7 Tips for Better Airport Sleep

Those who travel frequently and across long distances, have surely slept in an airport at least once in their lives. Whether as a result of a layover or, even worse, an overnight delay. While sleeping in an airport isn’t quite comparable to the comforts of your own bed, we hope these 7 tips will make your slumber at the airport at least a bit more bearable:

1. Go on the hunt for three empty seats that don’t have interfering armrests in between them. Pro-tip: preferably have these also be in the general vicinity of your gate. This way you can sleep longer without having to worry about reaching the gate on time after your night’s rest.
   
2. Take a scarf with you! You can either use this as a pillow if you don’t have a travel pillow with you, or you can repurpose it against the cold air conditioning, which is almost always on at airports.
   
3. Lay a t-shirt or sweater over your eyes to shield them from the bright light that never goes out. Additionally, place your bag with valuables under your head like a pillow. This way you get a somewhat more comfortable sleep while at the same time preventing your belongings from being stolen.
   
4. Try to dress adequately and not look like someone who just hangs at the airport. While passengers are easily acceptable, try not to look like a vagabond, even if you have hours of journey ahead and just want to be comfortable waiting for that next flight. The better you look, the less likely security will bother you.
   
5. Take a washcloth with you. Even if you’re not able to take a proper shower at the airport, the ability to wash your face and feel reinvigorated is as close as it’s going to get. Another item that you might want to bring along is a toothbrush. Having freshly brushed teeth makes one feel as fresh as a daisy.
   
6. Don’t forget to set your alarm clock! While this is a quite obvious tip, you should also not forget to set this at the correct time zone on your phone. As you would typically need about an hour and a half to wake up, go to the bathroom, wash your face, brush your teeth, grab a cup of coffee and a quick bite and be back at the gate, make sure you time this correctly. Especially since one can never trust their biological clock at an airport!
   
7. Check this very useful website. For all travellers who need to spend a night at the airport, there’s SleepingInAirports. Here, passengers can find other useful tips and advice on the best places to sleep at specific airports.