmer daylight. It also has a silver moonlight feature that mimics the sky with moonlight. The setting that is employed will be dependent on the time that you are coming off and the direction that you are flying. The lighting, which is part of the Airspace by Airbus concept, will have an advanced version that will be seen on the Airbus A330neo late in the year.

4. Bedding and sleepwear

As much as a bed in the sky provides an excellent chance to sleep with a lot of shuteye, to sleep with quality bedding and night wear, you have made it. Among airlines that have an extra mile to go in terms of ensuring that on-board sleeping is as comfortable as it can be, is Emirates, which has recently launched self-moisturising pyjamas in first Class.

Other innovations include a mattress comprised of hard surface and soft one used by passengers on the hard side and pilots on the soft side, as employed by the Japanese Airline; the memory foam mattress employed by the Virgin Australia and the custom-designed bedding in the new Polar Business Class of the United Airline, where it has joined with the premier luxury specialist store Saks Fifth Avenue to install plush duvets, light day-blankets, big and tiny pillows, slipper, pyjamas, and earplugs.

5. Temperature and humidity

Temperature also affects our circadian rhythms. In this respect, Lufthansa has fitted humidifiers in the first-class cabin of its more recent Airbus A380S. This adds humidity to the cabin to approximately 25%. The Swedish company that invented the technology, CTT Systems, claims that it will make one sleep better, feel less jet lagged and tired and reduce dehydration of eyes, skin, mouth and nose lining.

6. Noise-Cancelling Headphones

Noise is normally one of the greatest challenges in attempt to sleep in plane. The baby crying behind you, or the loud bachelor party in front, the atmosphere of a commercial flight is not the place to sleep, especially with its bright colours. However, several airlines that are now providing noise-cancelling headphones to their customers in quest to shut off the outside world have seized on this. First, Business, and Premium Economy Virgin Australia, Etihad in all classes and Singapore Airlines are among them.

7. In-flight Meditation

In-flight entertainment systems are no longer devices that are used to watch movies one behind the other. Currently, as the wellness trend is on the rise and specifically marketing mindfulness, some airlines have launched content that promotes relaxation. Virgin Atlantic, Delta and British Airways have videos on their on-board mediation that teach them how to relax their mind and body when flying.

8. Dining on Demand

The other emerging trend that is being introduced in the premium cabin on some airlines is the ability to choose the time of your meal. Passengers can schedule their food intake depending on the time they would like to sleep by controlling their eating time. The outcome: there is no longer the attempt of trying to sleep in the meal service or the act of trying to remain awake so as not to miss a meal. Emirates, Etihad and Qatar are the first in using the service and British Airways has been reported to consider the service in its Club World business class. Even when these creative endeavours to induce the state of drowsiness fail, here are a few additional tips that could work:

Attempt to sleep and wake up at the same time each day. Seize as much natural sunlight as possible. Work out vigorously throughout the day. When sitting erectly in a seat, head cushioning is key i.e. neck pillow. Do off your shoes (but do remember to wear clean socks)Choose your seat judiciously (not beside the galley or bathrooms)Keep calm, drink plenty of liquids and do not take alcohol, caffeine and nicotine, or heavy meals.

9. Quiet Zones:

There are also airlines that have provided special quiet sections so that the passengers can have continuous rest. These places, which are typically located on the forward side of the economy cabin, limit the seating of the young kids, dampen the ambient sounds and leave the lights dimmer over a longer duration. Several airlines such as Scoot and AirAsia X, have adopted these spots to make the airline more sleep friendly, where people can rest without being interrupted all the time.

10. High-tech Air Filtration and Cabin Pressure Systems

Lower cabin altitude in contemporary aircraft like the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Airbus A350 together with outstanding air-filtration systems provide cleaner air with more oxygen concentration. These methods help to lessen the dehydration, tiredness, and headaches often preceding sleep distraction during travels. The airlines enhance the quality of air and pressure to ensure that passengers sleep naturally and remain comfortable during the long-flight trips.

Conclusion

Since air travel is still developing, more focus is being given by the airline to ensure that passengers reach their destinations fresh and rested. In the lavish suites and completely flat beds, lighting to improve the mood, luxurious beddings and wellness-oriented features such as meditation and on-demand dining, the industry is transforming the meaning of comfort in the skies. The introduction of quiet zones and high-tech air filtration systems are also indicative of the fact that the quality of sleep is no longer a luxurious feature anymore, but it is becoming an irreplaceable element of the long-haul experience. Be in First Class or be creative in your Economy seat, these smart enhancements mean that you can sleep better than ever at 30,000 feet.