It may not be like a sunny day lolling in the warm grass, but there are things you can do to make that flight so comfy you can drift off to dreamland. First, of course, if you’re flying economy, the problem is that your seat has been designed more for waterboarding than comfort. However, there are ways to relieve the situation. Here are some suggestions: When you fly airlines that assign seats, call as early as you can and ask for a window seat. It’s the roomiest of the cramped tourist area, suffers no aisle traffic nor overweight seatmates climbing over you, and you can lean up against the bulkhead to snooze.

If you’re scheduled on Southwest or other first-come-first-seated airline, get your boarding pass online exactly 24 hours before the flight. Then you’ll have a good chance of being within the first 30 passengers of the A group, and be assured of choosing a window seat. 

If you want to try for a roomier first-class or business class seat through regular booking, you know your ticket price could double. However, some people get first class seats for lower prices by hanging around the check-in desk for possible cancellations of first class, or if the section isn’t totally sold by flight time. The clerk may be authized to bump you up to first class then at a much lower additional fee.

Before you get settled in your seat, you should be wearing comfortable clothing. Loose sweater, a soft cap with a brim you can pull down over your eyes to block out light. Put your shoes in your carry-on and wear slippers. If you’d rather pass the time awake, take along a small laptop that has games and entertainment features. Or if you’d prefer just to keep your ears awake and your computer doesn’t have DVD or CD players, bring along a portable CD player and some discs. Use the big, noise-cancelling earphones so you can concentrate on your own entertainment and/or blot out your seatmate’s sounds.

If you believe sleeplessness on flights is more than a normal problem for you, before you fly, ask your doctor to prescribe medication to help you make it through the flight. The requirement of flying comfortably in an uncomfortable seat is a bit challenging, but if you set yourself up for relaxation and happy thoughts, you can do it. Try it on your next flight.