We’ve all been there: your route flight has been cancelled and now you are stuck inside of the airport for another 12 hours. It happens all of the time and because of it, people lose sleep. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Since there is such a demand for people wanting to know this information, we are going to talk about the top 10 tips for sleeping better in an airport.
10. Have a Backup Plan
Realize that the majority of airport officials are not going to be entirely supportive of people sleeping in an airport. A lot of the times, they will ask you to leave until your flight is within two hours of landing. Basically, be prepared for those questions and also be prepared to present your outgoing ticket. And realize that if sleeping in the airport isn’t an option, you will need to go find a personal hotel so plan for this beforehand.
9. Expect a Cancelled Flight
As a general rule of thumb, always expect your flight to be cancelled. This is especially true if you are hearing reports of hurricanes, snowstorms, or other natural disasters occurring in or near the area where you are traveling. But either way, you should always expect a flight to be canceled for the simple fact that you will be more prepared when the time comes to actually sleep. This tip holds double for people who travel on a regular basis. Some essentially tools to bring with you would be a sleeping bag, pillow, and eye cover.
8. Be Safe
Whenever you find yourself sleeping in an airport, it is always a good idea to keep safety a priority. It is your job to know where all of the cameras are as well as security guards. While you don’t need to necessarily sleep right under their nose, you should be in their vicinity. This will prevent someone from stealing your things or causing harm to you while you are sleeping. If you are traveling alone, and are in a country that isn’t entirely safe, practice this tip with more fortitude because it could make the difference between being attacked and robbed or sleeping like a baby.
7. Bring Something Comfortable to Sit On
If you don’t take anything else from this article then make sure that you remember this tip. If you’ve ever been to an airport then you already know that those pesky chairs and curved seats usually have arm handles separating them. As someone who wants to fall asleep in an airport, this can make your objective very difficult to obtain. This is the reason you want to bring something comfortable to sleep on. Not only will it be much more comfortable, but it will prevent lumbar damage. And you don’t necessarily need a pillow either. Simply bring a towel, set it under your buttocks, and fall asleep.
6. Get There Early
If you are going to be staying overnight in a busy airport, you’ll want to get there early so that you can find a good spot. This is especially true if you are going to be there during the summer months when traffic is going to be at its highest. For example, an airport like London’s Stansted would really require you to get there early if you plan on finding an ideal location.
5. Scope out the Area
The first thing you should do if you’re planning on sleeping at an airport is to scope out the area. While this may be one of your biggest challenges, it will ultimately be the most beneficial thing you can do for your situation. Walk around and explore the various terminals. Do you see any there are less saturated with people? Are there security guards walking around? If you can’t find a place to lie down right away then don’t panic because you can always considering sitting down in the meantime and falling asleep. In some cases, airport staff may point you in the right direction.
4. Rent a Car
If you are unhappy with your area and can’t find a descent spot to fall asleep, you could consider purchasing a rental car. Sometimes you can spend hours trying to find a place to fall asleep and if you’re on a budget then you definitely aren’t interested in purchasing a hotel room. But here is something that not a lot of people think about: you can rent a vehicle for about $20 and spend the night in there. Sure you may need to pay for parking but the night of sleep that you’re going to receive because of it can sure be rewarding.
3. Protect Your Possessions
Aside from watching out for your own health, always make sure that you are keeping an eye on your things. While it doesn’t happen too often, there are people who will attempt to steal your bags while you are sleeping. And by the time you wake up and try to do something about it, they are long gone. There are really two ways you can go about keeping your things safe. For one, if you don’t have a lot of stuff then you can simply wrap the handles of your bags around your body and sleep like that. But if you have too many bags, or a bag that is too large, consider checking them into the airport. Some airports do provide this option and some don’t so figure it out when you arrive.
2. Play Dumb
Even though you are becoming really savvy at sleeping in airports and know what to expect, play dumb when you are confronted by airport security. Even if you’re someone who sleeps in airports on a regular basis, act like you’ve never done it before. In some cases, the airport staff may feel empathy for you and allow you to remain where you are. While it doesn’t always work, you should never act like you “know it all”. This will automatically have your sleeping rights revoked.
1. Stock Up
At night, you may find yourself hungry. If you have a long time until your flight arrives, consider stocking up on food. And the reason that you’ll want to do this is because most food places are going to be closed during the night and won’t open up until the morning. If you’re going to be spending the night in an airport then you’ll want to have food to last you through the night. Even if you are only going to be sleeping, you may wake up with the mid-night munchies.