“This year I have already spent about 64 hours on planes – from Barcelona to Nashville. As a frequent flyer, I have a few tried-and-true tricks that help make air travel more bearable. My most important tip? If you want to get some sleep, fold a sweater – a blanket, scarf, or pillow also works – and place it at your waist, lower back area. This has always helped me close my eyes, although until now I didn’t exactly know why,” writes a “Metro” journalist.
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“Back To Fitness” founder Chris Jolliffe explains the logic behind this.
Why it’s essential to bring a sweater on a plane
Chris told “Metro” that this technique “makes a significant difference when you sit for a long time or try to sleep.”
He explains: “When you sit upright in an airplane seat, there is often a gap between the seat and the natural curve of the lower back. A small support in this area can help maintain a more comfortable position and reduce the feeling that the lower back has to hold you up for hours.”
Chris adds that although he often chooses an inflatable lumbar support himself, you can easily manage with items you probably already have.
“You don’t necessarily need a special product,” he says. “A rolled-up small towel, sweater, or piece of clothing can work perfectly.”
However, it’s not enough to just shove it behind your back carelessly.
“It’s important not to overdo it,” Chris adds. “You don’t want to push the lower back into an exaggerated arch. The goal is to gently fill the lumbar hollow and provide some support, not force the spine into a specific position.”
Also, even if such a posture feels very comfortable to you, you still need to change positions during a long flight.
Chris explains: “The spine generally doesn’t like to be held in exactly the same position for hours, so it’s important to change it regularly. You can shift your weight from one side to the other, move your hips, shoulders, or simply change your sitting posture. These small movements during a long flight can make a big difference.”
The spine generally doesn’t like to be held in exactly the same position for hours, so it’s important to change it regularly.
Tested method
“TikTok” travelers also praise this sleeping technique.
“I always like to have a lumbar roll with me, even on shorter flights – anywhere that lasts longer than one or two hours,” says content creator Winnie. “It helps reduce all that pressure when you’re sitting.”
And “TikTok” creator Kate Hooker says this is one of her best tips for getting the best sleep on a long flight. In a video, she told her followers: “Take a sweater, blanket, extra pillow – anything that can be folded into a fairly flat shape and placed under the lower back. I promise it will make you feel at least a little more comfortable.”
On the “Reddit” forum r/Flights, several users also suggested the same advice.
When one tired traveler asked, “Are there any tricks to actually sleep on a long flight?” the replies included “putting a plane pillow at the lower back as lumbar support” and “holding a pillow at the lower back.”
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What else can be done to make a long flight more comfortable?
Chris says that when trying to sleep, it’s important to take care not only of the lower back. He also recommends a classic neck pillow, which helps support the head and neck.
However, he also advises paying attention to small details that might annoy you in your seat.
“I would recommend checking what’s around you before settling in,” says Chris.
“Make sure the seatbelt isn’t uncomfortably tight, and avoid keeping bulky items like wallets, passports, phones, or other objects in the back or side pockets if they cause you to sit unevenly.
Small things can become surprisingly uncomfortable when you sit or lean on them for several hours.”
If you’re trying to sleep after dinner, Chris warns against unnecessary pressure on the stomach area.
“A very tight belt or waist combined with a slumped or compressed sitting posture can increase discomfort for some people, especially those prone to reflux,” he says.
People experiencing reflux symptoms are often advised to sit fairly upright and avoid tight clothing around the stomach area.
Finally, Chris reminds travelers to stand up and walk around, as prolonged immobility can increase the risk of deep vein thrombosis, i.e., blood clots.
Simple seated exercises: raise and lower heels, lift toes while keeping heels on the floor, flex and extend ankles, gently tense and relax calf muscles.
“You don’t have to wait until you get stiff to start moving – regular small movements throughout the flight are beneficial,” he says.
