The Travel Essentials I Use to Survive Red-Eye Flights

I’m no stranger to the occasional overnight flight. They’re cheaper, less crowded, and sometimes your only option. Much to my dismay, this was the case with my flight from New York to London. So, I began my preparations.

Although flying at night isn’t ideal, it doesn’t have to be unbearably painful if you’re equipped with the right things.

I’ve struggled through many all-nighters, but I’ve finally cracked the code on how to feel comfortable and get rest on an overnight flight. All it takes are these 10 essential items for travel.

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1. Lavender Heating Sleep Mask

Holding a Lavender Heating Sleep Mask — *My disposable heating eye mask*

When I discovered these disposable heating lavender eye masks on my trip to Japan, I knew it would be a game-changer for overnight flights. Falling asleep on planes has always been difficult for me, even when they dim the lights down low and everyone gets cozy.

It felt effortless to drift off into dreamland during my red-eye to England with this sleeping mask over my eyes. It’s effective thanks to its combination of warmth and soothing lavender scents. The fragrance stays localized as well so it won’t bother anyone else onboard.

Don’t worry, you don’t have to travel to Japan to purchase these heating eye masks. These BeHoomi Lavender Heated Steam Eye Masks work in the exact same way.

2. Under-Eye Masks

Opened retinol under-eye mask for my flight — *The retinol under-eye masks I used on my flight*

After long overnight flights, I always have these cavernous dark circles under my eyes that take forever to go away. Apparently, I’m not the only one – a puffy face and under-eye bags are the standard look for most travelers after a red-eye.

I’ve found that the best way to avoid this less-than-flattering look post-flight is by throwing on an eye mask during the flight. On my flight to England, I used these retinol sheet masks, but there are plenty of other options out there that can deliver the same effect.

For example, these grace & stella Gold Under Eye Masks are fantastic for flying because they come in individual packages and completely de-puff your under-eye area.

Since I’ve started using under-eye masks on planes, I always get off my flights looking refreshed and ready to go. Even after overnight flights.

3. Plane-Friendly Snacks

Two plastic of Snacks for a flight — *My plane snacks for my flight to England*

My international flight to England provided dinner service, but that wasn’t enough to hold me over for seven hours. Especially because my favorite plane activity is watching movies and munching.

I recommend packing snacks that aren’t too messy or smelly to curb your mid-flight hunger pangs. I brought along a snack pack with a variety of choices. This time around I opted for Goldfish, honey mustard pretzel bites, and some coconut biscuit bars.

Avoid bringing extremely sugary treats as your snacks on an overnight flight. These will likely keep you awake the entire journey and can dehydrate you fast since planes have extremely low humidity.

4. Carry-On Toiletry Bag for a Morning & Evening Routines

Carry-on toiletries and makeup bags — *My carry-on toiletries and makeup bags*

Not being able to do my evening and morning routine is the main reason why overnight flights have always felt so unbearable to me. It makes me feel gross to be caked in yesterday’s makeup and unable to brush my teeth after such a long endeavor.

On my red-eye flight to England, I was determined to avoid this fate by packing a carry-on toiletry bag. It worked wonders at bringing me back to life.

I packed one bag with a toothbrush, toothpaste, breath mints, under-eye cream, make-up remover, and contact lenses. Then, another bag included some makeup essentials, which I threw on an hour or so before my flight landed.

You can easily alter your carry-on toiletry bag to better match your needs. For instance, I’m completely blind, so bringing along some extra contacts was a must for me.

5. Homemade First-Aid Kit With Plane Essentials

Carry-on plane first aid kit — *My carry-on plane first aid kit*

I’ve been the victim of a mid-air headache or bout of insomnia on the plane, and these things can really drag the rest of your travel day down. Before my overnight flight to England, I assembled a simple first-aid kit with all the plane essentials to keep myself in tip-top shape.

My standard plane first-aid kit contains things like melatonin, hand sanitizer, motion sickness pills, and Motrin. I also always bring along a Chapstick because my lips tend to get dried out in the low-humidity environment of a plane cabin.

6. Over-Ear Headphones

Travel Lemming writer Sky Ariella wearing Headphones — *Travel Lemming writer Sky Ariella wearing my Doqaus headphones before a flight*

One of my most regretful travel purchases is my Apple AirPods. Every time I attempt to wear them during a long flight without fail, they leave me with pain in my ears for days. This time around, I decided to invest in these DOQAUS Over Ear Bluetooth Headphones.

Now, I’ll never go back to regular in-ear headphones. The sound quality is incredible with these over-ear headphones and they’re so much more comfortable than traditional ones. The best part about them is the battery life lasts forever.

If I’d used my AirPods, the battery would have been dead long before the end of my 7.5-hour journey to England. On the other hand, my DOQAUS headphones’ battery lasted for days after the flight was over on a single charge.

7. Fuzzy Socks & Cozy Sweater

Dr. Scholls fuzzy socks for a flight — *Dr. Scholls fuzzy socks for my flight to England*

I run cold even on solid ground. But my freezing internal temperature is amplified even more when I’m flying. The average plane cabin hovers around 70℉ and it feels a lot colder since you can’t move around very much and everyone has their air vents on.

A warm sweater and a pair of cozy socks always do the trick to keep me warm on a flight. It also really boosts your comfort level.

My personal favorites are these Dr. Scholl’s Fuzzy Spa Socks. They’re extremely soft, affordable for budget travelers, and infused with vitamin E to moisturize your skin in the dry cabin air.

8. Journal & Pen

A pink journal and blue pen — *My journal and pen*

Hours seem to melt away when I’m writing in my journal, which makes it the perfect activity for a long, overnight flight. After all, there are only so many movies you can watch before you start to go a bit insane.

While a pen and paper might sound boring to some, there are a million and one activities to do within the pages of a journal. Doodling, travel journaling, creating to-do lists, and even playing games with your travel partners. The possibilities are endless.

My latest journal is this durable Wiisdatek Notebook and I’m a big fan. It’s simple, extremely cheap, and comes in 12 different colors to suit anyone’s tastes.

I also picked up these UIXJODO Gel Pens for my plane journaling. They write smoothly and I think they look super sleek as well.

9. Kindle E-Reader

A Kindle E-Reader on a pink background — *My Kindle e-Reader, ready to read a fab novel by Gabrielle Zevin*

The Amazon Kindle is the ultimate travel hack for readers in my opinion. I was always adamantly against the Kindle because I’m one of those old-school nerds who like the feel of a physical book in my hand. That’s not always possible, though, when you’re traveling.

Carrying even one book can be cumbersome during a trip abroad. It’s even more difficult for someone like me who tends to read as many as 3 books at a time.

The Kindle solves this problem as it can hold up to 6,000 books at once. Plus, you can read without turning on your overhead light and disturbing other sleeping passengers.

The Kindle store also allows you to download previews of a book before you buy to decide if you like it. This feature alone is an indecisive reader’s dream come true. All in all, the Kindle is the perfect gadget to make the long hours of a red-eye fly by.

10. A Change of Clothes

Travel Lemming writer Sky Ariella taking a pic after her overnight flight — *The outfit I changed into after my overnight flight*

My final step to making myself feel like a human again after my overnight flight to England was changing into a new outfit for landing.

I wore leggings, sneakers, and an oversized hoodie on the plane. That ensemble was great for comfort, but not my ideal look for trotting around London.

Before we landed, I swapped out my plane ensemble for this lightweight skirt, tights, and a black bodysuit. Simple, easy to carry, and cute enough that you wouldn’t be able to tell I just spent all night on a flight.

Something as basic as a new outfit can seriously improve your mindset post-redeye.

***

An overnight flight is the bane of every traveler’s existence. However, these 10 tricks improved my experience tenfold during my trip to England. Now, I’ll never get on another long flight without these items.

Another big thing you have to worry about with international travel is pesky time zone changes. For example, I was super nervous about the 13-hour time difference between New York and Tokyo before my trip to Japan.

Luckily, I employed a foolproof method for acclimating to the time shift. Check out my article on how I completely avoided jet lag on my trip to Japan to learn how I did it.