Some air travelers have an almost magical ability to sleep out as soon the plane engine starts and then stay asleep until they ariives. If you’re not one them, so here are 10 tips for making it easier to catch some sleep on your next flight.

1. Book a window seat. Not only can you prop your head against the cabin wall or window, you won’t have seatmates waking you up every time they have to go to the bathroom.
2. Drink water. While you don’t want to drink so much that you’ll have to keep getting up to use the toilet, staying hydrated will make it easier for your body to rest. As water may not be readily available to you throughout a flight, bring your own bottle.
3. Dress comfortably. Leave your tight pants and clothes in your suitcase and opt for breathable clothing and comfortable shoes. Wear layers, as airplane cabins have an amazing ability to change from hot and stuffy to cold and breezy and back again over the course of a flight.
4. Avoid caffeine. It might be tempting to whittle away your time with a latte while waiting to board, but you’ll pay for it later. Also avoid the tea and coffee service onboard the plane.
5. Bring pillows and blankets. Nowadays with some airlines charging for pillows and blankets or removing them from the plane to save money, it’s best to bring your own. That way you can also be sure to have a product that works for you, whether it be a neck pillow, an inflatable cushion, or fleece blanket. If you forget yours at home, most airports have shops that sell them.
6. Bring an eye cover. Some airlines may give you eye covers for international flights, but you can’t count on it, so bring your own. You’ll look silly, but it’s amazing how blocking out light can make it easier to nod off.
7. Bring ear plugs. If you plan to use ear plugs, try out a few different brands before you fly. Everyone’s ear canals are shaped differently and not all brands may work for you.
8. Bring noise-canceling headphones. A good pair of earplugs is usually enough to help you fall asleep, but on some particularly noisy planes, its helpful to also wear headphones (with or without soft music playing) that cover your ears.
9. Fasten your seat belt over your blanket. The flight attendants will wake you up if they can’t see it.
10. Consider sleep aids, but be careful. Before you take any sleep medication, talk to your doctor about which might work for you. Melatonin is a mild, natural sleep aid many travelers find helpful, although it may not be enough for some. If you’re going to take anything stronger, make sure the flight is long enough (eight or more hours) so the product can work through your system.

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Make sure you get the seat with a bassinet or cot:
Pre-book that bulkhead seat where they attach a cot for your baby. Apparently all airlines have different policies about that, and some aren’t too reliable about actually providing the seat you’ve booked, so hassle them.

Travel with tired kids:
Try to schedule flights that will take place during times your children usually sleep. Impossible with a long-haul flight, but if you can at least make the first leg relatively easy with a sleeping child, then you’re half way there.

Allow extra time for everything:
Get to the airport earlier and avoid tight connections. Everything takes longer with children.

Be prepared for take-off:
Remember that children’s ears are super-sensitive to the air pressure changes that we barely notice any more. Give them something to drink or to suck on during take-off but be prepared for screaming anyway.

Ration out the entertainment:
Have a new toy or colouring book ready to surprise the kids with when boredom begins. Let them watch as many in-flight movies as they can concentrate on – forget your normal TV limits. Likewise, if they’re old enough, let them play the onboard computer games for hours.

Ask for help:
Identify the kind flight attendants who think your kids are cute, and passengers around you who are also parents and have sympathy for your plight. You might need their help, and don’t be afraid to ask.

Ignore the complaints:
It’s not fair, but you might get complaints to your face, or at least sense some discomfort around you. Ignore them. Those people who think you shouldn’t take young children on flights are just unsympathetic and pretty thoughtless.

Limit the luggage, but take everything you need:
Packing for travels with kids is a bit paradoxical. Try to strike a balance between having everything you need to deal with any problems they might have, and to keep them entertained, but avoid having too much hand luggage to battle with, when you’ll probably also have a stroller or pram to handle as well.

Share the load:
As soon as your toddlers get big enough, have them carry some of their toys in their own backpack for as long as they can. It helps you and encourages good travelling habits.

To drug or not to drug?
There’s a lot of talk about giving child-safe sedatives to your kids to help them sleep better on a flight. It’s absolutely a talk-to-your-doctor area because some children have bad reactions to these drugs.

The family vacation is a time-honored tradition, but many parents find themselves even more tired and worn out after the vacation than before it started. Traveling with kids can be very demanding. But it doesn’t have to be so tough. When you plan your next family vacation, use these tips to help make vacationing with kids a roaring success.

1. Choose your destination carefully.

Of course, you want to choose a place everyone will enjoy, but also think about the implications of your destination. If you’re going to the beach and you live in New Hampshire that would be quite different from going to the beach from Missouri. You have different options on where you go and how you get there. Keep those needs in mind as you choose a destination.If you’re considering Disney World or another theme park, but your children are of widely differing ages, consult a guidebook to decide which park provides the best options for all your children.2. Use the best transportation for your kids.

Traveling on a plane with a child can be a little challenging, but if your destination is more than a few hours away by car, flying may be the best option. Think through the various ways you can reach your destination, including renting a minivan for a more pleasant drive, or buying a DVD player for the back seat of your current car.

3. Pack carefully.

Traveling with kids sometimes means improvising, but try to keep that to a minimum by making sure everyone has appropriate clothing, shoes, books, toys, and medication. This last is absolutely critical, as a sick child can ruin even the best vacation.

4. Keep them occupied.

This may sound obvious, but the best way to keep kids happy on a trip is just to give them something to do. Pack activities and toys to keep them busy. If your kids are old enough, let them pick their favorite things, but make sure you check to insure that there are enough activities and enough different things to do.

5. Keep them fed and hydrated.

Tired, cranky kids are often hungry and thirsty kids. Whether you’re traveling by plane, car or train, carry along plenty of snacks and make sure the kids have enough to drink. Sugary soft drinks and even juice can increase thirst rather than really quench it, so make sure your kids get plenty of water, as well.Traveling successfully with kids is really no different than traveling successfully without kids. You have to make sure everyone’s needs are met. Kids just have slightly different needs that may include that special blanket or a copy of their favorite comic book.

The main problem many parents have in taking a family vacation is not that their kids are misbehaving, but just that the trip and the kids are not compatible, either because the kids are bored, or because they’re tired, hungry, or thirsty. Taking care of all those contingencies makes for a fabulous trip.