FALLING asleep on a plane is “very simple” following a four-step formula, a psychologist says.
And with the holiday season approaching, it could prove a timely hack.
In a recent post to Instagram, expert Erica Terblanche let travellers in on her sleeping strategy.
Try to make yourself comfortable, close your eyes and count to 30, Erica says.
This is the first step in crossing what she calls the “alpha bridge”.
The second step involves slightly opening your eyes back up.
Erica suggests: “Open your eyes on a little sliver, like a little half-moon, and count to five.”
This is simply repeating the first step.
Erica says: “Close your eyes again, and count to 30.”
Repeat step two, with some extra focus on your breathing.
The psychologist instructs: “Open your eyes again to a little half-moon sliver, count to five.
“Then close your eyes again and just watch your breathing go in through your nose and out through your nose.”
And that’s it.
According to Erica, most people should fall asleep after the first attempt of the four-step system.
Sleep expert Jeff Khan in 2023 told Conde Nast Traveller passengers should prepare before even boarding the plane.
He said: “The best bet to feel your best while travelling and at your new destination is to go into your trip with low sleep debt.
“The less sleep deprived you are, the better chance you have of weathering insufficient sleep on the plane, as well as quickly adapting to your new time zone.”
Meanwhile, a Reddit post on the subject in 2022 went viral, as users chimed in with their own advice.
One said: “Personally, I make sure I have a window seat on the side of the bed I normally sleep on.
“Eye masks if you need dark and can handle them (I can’t sleep with one on). Comfy clothes. Warm clothes. I bring a neck pillow.
“All this and it’s still never a great sleep. But it’s something.”
