Why It May Be Best To Skip A Meal On Your Next Red Eye Flight

If you're lucky enough to have purchased a plane ticket for a flight that includes meals, you probably skipped grabbing food at the airport. After all, you already paid for food in your airfare. However, you may want to rethink eating on the flight if it happens to be a red eye, aka one that flies overnight. While red eyes are an effective way to save money on flights, eating a meal during one might rob you of some of the sleep you need to enjoy your vacation. You're better off skipping the in-flight meal entirely.

There are some good reasons for this. First, it can take a while before the meal service cart comes around, and waiting may steal some of your precious snooze time. Another reason is that eating too close to when you fall asleep can cause heartburn or acid reflux, which may wake you up anyway. It's hard to get shut-eye when your tummy is gurgling or you feel uncomfortably full. Add in the fact that you're pretty much stuck in a seat for the rest of the flight — other than trips to the restroom or a wander down the aisle here and there — and you could end up feeling really crummy.

If you have a long trip and fear you might feel hungry, it's better to eat at the airport before you board or wait until you arrive at your destination. Some airports even have secret red eye arrival lounges where you can grab a bite and freshen up. And, unlike in the plane cabin, if you eat in the airport, you have the opportunity to walk around a bit as your food settles. In fact, walking after eating can help digestion and lower your blood sugar.

The in-flight meal on a red eye may be on a schedule that doesn't work for your sleep cycle. If you skip it, you can pin a sign to your shirt that says "do not disturb" so the flight attendant doesn't interrupt your ZZZs. Always make sure to keep your seat belt buckled over your clothing or blanket so they don't have to wake you up for that, either. Another thing to avoid while flying is alcohol. While it may help you fall asleep initially, it can cause you to wake during the night and disrupt the quality of your doze.

Picking the right seat can really help your sleep quality as well. Frequent fliers say the window is the best seat for red eye flights because you can lean against the wall and you're less likely to be bumped by a cart or fellow passenger as they pass. (Seriously, why is there always someone who yanks on every seat as they walk by?)

If you're flying a red eye, dress in comfy clothes, and make yourself an in-flight sleep kit with an eye mask, a travel pillow, a blanket, and ear plugs. You can even get a soft mask with Bluetooth speakers inside, like the LC-dolida Sleep Headphones 3D Mask, if you like to listen to music or a podcast at night. If white noise helps you (and ambient plane noise doesn't do it for you), you can also download white noise apps on your device. Additionally, change the light on your phone before departure to warmer tones, as blue light can suppress melatonin production in the body and keep you awake. Finally, if your airport has a yoga room, as many do now, it's worth taking advantage of this quiet spot for relaxation before you depart.