10 strategies for sleeping better on a long flight

Did you not sleep on your last long flight? There are steps you can take to change that next time around.

The reasons you can't sleep well in flight are legion, some less obvious than others. As much as possible, you want to re-create the same environment that you experience in your own bed. Not easy, but the closer you get, the better you'll sleep. Here are 10 sleep killers and how you can defeat them.

Wind and engine noise create stress and are anathema to sleep. Block out as much noise as you can when you fly.

Tip: Bring and wear earplugs (either silicone or foam with a decibel reduction rating of 30 or more). They won't block out all the noise, but enough to make a difference. Put a pair of Bose noise-canceling earphones on top of the earplugs (don't play music, just turn them on). Flying on a quieter plane helps, too. Airbus A380s fly much quieter, for example, than some older models.

Even when all the window shades are down, we now have those seatback video screens throwing off light along with those lighted signs in the cabin.

Tip: Wear eyeshades. When I fly at night, I see very few people wearing them. No wonder they can't sleep. Buy and carry your own (Tempur-Pedic makes a great one), or grab one from an amenity kit if you're flying in first class or business class.

How many times have I been deep in sleep on a plane and dreamed that I was in an earthquake, only to wake up and find that it was air turbulence? More times than I care to recall.

You wake up in the middle of the night with a mouth so dry you'd think you had been chewing dry oatmeal all night. Airliners at altitude are as arid as a desert. Sadly, even drinking tons of water won't keep your throat, mouth and nasal passages moist. In fact, it may defeat sleep if your bladder wakes you up.

Tip: Fly on a plane made of composites such as the Boeing Dreamliner 787. The cabin air is humidified at 10 to 15 percent, compared with 7 percent or so on other aircraft (planes are kept desert-dry in part because metal rusts; planes made of composites have less of an issue).

Alcohol may make you feel drowsy at first but then it comes back roaring in the middle of the night, partly because it will dehydrate you.

Tip: Limit yourself to one glass if you just can't resist that free Champagne (some international airlines still serve it, even in economy class).

What do you sleep in at home? Well, unless you sleep in the nude, try the same thing when you fly. While I'm a big fan of looking decent when flying, wearing loose clothing in the air will help you sleep better. And that doesn't mean you have to wear sweatpants.

Planes always seem to be overheated. Most people sleep better in a cool environment.

Tip: Ask the crew to lower the cabin temperature if it's too hot. If your plane has air nozzles, turn one on at full force.

Ever find yourself waking in the middle of the night in a high-altitude city such as Denver, gasping for a breath or perhaps with a headache? It's altitude sickness. The same thing happens when you fly.

Tip: Since aircraft flying at 35,000 feet are pressurized to simulate 8,000 feet or so, flying in a Dreamliner will help you sleep better. They're pressurized at lower altitudes, typically 6,000 feet. You'll notice the difference on a long flight. The new Airbus A350 and new versions of the Boeing 777 (dubbed the 777-X) will also fly at lower "cabin altitudes."

Watching an action movie or violent TV show before trying to fall asleep is a bad idea, on land or in the sky. If you don't do it at home, then don't do it while airborne.

I've been known to fall asleep even in the most cramped economy seat, but clearly you should choose your seat with forethought.

Tip: Pick a window seat so you can lean against the wall of the cabin, preferably away from lavatories and galleys, and, as mentioned, over the wings. Window seats also ensure that a seatmate won't wake you to get up. Make the seat even comfier by bringing your own pillow (and no, those neck pillows aren't the same thing but they're better than nothing). Speaking of seats, not all economy class or even business/first class seats are created equal. Some are clearly more sleep-inducing, such as Air New Zealand's well-padded new premium economy seats. Premium econ on foreign-based airlines is worth the splurge at fares far below business or first class.