Do you pace the floor or find it difficult to sleep the night before a flight? Are you anxious, excited, or stressed knowing a flight is coming up? If so, how do you balance the nerves or lack of sleep once the flight is over? Many times I am unable to sleep the night before a flight. I worry about waking up on time, missing my flight, and other miniscule and ridiculous scenarios about what might happen the next day. Despite being a frequent flyer, my anxiety stays with me for every flight.
+1. I had a flight at 7am once. Had to be at the airport around 5. Couldn't sleep the whole night. Rolled around in bed from 10pm to 12am and decided screw it, going to pull an allnighter. Surprisingly fell asleep the moment I got on the plane.
I've done the all-nighters more times than I can count, most often on my international flights. Thank you for your reply; I feel just a tiny less psychotic knowing I'm not alone. Hence this post at 2:39am when I have a flight today.
I know it sounds a little sad but I usually hit the gym the night before I fly. I will make sure that I have checked and double checked I have everything with me and then head off to the gym to kill some time but also tire my self out. I always pull an all nighter and then when I get on the plane I find it easier to sleep as the gym workout has taken it out of me.
Yes to all of the above - despite knowing I'm well prepared and ready my subconcious keeps me from a sound sleep the night before.. Even if my flight leaves after midnight and is a short redeye, I'll lose sleep the previous night.
Almost 6am here and my flight isn't until this afternoon, yet still awake subconsciously because I know I have to fly today.
I guess I'm in the minority... but nope. That being said, after 9 years on the road for Amtrak I pretty much fall asleep anytime I am horizontal. Mentally I know I may not get another chance to nap for some time, and I guess that subconsciously I do that for all modes of travel. I had terrible insomnia in the past and eventually I went to the doctor about it. She gave me some tips that enabled me to coach my mind to readily sleep. Still can't sleep sitting in a train/plane/bus/any kind of chair... but put me in a bunk on the train or a couch anywhere and I'm out like a light. That line of thinking leads me to ask: what about FAs or Pilots? Did this happen to them when they first started flying? How did they overcome it?
Time to grab some sleep once you get on the plane! There's a CX flight from YVR to HKG that departs around 2am -ish. I fly that route almost twice per year or more. Yet almost everytime the previous night before I get insomnia..not sure if it's just pure excitement or whatever. I find that melatonin helps...once in a while.
