How to Make Your Next Flight More Comfortable and Less Stressful

Fullplaneb I bet that headline got your attention!  And so it should – I'm sure you know from personal experience how tiring and exhausting it is to endure any flight, and of course the longer the flight, the worse it gets.

Have you ever wondered why this is?  In theory, it makes no sense.  You're simply seated, with nothing to do, and with no apparent stress.  Shouldn't you be leaving your flight feeling relaxed and refreshed, rather than jaded and faded?

There are several reasons why an airline flight is so physically stressful.  The reduced oxygen level and the arid dryness in the air are two.  And while your seat isn't torturously uncomfortable, neither is it brilliantly comfortable either, especially if you are wedged into a middle seat.

There's another reason why flights are so hard on you, a reason you mightn't even realize.  This reason is the constant attack on your hearing by the airplane's noises.  Because these sounds are reasonably constant and unvarying, your brain is busy working to automatically cancel them out and ignore them, and the combination of physical hearing fatigue from your ears and brain processing activity definitely tires you out.

You might not even realize how loud the background noise is on a plane, but it truly is loud (usually in excess of 80 dB).  Maybe you've noticed, when trying to talk to someone else on the plane, you have to shout rather than talk normally, or when listening to music or a movie, you need to turn the volume up higher than normal.

Some planes are so noisy that extended periods in them risks exceeding published safety standards for noise levels.

Try using noise canceling headphones on your next flight.  Or, for a more low tech approach, simply stick ear plugs in your ears.  You'll be astonished at how much better you feel at the end of the journey.

I reviewed what I believe to be one of the best models of noise canceling headphones last week, the Solitude X, and am referring to them again now because there is currently an exclusive to the Travel Insider only special on them.  You'll have to visit the article to see exactly how amazing a deal you can get on them, and I urge you to do so now and to take advantage of the offer.

1 thought on “How to Make Your Next Flight More Comfortable and Less Stressful”

  1. I did wonder why it’s so exhausting flying (“boy are my arms tired” jokes aside) and this is useful.
    Foam airplugs are available from most drugstores, typically less than $5 for 20 or more pairs. I *always* keep a few pairs in my travel kit. Combined with even a cheap noise canceling headset ($30 from Wal-Mart) does wonders. Since it has a standard headset jack, I can even listen to tunes on my iPhone or watch IFE.

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