When you've got a long flight ahead of you, it can be tempting to try and fall asleep as soon as you get onto the aeroplane.
But actually, there's a surprising reason why you should fight to urge until the plane's taken off and the seatbelt sign is switched off - and it's nothing to do with safety.
As The Express explains, it's actually not ideal to be asleep during take off or landing, due to the changing air pressure. When you're asleep, you could be inhibiting your body's ability to acclimatise to new pressure and damage your ear drums, as you're not awake to prepare properly.
British pharmacist Angela Chalmers explains,
"A quick change in altitude affects the air pressure in the ear. This leads to a vacuum in the Eustachian tubes which makes the ears feel blocked and sound dull. Try not to sleep during takeoff and descent as you will not be swallowing as frequently and this can lead to blocked ears."
This is also part of the reason why people encourage passengers to suck sweets, chew gum or drink water during a flight, as it encourages you to swallow and therefore avoid blocked ears.
Good to know, huh?
Dusty Baxter-Wright is an award-winning journalist and the Entertainment and Lifestyle Director at Cosmopolitan, having previously worked at Sugarscape. She was named one of PPA’s 30 Under 30 for her work covering pop culture, careers, interiors and travel, and oversees the site’s Entertainment and Lifestyle strategy across print, digital and video. As a journalist for the best part of a decade, she has interviewed everyone from Louis Theroux and Channing Tatum to Margot Robbie and Ncuti Gatwa, while she has also spoken on Times Radio and BBC Radio. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram here.
