I have taken more overnight flights than the stock market has taken dips in the past few years, and I have my method down to a science. Here are my tips for how to travel on an overnight flight.

I wear a pair of thick leggings, a tank top and an oversized cardigan. I always wear a scarf because I usually get cold, and those plane blankets gross me out. I also wear ballet flats that I can easily slip on and off. Here is what I wore on my recent flight to Paris. I love the combination of conservative stripes and funky tie-dye. 

The scarf I am wearing is from one of my favorite companies: Brightly Twisted. They tie-dye each piece by hand, and the colors and patterns are so chic. The weather always seems to be cold and rainy when I’m in Europe, so I know I will use this a lot on my trip. You can find the website here: Brightly Twisted.

Because transcontinental flights usually take off at night, I have a good dinner before I leave for the airport. Then I can concentrate on sleeping on the plane. As soon as I sit down, I take a Children’s Benadryl (half the strength of a regular Benadryl). It makes me drowsy, but won’t leave me woozy the next day.

I found an eye mask that is contoured, so it won’t smush my eyeballs (or smear my makeup) when I wear it. It’s very comfortable and keeps all the light out. A mask with a set of ear plugs and travel pouch costs under $10. Find it here: Mack’s® Dreamweaver Sleep Mask. 

This contoured eye mask is very comfortable

I put my carry-on in the overhead, so I have enough legroom to sleep. Colgate Wisps, tiny disposable toothbrushes with toothpaste in them, is my go-to brush for the plane because they are so convenient for travel.

I wear makeup on the flight so I don’t scare small children, but I don’t put on mascara until the morning. I find that my makeup smears less when I’m not wearing mascara. 

Since I’m not moving around on the flight and blood flow to my legs is decreased, I wear a pair of compression socks so my feet stay warm and don’t swell. You can find them here: Travelsox.

If you’re searching for travel sizes of luxe brands, look no further than 3floz.com. They are a great source for creams, hairsprays, scrubs, etc that are hard to transfer to travel bottles yourself. They are also a great source if you’re not sure that you want to commit to buying a full size of a product.

I’m always looking for news ideas and tips on how to travel better. Feel free to leave yours in the comments section below. I’d love to hear them!

Illysia Neumann-Loreck