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| HOW TO SLEEP ON AIRPLANES |
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DIANA'S ADVICE ON HOW TO SLEEP ON PLANES 1. Wear comfortable, loose-fitting, layered clothing. The body expands at high altitude and the temperature in the airplane is not consistent. 2. Fasten your seat belt outside your blanket. If there is turbulence, then flight attendants won't need to wake you to get you to buckle up. 3. Skip the in-flight meal. Waiting for the meal will delay your sleep and, besides, food is difficult to digest at high altitude due to the change in cabin pressure. 4. Avoid dehydrating drinks such as coffee, tea, colas and alcohol. They may dangerously dehydrate you in the dry cabin air. In addition, the cabin pressure doubles the effect of alcohol, i.e. two drinks on the ground equals one in the air. Instead, drink plenty of water starting the day before you fly. 5. Bring a cotton hankie, moisten it with your drinking water and place it over your nose and mouth during flight to create a personal source of humidity and also to help block the spread of germs. 6. Bring bottled water. Sip before takeoff and, if you wake up, have a sip of water, re-moisten your hankie, and go back to sleep. And if there's not enough bottled water on the plane, at least you'll have some. 7. Bring earplugs. Airplane noises can disrupt sleep. If you use earplugs, use a clean pair. Do not introduce bacteria into the ears. And use the soft earplugs or sterile cotton, which will not block your ability to hear announcements--there may be an emergency. 8. Bring eye shades. Put a piece of masking tape on the front of the eye shades if you don't want the crew to wake you for food and drinks. Write on it DO NOT DISTURB. Otherwise, flight attendants are trained to wake you when they serve. 9. Bring a sweater and socks.The airplane cabin can become drafty and, if you get cold, you will wake up. The blankets are not cleaned between flights. 10. Cocoon yourself energetically by creating your own comfort zone with props and preparation, and not bothering with the services offered on board. 11. Set your mental alarm.Tell your subconscious to awaken you about 25 minutes before landing cued by the engines whining a higher pitch at the top of descent. 12. Doze off as the plane takes off, using the drowsiness brought on by increased G-forces as the aircraft races down the runway and decreased oxygen at that moment because no fresh air is introduced into the cabin from the time you leave the terminal until you are airborne. |
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DECADES OF ACTIVISM Diana Fairechild has been widely quoted on the subject of sleeping on airplanes, including features in The New York Times, CNN.com, American College of Nuclear Physicians Newsletter, CBS Healthwatch, New Choises, and Bottom Line. These tips were first copyrighted in 1992 as a chapter in Jet Smart entitled "How to Sleep on Jets" then subsequently republished on Flyana.com in 1996, and in two editions of Jet Smarter (1999, 2004). It is time to set the record straight. Who said what first and who are the copycats? FROM DIANA: From time to time, I feel that it is important to attend to one's professional record in order to maintain the highest degree of effectiveness and credibility in advancing my cause, which is to empower passengers. DISRESPECTFUL & UNTALENTED: JOHN & JOSH JOHN STALLCUP: In his pamphlet, "How to sleep on airplanes," most of John Stallcup's tips are identical to mine. When I called him on the phone, he accused me of plagiarizing him, though my publication with this information preceded his by 10 years! Stallcup then capitulated, remembering that my book had an airplane on the cover and that he had read it before he wrote his pamphlet. But he still denied taking my work and passing it off as his own. Riiiiight. Stallcup says he's flown 2 million miles. With 8 million miles more than Stallcup, my concern is that his tips (which are not mine) can harm passengers. For example, Stallcup tells passengers to eat cottage cheese, turkey, fish, and mints on the plane. Wrong. Due to the automatic swelling of the body at high altitude, heavy food can interfere with digestion and circulation. JOSH PIVEN: "Hi Diana. My name is Josh Piven and I'm the author of the Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook series. I am working on a new book, and have a scenario, 'How to sleep in coach' that is right up your alley. Would you be willing to serve as an expert for the book? In exchange for your help, I can offer you full credit in the book (with your bio and any books/Web site you want included)." FROM DIANA: "Please put it together from my web site as it would appear in your book with proper attribution. I need to look it over with the attribution." FROM PIVEN: "Just so you know, the attribution goes in a section called 'About The Experts,' not directly with the text." FROM DIANA: "What about with the article? Are you putting my name there?" FROM PIVEN: "You are the expert source for the section, while I am the author." FROM DIANA: "I do not give you permission to say you are the author of my work." FROM PIVEN: "If I don't hear back from you by Monday, I will have to use the information from another of my sources." THE UPSHOT: With this threat, I said, okay. But then, when Piven published my work under his name, he buried my name among a plethora of sources, so the reader had no idea what was attributed to whom.
"Thank you so much for your flying advice, Diana. I've never been able to sleep before on an airplane, but was able to sleep soundly from Hawaii to Washington, DC and back using the moist bandana you suggest over my nose and eye mask. I also used your suggestions for cotton in my ears and oil up my nose. So glad for your advice and your work." -Fernando Severi |
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