How do I sleep on a plane?

You cannot make a plane a bedroom, but you can close most of the gap. The gear that earns its space: a neck pillow that stops your head tipping forward, an eye mask, and foam earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones, because light and noise are the two biggest cabin sleep-killers and the NHS lists noise and an uncomfortable environment among common insomnia causes. The tactics: book a window seat so you can lean and nobody climbs over you; dress in loose layers and wear compression socks so nothing tight fights your circulation; recline a little, since fully upright spines protest all night; and eat lightly and skip alcohol, which the sleep evidence shows fragments sleep even though it sedates at first. Time it to your destination: on overnight eastbound flights, sleep as soon as you can after boarding to start shifting your clock, and use caffeine strategically on arrival day, not during the flight. If you know you cannot sleep on planes at all, plan for it instead of fighting it: a morning arrival with an easy first day beats a red-eye you white-knuckle awake. Melatonin helps some travelers with jet-lag timing; ask your pharmacist or GP before using it, especially with other medicines.