How to sleep on a plane, even in economy

Choose your seat and settle in early

A window seat gives you a wall to lean on and means nobody needs you to stand up in the middle of the night. Seats near the galleys and toilets see constant foot traffic, light and clatter, so move away from them if you have the choice. Rows directly in front of an exit row often cannot recline, which is worth checking before you book.

Once you are seated, set everything up before you try to sleep. Put what you will need in the seat pocket, take your shoes off if that is comfortable, and fasten your seatbelt over your blanket so the crew can see it without waking you during turbulence.

Recline a little rather than not at all. Even a small angle takes weight off your neck. Keep your feet flat, or rest them on a soft bag, so your knees are not jammed against the seat in front.

A small kit that does most of the work

• Neck support. The usual problem is your head falling forward, not sideways. A pillow that supports your chin or wraps around your neck helps more than one that only cushions the sides.
• Eye mask. Cabin lights, screens and window shades change all flight long. A mask makes all of it irrelevant.
• Earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones. Engine noise is steady and easy to ignore; it is the announcements, trolleys and conversations that wake you.
• Layers and socks. Cabin temperature swings from warm to cold. Being able to add or remove a layer without getting up saves a lot of waking.
• Water. Cabin air is very dry. Sip regularly rather than drinking a lot at once, which sends you to the toilet just as you drift off.

When to sleep on the flight

The best time to sleep is when it will be night at your destination. Set your watch to destination time as you board. On an overnight flight heading east, try to sleep soon after takeoff, and skip the meal service if it would keep you up. On a daytime flight heading west, stay mostly awake and take only a short nap, so you are ready for bed at a local bedtime. Our guide on how to beat jet lag covers the days after landing.

Be careful with drinks. Coffee late in the flight can delay sleep when you arrive, and alcohol may make you drowsy at first but tends to make sleep lighter and more broken; see can't sleep after alcohol. If you are thinking about any sleep aid, ask a pharmacist first, and never try one for the first time on a flight.

A quiet routine for an upright seat

Mask on, earplugs in, then run a short routine you could do anywhere. A few rounds of box breathing slow you down without anyone noticing, and a neutral imagery task such as the cognitive shuffle keeps your mind off the seat, the engines and the arrival.

You will wake more often than in bed, which is normal. When it happens, do not open the flight map or count the hours left. Shift position, adjust your pillow and repeat the same routine. Silent techniques suit a cabin, where you cannot play audio out loud and your neighbor is trying to rest too.

On long flights, when you are awake, stand up and walk the aisle or flex your calves every couple of hours. Sitting still for many hours is linked with blood clots in the legs, and moving also makes the next stretch of sleep more comfortable.