12 Things That Make Long Flights Way Less Miserable (and easy to sleep)

In this video, I want to take you through a practical routine for surviving a long flight, especially an overnight one, so you can be more comfortable and actually get some real sleep on the plane. I'll share how to get set up, what to pack, and what to do so that you'll never worry about a long flight again. First, I want you to visualize boarding the plane, because this is the first step in getting settled and feeling comfortable for the flight. After you scan your boarding pass and show your passport, you'll walk down the jetway. If there's a line, make sure you take a second to put your passport away somewhere safe, somewhere that's easy to remember, because once you sit down, things move pretty fast, and the last thing you want is to be stressed about where your passport is while people are still boarding around you. When you get to your seat, put your carry-on in the overhead bin and your smaller bag under the seat in front of you. Anything you might need during the flight should already be in that under-seat bag, which I'll talk about throughout the video. I like to try and avoid having to get up and open the overhead bin during the flight, especially if I'm not seated in an aisle seat, but I will talk about the importance of moving around later on. But once you're seated and everything is within reach, you can relax and settle in. The first thing I do is grab my antibacterial wipes and wipe down all the areas I'll touch. My tray table, armrests, headrest, and especially the seatbelt. I once found melted chocolate inside the seatbelt clipping and so now I always check because that was disgusting. This is also a good moment to check to make sure nothing is broken or spilled because you don't want to discover a problem after you take off. And as a bonus tip, if you do plan to take anything to help you sleep, like melatonin or Benadryl, wait until after takeoff. Flights can still get delayed or even require a plane change after boarding and you don't want to be stuck in a half-asleep zombie state if that happens. So now let's go over a few things you should have with you. Everyone should have what I call a plane pouch. You might think of it like an amenity kit or a comfort kit, but this is one of my absolute favorite things to pack for a flight. The idea is instead of digging through your bag mid-flight, everything you need to stay comfortable is in one small pouch. I like using something fun like this one, but a small packing cube works just as well. And this also makes it easy to bring with you to the bathroom to freshen up. Inside, you'll want to fill it with travel-sized toiletries and goodies that you'll need to stay hydrated, refreshed, and comfortable during the flight. This will look a little different for everyone, but here are the most important items I always pack. Cabin air is extremely dry, so lip balm and hand lotion are non-negotiables for me. I recommend an unscented lotion since strong scents can bother you or the other people around you. I also keep deodorant, body wipes, a small pack of tissues, band-aids, menstrual items, and a few pharmacy basics like pain relievers or something for your stomach like Pepto-Bismol tablets or Tums. Imodium is good to have too. And if you wear glasses, it's usually easier to just wear your glasses for the flight. I don't like wearing mine, so I usually wear my contacts and then I'll take them out at some point during the flight, so I'll keep my contact lens case in here as well. And before I leave for the flight, I'll fill each side with a little bit of solution. Just make sure the lids are on very tight. I also include dental items too. I like these mini travel toothbrushes that come pre-filled with toothpaste plus a few flossers. Because brushing your teeth mid-flight or before landing makes a huge difference in how human you feel after hours in the air. And one bonus tip, if you're in a tight seat or don't want to bend down to reach under your seat, bring a small clip so you can hang your plane pouch from the seat in front of you. Or you can use a hanging toiletry bag as your plane pouch. It keeps everything visible and saves you from reaching down and bending over during the flight. So you'll have one small bag for your comfort items and then a second small bag just for tech. Keeping these separate makes everything easier to find, especially mid-flight. Depending on how much I'm bringing, I use a few different types of tech pouches. This one is from Tomtoc. It's about one liter in size, so it's compact and holds just enough without feeling bulky. If you only have a few tech items, something this size works really well. Another option I like is using a sling bag as a tech pouch. I like the ones from Nomad Lane. You can keep all of your electronics in here during the flight and then once you get to your hotel, just empty it out and use it as your day bag. It's kind of a nice two-for-one setup. And if I need something with a little more space, I'll use this pouch from Brix. It's technically a toiletry bag, but it holds about four liters and I like that it's got a grab handle. Now let's talk about what actually goes inside your tech pouch because these are the items that you'll probably want to reach for first. Number one would be earbuds. They are a must-have for any flight, no matter how long it is. And lately I've switched away from the bulky over-the-head earphones to earbuds. The earbuds I've personally been using for the last few years and have talked about in several videos are from Soundcore. So I was really excited when they reached out to me to sponsor this video. So this is Soundcore's newest launch, the Soundcore Sleep A30 Special. They're the world's first sleep buds with triple noise reduction. What makes these especially useful for flights is that they're designed specifically for sleep. They have Bluetooth streaming, but when you're on a plane, the built-in sleep audio is what really shines. You can choose different calming sounds directly in the Soundcore app. There's a library of relaxing audio, sleep stories, and over 50 white noise and nature sounds. And it's all designed to help quiet your mind, reduce cabin noise, and ease that restless feeling before falling asleep. They're also thinner than previous generations and designed to be comfortable even for side sleepers, with a flexible silicone wing that keeps them secure without sticking out. So there's less pressure when you're leaning up against the seat, the window, or a pillow. The triple noise reduction system reduces low frequency noise, helps mask things like snoring using adaptive technology, and uses twin seal passive noise isolation to ease background noise as much as possible. They also include sleep tracking with a detailed sleep report, and the 10-hour battery life is ideal for long flights. You can even customize the in-app alarm so that you don't sleep through breakfast service. And when you're not using them, they store easily in a compact charging case that takes up hardly any space at all. I was already a fan of Soundcore earbuds, and after testing these at home, they're now coming with me on every flight. So if you travel often, have a long flight coming up, or struggle to sleep in hotels, especially if you have a travel companion that snores, you can click my link in the video description or the first comment to check out the new sleep earbuds called Soundcore Sleep A30 Special. I'll share a few tips in a minute to help you fall asleep on the plane, but first I want to show you everything else that I keep in my tech pouch. In addition to my earbuds, I always bring a bluetooth adapter so that I can connect them to the in-flight entertainment. That way I can still watch movies or shows without switching to wired headphones. For power, I carry a power bank with a built-in USB cable, which keeps things simple and cuts down on extra cords. I also usually have my travel adapter since it doubles as a charging station. That said, some plane outlets can be a little awkward, so I also throw in a small single USB-C charging cube. It's compact and fits almost anywhere. On most long-haul flights, you'll usually have in-flight entertainment built into the seat back, but that might not always be the case, and that's why I like bringing a phone holder so I can still watch something on my phone if I need to. The problem with most phone stands, though, is that they're kind of bulky and annoying to carry around for the rest of your trip. So instead, my newest find is this magnetic phone tripod stand. It clips magnetically to the back of your phone and can be used as a phone holder, a small tripod, or even a low-profile selfie stick. It lays completely flat, which makes it easy to toss into your tech pouch or purse when exploring, or you can clip it to your bag or backpack. Now, the only way I have been able to consistently sleep on a plane for hours at a time is with this type of travel pillow. It's the eye mask and head strap combination. It supports and stabilizes your head so you're not dealing with head bobbing or your neck falling to one side. It attaches to the adjustable headrest on your seat so it doesn't affect the person behind you. Then the eye mask just velcros over your eyes, and once that's on, you're pretty much locked in for several hours of sleep. I've talked about this travel pillow a lot on this channel, and I know many of you have now tried it as well because I love hearing your flight reports in the comments afterwards. So if you've tried this pillow, tell us how it went. But that said, sleep and sleep positions are very personal, so this might not be the right option for you. Some people do better with the classic donut style pillow or one of those more structured neck brace styles like the turtle pillow, but the point is some kind of travel pillow is a must-have on a long flight if you want any real chance of sleeping. And if you do use a different style of neck pillow, I would also say a good quality blackout eye mask is essential. It's just one of those things that's always useful, and I bring it with me no matter what, even though I use the other style of travel pillow. Because maybe you just want to rest your eyes, but your neighbor has the window shade completely open and the bright sunlight's coming in, or the cabin lights are off, but someone in front of you is watching a very bright action movie. An eye mask fixes all of that. This was a lifesaver for me on the last leg of a very long travel day last summer. After a five-hour layover, we had a short one-hour flight to reach our destination, and so by that point we had already been traveling for almost 22 hours, and I was exhausted, but it was about nine in the morning, so the cabin was bright and I didn't feel like digging out and setting up my travel pillow, so I just put my eye mask on and it was perfect. And the nice thing about the Soundcore Sleep Earbuds I mentioned earlier is that they lay flat, so that means you can wear them comfortably with an eye mask or with the travel pillow that I just talked about without anything pressing on you or feeling awkward. Pardon the interruption, Editor Allie here. I can't believe I didn't think of this until now, but I was just going through some of the goodies I brought back home from Japan, and these steam eye masks are one of my favorite finds, and I realized that this would be like so perfect to pack with me for a long flight, so these are definitely coming with me every time now. You just open them up and it's just this gentle warming sensation. You put it over your eyes, it lasts for about 20 or 30 minutes, and I've been using them at home after a long day, especially like if my eyes are kind of tired or sore from a lot of screen time or if I have a bit of a headache. And the good news is you don't have to go all the way to Japan to find them. I found them on Amazon, which is great because I'm almost out of mine. I was able to find the brand that I use, but there's all kinds of good ones, so I've left some links in the video description. But yeah, this is going to be my new favorite hack for flying on the plane. Anyway, back to the video. Now that you've got all the tools, here are some tips to help you fall asleep. Option one is to use the sleep sounds that are already built into your Soundcore app that I mentioned earlier. These are designed specifically to help you relax and tune out what's happening around you, which is really helpful on a noisy plane and perfect if you forgot to download anything before your trip. Option two is to listen to an audiobook that you've already read or a podcast you've already listened to. Since you already know what happens, you don't feel the need to stay fully engaged, which makes it easier to relax and fall asleep. Option three takes a little bit of pre- planning but works very well. Before your trip, make yourself a sleep playlist. Anything from calming music, white noise, ASMR sounds, soothing spa music, or anything you personally associate with falling asleep. So by the time you're ready to sleep on your flight, you put your mask on, your sleep buds in, you start the playlist, and you'll be asleep in no time. Because having that familiar setup helps your brain recognize that it's time to wind down, even if you're on a plane. Water is one of the most important things on a long flight. Cabin air is dry and flying itself is dehydrating, whether you feel it right away or not. And drinking enough water makes a noticeable difference in how you feel during the flight and then when you land. I find if I'm uncomfortable and restless when trying to relax or sleep, it's probably because I'm becoming dehydrated, so you usually need a lot more water than you think. And yes, that does mean you'll need to get up and use the bathroom more often, but that's not a bad thing. Getting up and walking around and moving your body helps with circulation and stiffness, which makes it easier to settle back in and get comfortable. I've mentioned before that I like traveling with a square water bottle because it packs very easily. One last piece of the puzzle is compression socks. When you're sitting down for hours at a time, circulation slows down, and that's when you start to feel like heavy legs and swelling and stiffness or cramps, and all of that makes it harder to get comfortable and fall asleep. So then compression socks gently support circulation and help prevent that restless, uncomfortable feeling. I like to put mine on right before boarding so I don't have to deal with them in a cramped seat. And for anyone out there who is short like me, I just ordered myself a pair of Bombas compression socks because I found they have calf height. I've been struggling to find a pair that doesn't go over my kneecaps and I've heard good things about them. And speaking of socks, I always pack a fresh pair of regular socks to change into before landing or once I've arrived in the airport. All right, there are a few final items that are optional but worth considering depending on your flight and your personal comfort. I always pack a pen. It comes in handy for customs forms, immigration cards, or anything else you might need to fill out before landing. And if you tend to get hot on planes, a small handheld fan can be really useful. I've used one of these before when we were stuck on the tarmac for over an hour and the air conditioning just couldn't keep up, so I am very glad I had that with me. If you're more likely to get cold, I recommend wearing a wrap or a shawl onto the plane. Usually I would say something soft like cashmere works especially well and then you can use it as a blanket once you're seated. If you're trying to pack light for this trip, you've probably been told to wear your bulkiest pair of shoes on the plane, but those can get uncomfortable for a 12-hour flight, so I would pack a pair of lightweight slides that you can slip into and wear on the plane. Keep your socks on though. And when you get to your hotel room, you can give them a quick wash and get all the airplane goo and floor germs off. And try to be as tired as possible by the time you board your flight. You can get up extra early that morning, limit your caffeine intake, and a good workout or a nice long walk helps a lot too. And you might be wondering what bag I'm using. I recently got this one. It's from Lowe & Sons. This is the OG2 in medium size. There are two things I particularly love about this bag. It's just over six inches in depth, which is perfect for a lot of those tighter personal item bag sizers. And the handles drape beautifully over the sides of the bag so that they don't get in the way when you're trying to access the interior. And it meets most of my other must-have requirements for any personal item bag for flying. It stands up on its own, it zips fully closed, it has a luggage strap that turns into a pocket, lots of great zippered pockets, and a laptop pocket. For more practical tips and tested travel advice, don't forget to sign up for my free email newsletter and also try out the Soundcore Sleep Buds. Links to everything I mentioned in the video are in the description and in the first comment. There are a few more things I like to pack and do to help a long flight feel short, and I made a video about that that you can watch next. Thank you so much for watching, and we'll see you in the next one!