How to beat jetlag, sleep on a plane and get a restful holiday.

We all go on holiday for some rest and relaxation… and then often find we can’t sleep.

The bad news is that there's a biological reason why most of us won’t sleep very well on the first night. Scientists have discovered that we sleep poorly when we first arrive at an unfamiliar place because one half of our brain stays more alert to “keep watch” in case of danger.

“It goes back to our evolutionary past,” says Dr Guy Meadows, clinical director of The Sleep School and brand ambassador for Bensons for Beds. “It’s a natural survival tendency. We see it in wild animals and birds too. Dolphins will sleep with one eye closed while the other is looking out for sharks. On the first night in a hotel, our brains are more vigilant, looking out for 'lions and tigers'. It’s the same area of the brain that we see activated in chronic insomnia sufferers.

“The key is to try to dilute the sense that it’s a foreign environment. Humans are very routine-based. If you have a pillow that you’re quite particular about, pack it – it'll give your body a sense of recognition. Or take a family photo to keep by your bedside to give a sense of home away from home.”

For the best chance of catching some holiday shut-eye, Meadows talks us through the techniques that work best.

Sleeping pills sound like a good idea, but they're best avoided (Rex Features)

Before you go

​Pre-empt jetlag by tweaking your sleeping patterns in the lead-up to your trip. “Jetlag is a confusion between your internal body clock and the actual time, and it gets much worse when you’re travelling east as you’re losing time," says Meadows. But you can adapt your body clock before arrival. Adjust the time you go to sleep and wake up in the days before you leave, so that you're moving towards your new time zone. Even if you're flying longhaul, and can't sleep to your destination's schedule, getting closer by a few hours will take less time to adapt.

Don't take sleeping pills and don't overstimulate your brain if you want to sleep on the flight (Rex Features)

By Dawn Emery.

Culled from MSN News.