Sleep Deprivation

Ok the problem turns out to be that airplane seats are not designed for sleep. This is an unfortunate situation when you are flying across a rather large body of water (i.e. the Atlantic Ocean) at night. I mean really who can sleep sitting bolt upright!

Some have suggested getting one of those coveted window seats. The advantage to the window is of course that you can wedge your head in the corner formed by the wall and the seat and therefore keep it from lolling from side to side or dropping unto your chest while you try to sleep. The obvious problem with that is of course that in a 747 there are seven (count them 7) seats across and only two of those seats have the advantage of being next to a window (of course on the bright side that puts 4 seats on an isle, so there's really only one middle seat per row). You’d practically have to book a year in advance to get one of those seats on that type of flight just for that reason. Then aside from the few number of window seats to be had is that I’m claustrophobic and the idea of being trapped by someone else sitting next to me and blocking my escape to the aisle (never mind that there's no where to go once I get there...let's not start me thinking on that shall we.) is just unbearable.

They do provide you with a comfy little 'toy’ pillow on these long overseas flights but all that does is, that once you stick it behind your head, it helps keep your chin on your chest in that lolling position that you might achieve as you fall asleep anyway. If you recline your seat the 10 or so whopping degrees allowed by that little button on the armrest and then utilize said pillow, you have achieved nothing more than to put your head in its original upright position.

The seat I am currently sitting in has these lovely little wing things on the head rest that can be pulled forward to create an artificial corner for your head to rest in, but fail miserably as they are positioned a bit too high to be of any use to short people. They could improve on this design by making them adjustable and by adding a strap so you could strap your head to the head rest. That would solve all the lolling problems. Add a three point harness and you could even sleep through turbulence.

You might think that these disjointed and angry musing are just a product of a crabby and sleep deprived mind and well hell let’s face it you’re right. But what else am I to do for entertainment on a 9 hour flight. Sleep deprivation is an ugly thing.

I have to stop now because the woman in the (window) seat next to me is snoring and is disrupting my train of thought with her peacefulness. Hang on, I think I've just thought of another use for that toy pillow they gave me!