How to sleep on a plane: seats, dry air, noise and moving safely

To sleep on a plane, pick a seat you can lean against, recline as far as you can, block noise and light, keep your nose comfortable in the dry air, and get up to move every so often on long flights. The upright seat is the biggest obstacle, and the research on it is surprisingly clear. Here's what helps, in the order you'll need it.

Why is it so hard to sleep on a plane?

The upright seat is the main reason plane sleep is poor. In a 2018 study in Chronobiology International, six healthy adults napped in a seat set upright, reclined or flat. Compared with the flat seat, the upright seat gave 29% less total sleep, 30% less slow-wave sleep and 79% less REM sleep. The reclined seat gave similar total sleep and slow-wave sleep to the flat one, but 37% less REM.

The authors give two reasons. It's hard to keep your head comfortable when you're sitting up, especially during REM sleep when muscle tone is very low. And an upright posture raises the body's fight-or-flight activity, so you stay more alert.

Sleep Foundation lists the rest: plane noise, light, turbulence and cabin air all make sleeping on a plane harder than sleeping at home. The study was small and done in a lab, not on a plane, but the pattern matches what most travelers feel.

Which seat is best for sleeping on a plane?

A window seat is usually best for sleep. Sleep Foundation says some sleep experts suggest it because it gives you a surface to rest your head on, and that seats near the wings, in the middle of the plane, may be less bumpy.

There's a trade-off. A window seat makes it harder to get up without waking your neighbors, and on a long flight moving around matters for your legs (more on that below). If you know you'll want to walk every hour or two, an aisle seat may suit you better even if leaning is harder.

When you can, choose the flight too. Sleep Foundation suggests avoiding very early or late flights that cut into your normal sleeping hours, so you don't need to sleep on the plane at all.

How do you get comfortable in an upright seat?

Recline as far as the seat allows. That's the clearest finding from the 2018 study: sleep improved as the back angle increased, and Sleep Foundation also advises reclining as much as possible.

Then support your head, since the study's authors point to head position as one reason upright sleep is so poor:

• Use a travel pillow, which Sleep Foundation says can support your neck.
• Lean into the window, or rest your head on a pillow against it.
• Keep your feet flat or on a bag under the seat in front so your knees aren't jammed.
• Bring a layer. Sleep Foundation suggests a sweater or blanket for a cool cabin.

How dry is cabin air, and what helps?

Cabin air is far drier than the air in most homes. A 2021 review in Indoor Air gathered published measurements from non-smoking commercial flights and found relative humidity averaged 16%, lower than what is recommended in buildings. An older 2002 study of 26 intercontinental flights measured an average of just 6%, ranging from 1% to 27%.

Over several hours, that can leave your nose feeling tight, your eyes gritty and your mouth dry. Sleep Foundation says breathing the dry, recirculated cabin air can make you dehydrated, and suggests drinking plenty of water, though not so much that you're up for the bathroom all night.

A few other things help:

• A small saline spray in your liquids bag
• Lip balm, if your lips tend to dry out
• Skipping alcohol, which Sleep Foundation says can disrupt sleep and affect breathing at night

If dry air leaves your nose feeling narrow, a nasal strip is an easy addition. TitanAir Nasal Strips are dry and drug-free, so they slip into a pocket. Our article on nasal strips on a plane covers security and ear pressure in more detail.

How do you block noise and light on a plane?

Earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones are the main tools for cabin noise. In a 2026 study in Work, 24 people sat in a grounded cabin and listened to recorded aircraft noise at about 84 to 86 dB(A). Both earplugs and active noise-cancelling headphones significantly improved comfort scores compared with no hearing protection. People slightly preferred the headphones, though they caused more discomfort around the ear, while earplugs caused more inside it. The study used turboprop noise, which it notes is louder than jet noise, but the comparison is useful for any flight.

Sleep Foundation suggests either option, and adds that music through headphones may help you relax. For side sleepers leaning on the window, earplugs are often more comfortable than bulky headphones.

For light, an eye mask is the simplest fix. Sleep Foundation says a sleep mask blocks light from windows and overhead lights. Close your window shade if you're in a window seat and the cabin is dark.

What should you eat and drink before sleeping on a flight?

Eat light and skip alcohol. Sleep Foundation says digesting a big meal makes it hard to get quality sleep, and suggests light snacks if you plan to sleep. It also advises against a nightcap before trying to sleep on a plane, because alcohol can disrupt sleep and affect breathing at night.

If you're crossing time zones, the NHS suggests trying to sleep on the flight if it's night time at your destination, drinking plenty of water and not having too much caffeine or alcohol. It also advises stretching and regularly walking around the cabin. Its view on sleeping tablets is cautious: they can be addictive and should only be used for a short time if sleep problems are severe. Ask a doctor or pharmacist before taking anything to sleep on a flight.

How do you lower your risk of blood clots while sleeping on a plane?

Get up and move regularly, even if you'd rather stay asleep. The NHS says a long journey of more than 4 hours by plane, car or train is one of the times you're more likely to get DVT (deep vein thrombosis), a blood clot in a vein, usually in the leg. It advises not sitting still for long periods and getting up to move around every hour or so.

For journeys of 4 hours or more, the NHS suggests:

• Wearing loose clothing
• Drinking plenty of water
• Avoiding alcohol
• Walking around when possible

The NHS lists other things that raise the chance of DVT, including being over 60, living with obesity, smoking, having had DVT before, taking HRT or contraception containing oestrogen, and being pregnant or having had a baby in the last 6 weeks. If any apply, ask your doctor about flying before a long trip.

On a long flight, that means sleeping in shorter stretches rather than one long one. Each time you wake, walk to the galley, stretch your calves and drink some water before settling back.

Should you use nasal strips or mouth tape on a plane?

A nasal strip is often the easiest breathing aid for a flight. No study has tested strips on planes, but the evidence from home is encouraging. In a 2018 randomized, double-blind trial of 59 people with chronic nighttime congestion and sleep difficulties, a clear strip improved satisfaction with sleep at day 7 compared with a placebo strip without springs. Sleep Foundation's advice for sleeping on a plane says nasal strips or decongestants might help if congestion makes you snore on the flight. It also notes that sitting upright might reduce snoring compared with lying flat.

On a long flight, put one on when you're ready to sleep rather than at takeoff. Our guide on how long you can wear a nasal strip explains the timing, and how to apply nasal strips covers placement.

Mouth tape is a more personal choice on a plane. Only use it if you already sleep with it comfortably at home and your nose is clear. Sleep Foundation advises avoiding tape when your nose is blocked by allergies, a cold or structural issues, and folding over one corner so it comes off easily, which matters when you're woken for a meal or turbulence. We don't recommend mouth tape for children. Mouth taping when traveling has more on tape away from home.

When should you get medical help?

Get help urgently if you notice signs of a blood clot during or after a trip. The NHS lists throbbing pain in one leg, usually in the calf or thigh, swelling in one leg, red, blue or darkened skin around the painful area, and swollen veins as symptoms of DVT, and says to ask for an urgent appointment if you think you have it. If you have those symptoms with shortness of breath or chest pain, it says to call emergency services, because a clot can travel to the lungs.

If you regularly snore loudly and someone has noticed you gasping, choking or stopping breathing in your sleep, see a doctor; strips and tape don't treat sleep apnea. Read sleep apnea warning signs for more. If you're pregnant, ask your midwife or doctor about flying and about any new sleep product.

What should you pack to sleep on a plane?

Here's a short checklist built from the advice above.

Our travel sleep kit checklist covers the hotel side of a trip too.

Our pick (paid partner): TitanAir Nasal Strips

For sleeping on a plane, our pick is TitanAir Nasal Strips. This is our recommendation, not the result of testing or ranking strips ourselves, and it fits the dry-cabin, stuffy-nose problem above.

Titan describes them as drug-free external nasal dilators with flexible spring-loaded bands. Titan says to place a strip just above the flare of the nostrils, on the soft part of the nose rather than the bony bridge, on clean, dry skin, and to skip moisturizer first. To remove one, Titan suggests loosening it with warm water and peeling slowly from the ends inward, which you can do with a damp paper towel in the plane restroom.

Titan says the strips are designed to pair with its mouth tape, are third-party tested and certified PFAS-free, and come with a 30-night guarantee. Supply options are on the TitanAir Nasal Strips page.

Read next

• Nasal strips on a plane: dry air, sleep and ear pressure
• How to sleep well in a hotel
• The first-night effect: why you sleep badly in a new place

* This content is for informational and educational purposes only and is not medical advice. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or health condition. Talk to a qualified healthcare provider about your health.