A folded jumper placed in the small of your back can help you sleep more comfortably on a flight, according to chiropractor Chris Jolliffe, founder of Back To Fitness. He told Metro that this technique “makes a significant difference when sitting for a long period of time or trying to sleep.”
Jolliffe explains that when sitting upright in an aircraft seat, there is often a gap between the seat and the natural curve of the lower back. “A small amount of support in this space can help you maintain a more comfortable position and reduce the feeling of your lower back having to work to support you for hours at a time.”
How to position the support
Jolliffe says you don’t necessarily need a specialist product. “A rolled-up small towel, jumper or item of clothing can work well.” However, he cautions against overdoing it: “You don’t want to push the lower back into an exaggerated arch. The aim is simply to gently fill the hollow of the lower back and provide some support, rather than forcing the spine into a particular position.”
Even if the position feels comfortable, he advises changing your posture regularly on long flights. “The spine generally doesn’t like being held in exactly the same position for hours, so changing your position regularly is important. You can shift your weight from one side to the other, adjust your hips, move your shoulders or simply change how you’re sitting. These small movements can make a big difference over a long flight.”
Travellers share their tips
Content creator Winnie says, “I love to bring a lumbar roll with me always, even on shorter flights, anything longer than one to two hours. It helps to relieve all that pressure when you’re sitting.” TikToker Kate Hooker calls it one of her “best tips to maximise sleep on a long haul flight.” In a video, she told followers: “Get yourself a jumper, a blanket, a spare pillow, anything that you can fold up into a flat-ish situation and put it under the lower part of your back. I promise this will make you feel a little bit more comfortable.”
On the r/Flights subreddit, several posters have suggested the same advice. When one traveller asked “Are there any hacks for actually getting some sleep on a long haul flight?”, responses included “plane pillow at my lower back for lumber support” and “airplane pillow at lower back.”
Other comfort tips
Jolliffe also recommends a neck pillow for head and neck support, and advises checking your seat before settling down. “Make sure your seat belt isn’t uncomfortably tight and avoid having bulky items such as a wallet, passport, phone or other objects in your back or side pockets if they are causing you to sit unevenly.” He warns against tight clothing around the abdomen, saying “a very tight belt or waistband, combined with slumped or compressed sitting, can aggravate discomfort for some people, particularly those prone to reflux.”
Finally, he reminds travellers to get up and walk about, as long periods of immobility can increase the risk of DVT (blood clots). “Simple exercises while seated include lifting and lowering the heels, lifting the toes while keeping the heels down, flexing and extending the ankles and gently tightening and relaxing the calf muscles. You don’t need to wait until you feel stiff before moving — regular little movements throughout the flight are useful.”
