How to survive (and maybe even thrive on) a long-haul flight
One of my greatest travel superpowers is being able to sleep well on red-eyes and long-haul flights: it’s a skill that my husband deeply envies, and one of the things that makes it a lot easier to me to travel often.
Most of the power rests in the routine: I swear by drinking a liter of water before I board, one glass of white wine and a movie with dinner, a sleep aid with dessert, and popping on a sleep mask until breakfast is served. However, I do have a few products that I take with me on every red-eye and long-haul flight that enable me to rest and relax: all together, they make a huge difference. p.s. all of these are great gift options for any frequent fliers on your list!
Foot Swing
You know those handy little foot stools that pop out from the seat in front of you on train rides and make such a huge difference? This is a $20 item that enables you to set up that same experience on every flight you take. It’s so simple yet SO genius: I’ve used it on my last few long-haul flights, and have been blown away at what a difference it makes.
Eye Mask
My mother-in-law gave me this luxurious eye mask, and it’s become one of my must-have travel items. I also use most nights at home! It’s really plush and comfortable, and completely blacks out your surroundings. It is on such a different level than the free ones that the airlines provide and definitely worth traveling with. That said, I also discovered these self-heating aromatherapy eye masks in Japan and I’m totally obsessed with them. They magically heat up (just like those little hand-warmers you can take skiing!) and the warmth of the mask, plus the lavender scent, really helps put me in the mood for sleep.
Sheet Mask
Hydration is huge on those long flights, and I have zero shame about rocking a sheet mask once the cabin lights dim. The Deep Hydration option by Dr. Jart is one of my favorites, although you have to take a pretty YOLO attitude about wearing one in flight: I figure the odds are pretty good I’ll never see my fellow passengers again!
Compression socks
Compression socks are another thing that only cost $20 but can make such a big difference in your flying experience. They help maintain blood flow and can reduce swelling, which is huge when your legs are in the same position for hours on end. I also really like traveling with them: I tend to walk around 20,000 steps a day when I’m traveling in a city, and compression socks can keep my feet and legs feeling energized on those long days.
Sleep aid
After dinner on a long-haul flight or as soon as I board a red-eye, I usually pop one ZZZQuil: two leaves me feeling a little groggy, but one is just enough to send me to sleep. I also really like Hum Nutrition’s Beauty ZZZZs: I actually use these more when I’m at home and have a super early flight the next day. I have a tendency to have trouble falling asleep and then wake up a lot during the night when I’m worried about missing an alarm (even though I’ve never actually slept through an alarm or ever missed a flight!) and these can help me sleep a little sounder before a long day of travel.
Noise-cancelling headphones
The Bose QuietComfort 35 noise-cancelling headphones are definitely splurge-y, but man, they are so good. The experience between wearing them and not is really like night and day. I use them all flight long to block out the noise of the airplane, but when I want to go to sleep, I’ll turn on a classical album or the Spotify Evening Chill playlist to relax.
Neck rest
Although I always try to sit in a window seat when I fly, having a neck rest can also be a big part of sleeping well on a plane. I especially like this one: it’s super soft, easy to inflate and deflate, stores itself away in a nice little bag and only costs $10. That said, it can be a little tricky to find the right position while also using big headphones!
Face oil
No matter how long the flight is, I try not to wear makeup when I’m flying so that I can slather on some face oil. I keep a bottle of The Ordinary’s Rose Hip Oil in my carry-on bag and put it on right after I board: it’s super hydrating without being too heavy.
