Ask a Club member: how do you sleep on a plane?

Words: Tamara Hinson
Illustrations: Charlie Davis

1. I used to make the classic mistake – grabbing a strong coffee before boarding. It’s fine for short flights but, if you’re on a long haul and hoping to sleep, it’s the worst thing you can do. I’d avoid caffeine or alcohol at least six hours before flying. Both dehydrate you and throw off your rhythm completely. And if you manage to sleep, you will wake up feeling terrible or with a headache.
Mel Suntal, founder and CEO of Axonall

2. Falling asleep on a plane isn’t just about getting comfortable in your seat – it’s about calming your mind, settling your thoughts, slowing your breathing and creating a sense of safety and ease, so that your body can truly rest, even at 35,000 feet. I often use simple visualisation techniques to help my mind switch off from stress and focus on gentle, restorative rhythms within my body. When you teach your brain to relax like this, sleep comes naturally and you arrive feeling refreshed rather than exhausted.
Marisa Peer, therapist, best-selling author and founder of Rapid Transformational Therapy

3. Night flights have become a bit of an art form. My ritual is simple: one glass of red wine, a meal (I get FOMO if I skip it) then straight into sleep mode. As soon as I’m done eating, it’s hoodie up, eye mask on and I’m out. Wine, eat, sleep – works every time.
Lee Thompson, co-founder of Flash Pack

4. I treat the experience as a luxury and shift my mindset to relax mode. I go very easy on the alcohol and don’t do any work or fiddle with my phone. I read a relaxing book, put sound insulating earplugs in and turn in early!
Kevin Gaskell, entrepreneur and former CEO of Porsche

5. One gamechanger for me has been Apple’s noise-cancelling AirPods. They cut out the engine hum and cabin chatter, instantly creating calm. From there, I’ll either drift off with my Cinematic Chillout playlist on Spotify or put on a low-key podcast.
Cam Whitnall, conservationist and director of the Big Cat Sanctuary charity

6. For me, it’s all about creating small rituals that signal to my body it’s bedtime, even when I’m crossing time zones. As soon as I sit down, I reset my watch to the destination time to help my mind adjust. My sleep kit is simple but effective: a silk eye mask, noise-cancelling headphones and a calming playlist – and magnesium tablets, which are a must for me. I also always make sure to brush my teeth as that helps get me in the sleeping mindset.
Hanushka Toni, CEO of luxury resale brand Sellier

7. Deep, slow, long breathing and counting one’s breaths until eventually nodding off. It works every time – regardless of the stress of the situation.
Judge Jules, DJ

8. I watch movies, read books and play chess (the BA chess computer gets thrashed by me regularly). I then do a face mask, put in earplugs and have a few glasses of the lovely wine to ease me into sleep.
James Dawson, founder of Humble Grape and owner of Vivat Bacchus

9. Falling asleep on a flight can feel like an Olympic event, but some small tweaks make a huge difference. I time my meals and caffeine intake around the destination (no coffee after take-off, even if it’s a morning flight, and I stick to water to stay hydrated). And my secret trick? Listening to an audiobook I’ve already read. It’s a soothing background noise that helps me drift off without the fear of missing anything.
Harriet Webber-Jamieson, managing director of Party Planners

10. My tried and tested secret to sleeping in flight is to be sure I schedule in a hot yoga class before I leave for the airport. This way, once I’ve popped my hand baggage (I always travel with a leather holdall so as not to hog the overhead bin with a bulky wheelie), I take my seat, slip off my trainers, pull my baseball cap over my eyes and slip in my earplugs. I’m sleeping like a baby before take-off.
Timothy Griffin, co-founder of LEVEN Hotels

11. I used to rely on a few drinks to knock me out, but hangovers hit twice as hard at altitude. Since stopping drinking, I’ve found a nice non-alcoholic beer or a functional drink is a much better way to unwind. And I’ll get myself into the right headspace with a good book – if I’m already a bit tired, that usually does the trick. A familiar film or playlist I’ve heard hundreds of times helps me drift off, too – something comforting that doesn’t demand too much attention.
Dan D’Souza, founder of MUUSH Drinks

12. I’ve developed a routine that seems to do the trick. I start by swigging a gin and tonic during take-off and follow with a glass of red to accompany the meal. This, combined with a gentle Tom Hanks film, usually sends me off.
Emma Sleight, head of content for The World’s 50 Best

Got a great travel tip? We want to hear it! For a future issue, we’re asking: what are your 2026 travel resolutions to be a smarter traveller? Email theclub@cedarcom.co.uk to share your wisdom (the more unexpected the better).

Please note that while we aim to showcase as many submissions as possible, we may not be able to feature every tip we receive.