Why you should never use the plane window to sleep during a flight
BEFORE your next long flight, you might want to rethink the window seat if you want some shut-eye.
Many passengers opt for the window seat so they can lean against it to sleep.
However, a study has found that this isn't a good idea - as it isn't the best way to nap.
, who conducted the study, spoke to nearly 1,000 passengers about their sleeping habits while travelling.
And it found that the best position to sleep in may not be what you think.
The study said: "While window seats are ideal for various reasons – the view most likely topping them all – people may think the ability to lean to the side will help them sleep.
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"But according to our study, leaning to the side resulted in the worst quality of sleep.
"Instead, leaning forward was the best option, followed by sitting up straight.
"Even reclining back didn’t seem to help much, a feature that airlines may be taking out altogether.
"Although travellers may consider the middle seat to be the worst seat on a plane, a middle seat located in the middle of the plane ranked second for the best sleep quality, followed by a middle seat in the front of the plane."
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That's not the only reason you shouldn't lean on it.
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Cabin crew member Linda Ferguson, who worked on airlines for 24 years, said it was the dirtiest part of the plane as passengers regularly cough and sneeze against the surface.
Also touching it with dirty hands or their dirty hair, it isn't advised to lean against it unless you clean it thoroughly.
She told Readers Digest: "I see plenty of people carry Lysol wipes with them that will wipe the area around their seat."
Tommy Cimato, a member of the cabin crew, backed this up.
He said in his TikTok video: "You're not the only one who has done that, and you don't know how many people or children have wiped their hands or other things all over the window."
Here are some other methods to falling asleep during flights.
Being early to the airport is one of them, according to an expert.
