Getting some restful sleep during a flight is almost impossible and can leave people taking measures that might actually end up making them feel worse.

One such method is to drink alcohol during the flight.

While drinking can make people feel sleepy, the effect it has on our body while on board a plane means that we often feel worse afterwards, even if we’ve had nap.

Dr. Robert Oexman, founder and president of Somly, explains that the quality of sleep after a drink will rarely be beneficial.

He told Travel + Leisure that alcohol can mess with the brain’s functions and block REM sleep, meaning that any sleep that passengers get is not restorative.

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Dr. Oexman also advises against using sleeping pills when trying to get to sleep on a plane, saying that they can make people behave erratically.

However, he does recommend taking melatonin supplements, which can help people get a restful night’s sleep.

He advises taking one 30 minutes before people are hoping to sleep and to continue taking them for a couple of days after they arrive at their destination, if jet lag could be an issue.

Sometimes sleeping on the plane might not actually be that helpful.

Travel experts at View From The Wing believe sleeping is only useful if you’re arriving at your destination in the morning.

However, if you are landing in the evening, then it’s best to sleep when you arrive, at the same time as the locals.

Sometimes that might mean pushing through to evening if you’re tired, but the benefits for the rest of the trip will make it worthwhile.

The advice is: “Get on the plane and if it’s bed time in your destination, go to bed. If it isn’t, stay up.

“Plan your meals based on the new local time, too. That might mean eating before the flight rather than on it.

“Stay up until bedtime at your destination the day you arrive. If you go to sleep at noon, you’re going to be off for days. You need to force yourself to power through.”

This article originally appeared on thesun.co.uk. It has been reproduced here with permission.

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