Simple question you should ask flight crew if you want to sleep on the plane

GETTING some shut-eye on a flight can be difficult, especially in cramped economy.

But a sleep expert has revealed the one question which will help you sort out a sleep pattern on the plane.

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A recent study found that just 5 per cent of people manage to sleep properly on a plane

Martin Seeley, the CEO and sleep expert at MattressNextDay, said asking crew when food will be served is the best way to get some sleep without going hungry.

He said: “There’s nothing worse than settling down to sleep to be interrupted by those sitting next to you eating their food and turning on their lights.

“So, when the plane has taken off and the seatbelt sign is off, ask the flight attendants when the food will be served.

“This way, you can time your sleep around the food and ensure you are not disturbed by the service.”

He shared some other top tips including bringing enough warm layers and avoiding seats by the toilet.”

Kris Major, who has worked as a flight attendant for 24 years on both short and long flights, went one further and said you should skip the food altogether.

He told CNN Travel: “The seasoned travellers, after takeoff, you go down the cabin and you can see that they’re gone – they’ve covered themselves up and they’re asleep.

“Most airlines don’t particularly plan their [food] service around the passenger and acclimatization and time zones crossing.”

Kris advised prioritising sleep rather than “eating dinner at the equivalent of 3am” – and instead eating at the airport before boarding.

One airline has a very clever trick if you are wanting to sleep on the plane.

Each person on board Icelandair flights is given a set of three stickers, one red, one yellow, one blue.

The red one means do not disturb while sleeping, yellow means wake up for food and blue means wake up for the duty free trolley.

And don’t worry if you wake up hungry – crew will often save a meal so you can still grab a bite.

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