Why do people sleep on planes?

[RAM]

I'm absolutely amazed when I wake after hitting the tarmac at the end of a 4.5 Hr red-eye that just about everyone around me has really wide-open, blood shot eyes from no sleep.

My wife says I snore really loudly but I reckon she's full of it.

It is all a plot to keep us awake So they can sleep instead.

 

[RAM]

Why do people sleep on planes? - Because they flew Qantas the flight before....

When young and just married...

Flew Q to Hawaii (Oahu) with onward flight to the Big Island (Hawaii). Q dumped us there at 1am ish and first inter-island flight was 6am.

The flight across was a few weeks after a Q flight (same #) had experienced turbulence and dropped several thousand feet. Several passengers (& crew) suffered neck and other injuries (guess what the hostie I talked to was on that flight but only suffered bruising). I unfortunately remembered the article about it and how long into the flight they were. So I stayed awake (watching movies) to see if it would happen again. My wife finds it hard to sleep anywhere but Business and it wasn't.

After the meal there was an announcement that everybody needed to ensure their seat belt was fastened due to possible turbulence later in the flight.

Sure enough we hit turbulence, not as rough nor the thousands foot drop, but it was severe enough to wake just about everyone on board. Some got baptised again, others met their neighbours close and personal. A couple of minor cuts were in evidence. Nothing serious.

I did not sleep after that either.

There was no where to sleep at the airport other than wire chairs/benches.

However there were a constant flow of army troops (with full kit) arriving every 20 minutes the entire time we were there. Their NCOs were maintaining normal military discipline, marching them from gate, through open sided but covered corridor where we were slumped. Addressing them accordingly and instructing them how to load the trucks and stow the kit.

Also a few hours into the wait there were a number of charter flights from Japan (gives you an idea of how long ago).

So we rushed the gate when it opened for our inter-island flight and my wife was asleep before I had finished checking out the Hawaiian Airlines Fleet info. I fell asleep shortly after that and awoke as the FA asked me if I wanted to take the food as tray tables had to be put upright for landing etc. I think total time was 50 minutes gate to gate.

Why do people sleep on planes? Exhaustion.

 

[JohnK]

Hmmm excuse - Migraine this morning at home took the drugs and cant drive a car and now find I also need to be kept away from keyboards as well.

LOL. I'd love a couple of those tablets for my elbow.

 

[Archphoto]

I try to get as much sleep as possible, simply because my job consists of 15+ hrs/day for often weeks (and months) on end. That connecting flight ADL-SYD allows me to catch up on the extremely early start to make QF24. QP only opens at 05:00 in ADL, so being able to load up on a truckload of coffee is *not* possible and forget using the QP in SYD; the new times mean you're usually clearing immigration and heading to the flight for boarding with no time to spare.

I *loath* the new departure time - even the slightest delay means you're not even close to being relaxed (disembark catch the crush-bus) and not being able to enjoy the QP is a real PITA! I was being paged last time, simply because the air-bridge had problems (took 10 minutes to allow us to disembark), and I just missed the stupid transfer bus.

 

[juddles]

For those that have whinged in this thread about their inability to sleep on planes, even in J, well I must tell you my woes are greater.

I also have an incredibly hard time sleeping, even on flatbed seats on long haul after a good pre-flight bourbon session in the lounge, followed by a meal with copious wine onboard. But I also have an incredibly GOOD ability to fall asleep waiting in a gate to board.

Why am I blessed with this dual curse??

 

[Buzzard]

I have friends that live several hours drive from SYD. They often leave home at 3am, who knows what time they wake up. Is it any wonder they are sounders once on board?

 

[Awesom Andy]

I guess most people wouldn't mind an afternoon nap, whether they are at 35,000 feet or at zero feet.

 

[Glider_]

I love when I can fall asleep on the plane and wake up to find myself a few hours closer to arrival.

It's the closest thing to time travel I can think of.

 

[leadman]

I find nothing better than falling asleep just before take-off and waking up 15 - 20 minutes into the flight. Something settling in the sleep.

No sleep can be worse! Once wrote a tech report LHR - SIN with no sleep just on 48 hrs, as i usually use the flight to catch up some shut-eye. Hit SIN and slept 21 hrs! Missed three business meetings; company thought I went AWOL.......

 

[marki]

Gawd, what I would give to have the ability to drift off when sitting upright, day flight or night flight. Never, ever done it.

Now I do have the privilege of J and a lay-flat at night, and I can still only get snatches of sleep over a 14 hour flight

One can fall asleep standing on long train trips i.e. Krakow - Zakopane in Poland. Your legs tend to bend then snap straight otherwise u end up on the floor unconscious though this has never happened to me. During winter time school holidays this train would be packed sardine style.



Sent from my iPhone using AustFreqFly

 

[marki]

I guess most people wouldn't mind an afternoon nap, whether they are at 35,000 feet or at zero feet.

Napping at zero feet means your a zombie, well I am most of the time unless awake.


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[harvyk]

I've fallen asleep on a few short hauls. Typically it's because it either right after getting off a long haul / redeye or it's becuase it's flight number 3 of the day, I'd been having a drink or three the night before and my morning saw me waking up at 3am (so 2 hours sleep) to get to the airport on time.

 

[sampson]

I'm comatose on my last short haul flight. Before they serve anything, I think they check my pulse and leave me alone

 

[JohnK]

I find nothing better than falling asleep just before take-off and waking up 15 - 20 minutes into the flight. Something settling in the sleep.

I have been doing this a lot recently.

I don't think it is alcohol related as I don't drink too much before a flight.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Why do people sleep on planes?

"Sleep is a weapon"


(Robert Ludlam....The Bourne Identity)

 

[Shan Man]

Im not a morning person and avoid morning flights like the plauge. The only times I've slept on a plane is Syd-Mel in Y on a pre 9am flight.

Overnight flights to/from asia? who needs sleep on those?

 

[Buzzard]

They are tired?

 

[Awesom Andy]

Im not a morning person and avoid morning flights like the plauge. The only times I've slept on a plane is Syd-Mel in Y on a pre 9am flight.

Overnight flights to/from asia? who needs sleep on those?

The morning people, I suppose.

 

[harvyk]

Overnight flights to/from asia? who needs sleep on those?

Me, not everyone has the luxury of an international airport 30 minutes down the road. Often my mornings start at 4:30am and unless I want to arrive in HKG and go straight to bed, having a little kip whilest on the flight means I'm awake to go out for dinner and a drink on arrival.

 

[Archphoto]

Me, not everyone has the luxury of an international airport 30 minutes down the road. Often my mornings start at 4:30am and unless I want to arrive in HKG and go straight to bed, having a little kip whilest on the flight means I'm awake to go out for dinner and a drink on arrival.

+1 for me.

I have to connect from ADL to *any* flight to Asia first (flight out is 6am). In the reverse, arriving in SYD at 6am before heading straight to work/meeting either there or in ADL etc? I would like to get some sleep thanks very much. At least I can then have half a chance of *not* looking like a zombie.