Why Should You Not Sleep When A Plane Takes off?

Why Should You Not Sleep When A Plane Takes off?

Traveling by air can be pretty exhausting, so no wonder a lot of people choose to sleep through it. And while doing so is simply inevitable if you have a long-haul flight, you can actually put your health at risk if you doze off during take-off or landing. You see, when a plane is taking off or landing, there's a rapid change in air pressure inside the cabin. 

And this affects the air trapped in your ears since there’s not enough time to equalize the pressure. Because of it, a vacuum appears in a part of your ear called the Eustachian tube. Your ears become blocked, and every sound you hear is muffled. You need to be awake when this happens. Otherwise, you won’t be able to equalize the air pressure in your ears by relaxing and opening up your Eustachian tubes. And if you don’t do that, you’ll feel dizzy and your ears might hurt. In the worst-case scenario, you might even get an ear infection, a nosebleed, or face hearing loss. 

To avoid all these unpleasant conditions,you have to yawn or swallow a lot. To produce enough saliva to swallow, try chewing gum, sucking on hard candy, or just drinking water. If this doesn’t help then pinch your nose closed while at the same time blowing it. Ok, now not snoozing during take-off or landing makes perfect sense. But a lot of other things can make your tripon a plane less safe and less comfortable. For example… Ignoring the safety instructions. You might be an experienced traveler and know them already by heart.

Why Should You Not Sleep When A Plane Takes off?

 But don't put on headphones or talk to yourcompanions while a flight attendant explains everything. Yes, most airlines have similar safety presentations,but it won't hurt to freshen your memory. In case of an emergency, this informationcould save your life. Taking your shoes offIt seems like a good idea to give your feet some rest from your shoes during the flight. But the plane’s cabin is airtight, and theair inside is constantly recycled. So, just spare your fellow travelers fromsniffing your socks and hope they'll do the same for you. Besides, the cabin’s floor is full of germs. But if you really feel like kicking your shoesoff, bring a pair of slippers in your carry-on. 

Not asking a flight attendant before switchingseats. You might think it's no big deal, but it actuallyis. Of course, if you move a few rows it won'tcause any trouble on a large airplane. But doing so on a regional plane can throwoff an airplane’s center of gravity, which is especially critical during take-off. So, let a flight attendant know about yourplans to occupy some empty seat you've spotted and make sure it's ok. Wearing your contact lenses. Choose glasses during flying, especially forlong haul flights. The air in the cabin is much drier than onthe ground, and it can irritate your eyes. 

Also, if you plan to sleep during your tripwith lenses that aren't for overnight wear, you could harm your eyes even more. Eating the food that touched the tray table. Unfortunately, the cleaning crew doesn’thave enough time between flights to clean the cabin thoroughly. Experts claim that tray tables have 8 timesmore bacteria than the lavatory flush buttons. So, unless you brought your own placemat andsanitizer, say goodbye to that piece of sandwich that's just fallen on the tray table. G’Bye! Forgetting to drink water. The dry air in the cabin can make you feeldizzy or have a parched throat mid-flight. So, staying hydrated is important. But here’s the catch: the water tanks onthe airplane aren't the cleanest thing on earth. 

Why Should You Not Sleep When A Plane Takes off?

That’s why you should put an empty bottle on your carry-on and fill it after the security check at the airport. Plus, avoid drinking tea or coffee on board. Even though they use boiled water, the caffeine in those drinks has a dehydrating effect. Using the blankets. Many airlines provide their passengers withblankets and pillows on demand. But they're not washed often enough either. Usually, the cleaning staff doesn’t takecare of them until the day is over. Unless you want to wrap yourself in a blanket that someone before you covered their feet with or sneezed on, bring a small one of yourown. Turning off the air vent over your seat. Yes, it can get chilly on a plane, and you don't want to shiver during your whole trip or catch a cold.

 But it’s better to put a sweater on then turning off the AC. Different airborne viruses and germs that are in abundance in any constricted space can hang in the air for up to 5 hours. So, without proper ventilation, you just increaseyour chances of inhaling them. Not getting up from your seatSitting in your seat the entire flight is bad for your body. Get up to stretch your muscles or walk fora few minutes. If you can’t get up for some reason, youcan still do some exercises right in your seat. For example, twist your upper body from sideto side and lift your knees to your chest. Ha, if you have enough leg room! Flushing the button in the lavatory with yourbare hand. Just because it’s not as dirty as the traytables doesn’t mean you should touch it. A public bathroom is a public bathroom, evenup in the sky. After doing your business wash your hands and use a paper towel to turn off the water and flush the toilet. You can even use it to open the bathroom door. Wearing shorts. Or any other clothes that don’t cover yourlower body fully (think of short dresses, skirts, or jumpsuits). You probably can guess by now why it’s abad idea. 

Yes, germs are all around the seats and they'rerarely deep-cleaned. So, protect your skin from coming into contactwith them. Neglecting your skincare. If you fly in the daytime, don’t forgetto apply your cream with SPF. You’re much closer to the sun on a planeso just being inside a cabin or not sitting near a window won’t save you from the rays. Plus, don’t forget to moisturize your faceduring the flight to avoid parched and itchy skin from the low humidity. Drinking fizzy drinks. Traveling with a bloated stomach is a realordeal. So stay away from fizzy drinks since intestinalgas might expand up to 30 percent from the increase in altitude. Oh my! cSimple bottled water is your safestbet when you're in the clouds. Keeping a heavy carry-on in the overhead compartment. It’s understandable why a lot of passengerstry to bring as much stuff as possible on board. But if a plane enters an area of turbulence,the overhead compartment might open up. And a heavy bag falling out of it could causeserious injury to you or someone else. 

What things are a “must” in a carry-onfor a plane trip in your opinion? Let me know in the comments! Not fastening your seatbelt when the signis on. You must stay in your seat with the seatbelt fastened during taking off, taxiing, landing, and during turbulence. There's no exception for this rule, even for flight attendants. Avoid a dangerous situation by staying inyour seat, even if you want to go to the bathroom or stretch your legs, until the light goesback off. By the way, keep the belt fastened and overyour blanket if you use one and want to have a good sleep. This way a flight attendant won't have to wake you up to make sure you’re following the rule. Running to the exit. When the plane has landed, stay in your seat. No need to rush to the opened door, pushing others out of your way. Chances are you won't save any time by doing so and simply get stuck in the crowd while people gather their belongings and kids. You'll just be frustrated in the end. 

However, if you’re in a rush for a seriousreason or have a connecting flight, explain it to a flight attendant before landing, and they might help you get out faster.