Can You Sleep on the Plane?

In the Frugal Traveler column, Seth Kugel laments the plight of the fatigued traveler.

To me, sleeping in cramped conditions on a full coach flight is virtually impossible. … I decided to turn to sleep experts for a fuller picture. Dr. Jeffrey Ellenbogen, chief of sleep medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, said that as we get deeper and deeper into sleep, our muscles become more and more relaxed. That means it’s impossible to sleep well while sitting up because our neck muscles have to keep working. What about a neck pillow? “It’s the right idea, but most are poorly constructed,” he said.

Traveling next to someone willing to let you rest your head on his or her shoulder is a big help, as is a window seat that allows you to lean on the side of the plane. I usually travel alone, so the first bit doesn’t help, and I’m reluctant to take a window seat because if I can’t sleep (the usual state of things) I’ll have to choose between waking the person next to me to get out and wander, or going stir-crazy in my little corner.

To learn more about what the experts say about sleeping on planes, read the full story, “Cramped in Coach, or the Science of Sleep,” and then please join the discussion.