How to get shut-eye on the red-eye flight

There's no glossing over it: Sleeping on planes is challenging for those who aren't first-class passengers, narcoleptics or pint-size.

The seats are cramped, and planes are fuller than ever. It's light, noisy and the air is dry.

For travelers who need to sleep on planes, here are tips from an array of experts and frequent fliers.

The sleep expert

Sleep difficulty is his expertise, but even Steven Scharf, director of the Sleep Disorders Center at the University of Maryland in Baltimore, finds slumbering on planes challenging. He advises against skipping a night of sleep before your flight — it takes days to pay off the deficit — but suggests planning your sleep around your biological clock. If you are flying during your night, then rest as normal. If you are flying during your day, stay awake.

Of course, on a plane, good luck sticking to a normal schedule. To induce sleep, Scharf recommends an aid such as Ambien, but only after consulting with your doctor. Try out the medication at home first to see how you react to it. Don't take the drug until the plane is airborne, and don't take medication for flights shorter than six to eight hours. You want the drug to wear off before you land.

Avoid consuming the obvious (caffeinated tea, coffee and soda), he says, and avoid the in-flight entertainment and your laptop. Instead, listen to soft music, read light material or practice meditative techniques such as deep breathing, progressive relaxation (basically de-tensing every part of your body) and guided imagery — relaxing yourself by imagining a favorite, peaceful place.

The airline-industry representative

David Castelveter, spokesman for the Air Transport Association of America, starts with the seat itself: Know the plane's good ones from awful ones. Avoid seats that don't recline, he says, such as the back row of the plane and some exit-row seats. To find the optimum one, study SeatGuru.com or SeatExpert (www.seatexpert.com), which provide seating charts of planes. If it's any consolation, Castelveter says that long-haul planes are more attentive to travelers' repose than quick-hop carriers, as sleep is more crucial when flying internationally. "They invest more in passengers' comfort," he said.

The frequent flier

Tim Winship, publisher of FrequentFlier.com, is a fan of the window seat, and not for the view. "For sleeping, the window seat is generally best," he wrote. "You can nestle into the space between the seat and the cabin wall, alleviating somewhat the claustrophobia of coach class."

The travel adventurer

A former CNN travel correspondent who is now a writer and consultant, Chris McGinnis has logged nearly a million miles. His preferred seat is in the center of the plane (even better if it's in the exit row), away from the traffic of the galley, the lavatories and the cockpit. "It's the quietest and smoothest ride," he said. He also prefers noise-canceling headsets to ear buds, which don't fully mute the chatter. For his eyes, his shade of choice is the puffy Bucky mask: "It's like a pillow over your eyes. In the black fabric, it blocks out everything, and it's stylish."

The flight attendant

After 21 years of flying with American Airlines, Meri Feist has witnessed some unusual sleeping habits, such as the passenger who dozed with his eyes open. For the rest of us, Feist has a few suggestions. To avoid being disturbed for the meal and beverage service, leave your tray table up. "Sometimes we don't wake up people for breakfast, because if it's nothing great, like a biscuit, it's not worth bothering them," she said. Also, if you are swaddled in blankets, fasten your seat belt around your extra layers so your buckle is in full view. The flight attendant then won't have to wake you if the seat-belt sign lights up.

The chiropractor

It may sound counterintuitive, but Robert Hayden, spokesman for the American Chiropractic Association, advises travelers to get active in order to become inert. It's hard to sleep if your body is screaming for mercy.

Muscle, ligaments and joints are designed to move, and if kept idle, they may swell, impeding circulation. Perform mild exercises (vary the seat angle, stretch your arms and legs, move your head from side to side, squeeze your neck muscles). Every few hours, put a phantom pencil between your big and second toe and scrawl your name or the number of hours left in your journey. "Do this to get the blood pumping," Hayden said.

And, of course, you can always walk the aisle.

The travel-product retailer

As an active detective, Kevin Coffey has trained his body to sleep in the most unlikely places: in his car, at his desk, propped against the wall. But the president of Corporate Travel Safety, which focuses on travel safety and merchandise, can empathize with those who struggle to snooze on planes. "It all comes down to that additional level of comfort," he said. "That's when you want to look into these products."

When considering travel accessories, Coffey cautions that you might have to sacrifice compactness for coziness. So, consider the size and portability of an item before hauling it onto the plane (and on your entire trip).

For neck pillows, he explains, the models stuffed with tiny beads are cushy but don't pack tight. The inflatable versions take up less room in luggage but don't offer as much support as those made with memory foam. Also, pay attention to the fabric of the outer cover. Opt for a brushed velour, which caresses cheeks. For design, the Komfort Kollar (which Coffey wears) resembles a neck brace and keeps the neck stick-straight, whereas the barbell-shaped Travel Nook (his wife's preference) prevents the head from swaying like a pendulum.