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What’s the best way to fall asleep on a plane?
• Book a window seat so you can cocoon.
• Lay off the caffeine four hours before takeoff.
• Drink water. Dehydration can cause headaches that keep you awake.
• Try melatonin, a synthetic form of a natural sleep hormone, 30 minutes before you want the shut-eye. (It’s not FDA approved, so check with your doctor first.)
• Bring out all the ammo you have: eye mask, noise-canceling headphones, a travel pillow, a blankie. Sure, you may look like a human burrito, but if it works, it works.
• Eat a turkey sandwich. The combo of tryptophan and complex carbs contains a sleep-promoting agent.
• As much as you want to watch Titanic—again— don’t. The blue light from your iPad or in-flight movie screen is a strong stimulant. Try reading the old-school way: on paper.
Based on an interview with Dr. Robert Rosenberg, American Academy of Sleep Medicine