Why do we [nap, fart, cry, etc.] on planes?
In-flight experiences, explained by industry experts.
In case you, like me, had the silly notion that your personal experiences were in any way specific to you and you alone: surprise! Not sure if it’s a relief to know we’re not alone or a disappointment to learn that we’re not unique, but either way, it turns out that other people have been experiencing the very same weird phenomena we have while they’re on airplanes, too.
So many other people, in fact, that these phenomena have warranted entire articles explaining their origins. Like, why do we fall asleep on planes? Or feel gassy while flying? Or end up with greasy hair after a flight? Fear not, my friends, industry experts have the answers about our shared in-flight experiences. And they’re just as weird as we—a lot of us, apparently—are.
Why do planes make us gassy?
Per a New York Times article by Alice Callahan:
That tightness you feel in your waistband on a flight? “This is a real thing,” said Dr. Melissa Hershman, a gastroenterologist at Oregon Health and Science University.
We always have some gas in our digestive tracts. We swallow air when eating and drinking, Dr. Hershman said, and our gut microbes also produce gas.
When an airplane climbs and cabin pressure drops, that normal amount of gas expands, taking up more space in your stomach and intestines, she said. This is similar to what happens to a bag of chips or a plastic water bottle, said Dr. Moshiree, a gastroenterologist at Atrium Health Wake Forest in Charlotte, N.C. “It becomes all puffy.”
If gas is causing pain or discomfort, holding it in will make you feel worse, she added. “It’s healthy to just let it out.”
Walk to the bathroom if you can. But if that’s not an option, let the engine noise be your cover and “just let it go,” she said. “Trust me,” she said, “you’re not the only one farting on an airplane.”
Why do we cry on planes?
According to a Condé Nast Traveller article by Olivia Morelli:
Dr. Tara Swart, neuroscientist, advisor and author, explains that our emotional turmoil once we take off is linked to what happens to our bodies physically. “For some people, travel makes them nervous, but hypoxia is the main differentiator in air travel in terms of impact on the brain physiologically,” she tells us. “The lower than usual air pressure causes mild hypoxia in the brain (low oxygen levels). These affect our cognition and make us less able to regulate our emotions and manage stress.”
Why does it feel like we always get our periods while traveling?
Per a Glamour article by Krystin Arneson:
The travel period, it turns out, isn’t that unusual. “When anything is stressful, we know that can get in the way of having a regular period or someone ovulating,” says Lauren Streicher, M.D., a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.
Traveling, even to the most magical of destinations, can be a minefield of stressors—weird sleep schedules, questionable foods, mad dashes to the airport—which can cause a spike in cortisol that can really throw off your body and the regularity of your period, says Leah Millheiser, M.D., director of the Female Sexual Medicine Program at Stanford University School of Medicine.
This irregularity isn’t universal: “It certainly doesn’t happen to every woman every time they travel, but it may happen occasionally,” Dr. Millheiser says.
Why does our hair feel greasy after flying (even if we just washed it)?
According to another Condé Nast Traveller article by Olivia Morelli:
“Airplane air is very dry. It has low humidity and lacks moisture. This can dehydrate your skin, including your scalp,” says Anabel Kingsley, Trichologist at Philip Kingsley. “While not always the case, many people’s scalps may produce more oil to compensate for this dry air, leaving them with greasier roots.”
“Travelling is also stressful, and stress can further increase oil production,” Anabel adds. “Also, when stressed, you may touch your hair more than usual and subsequently transfer oils and dirt from your hands onto your strands. Plus, your scalp can get sweaty from rushing through the airport, lifting heavy suitcases and carting around carry-ons.”
Why does flying make us so tired?
From a Bloomberg article by Kristen Brown:
“Commercial airplanes fly about seven miles above the ground. That low-pressure air is good for flying, but lean on oxygen,” explains Jeffrey Ellenbogen, neurologist and director of a research initiative called the Sound Sleep Project. “At these levels, there is less oxygen than most people are used to. Some respond with fatigue, and even sleep.”
Planes pump conditioned air into the cabin, but the air up there isn’t equivalent to what we’re used to on the ground. The US Federal Aviation Administration allows for cabin pressurization to have the same atmospheric pressure as an altitude of up to 8,000 feet — what’s known as cabin altitude. That means, when you’re sitting in your seat devouring the latest straight-to-streaming rom-com, it’s about equivalent to being at the top of Washington’s Mount Olympus. That’s part of why flying can feel so exhausting. “The brain is an oxygen-hungry organ. Low levels of oxygen can reduce functions like thinking clearly, and even wakefulness,” says Ellenbogen.
But if you find that after sleeping for most of a 14-hour flight you still aren’t rested, that’s because the sleep you are getting isn’t necessarily good sleep. “The fatigue of low oxygen doesn’t lead to quality sleep,” Ellenbogen says. That’s something to remember next time you’re trying to convince yourself you’ll get plenty of sleep on a red-eye.
What else isn’t unique about us do you experience in-flight as travelers?
Honestly, so many things. Chances are that you’re more like your fellow airline passengers than you’d think. Kinda nice to know we’re all out here sharing the ~*human experience*~ together, I guess?
But seriously, please tell me all the things you experience on airplanes that strike you as odd or weird—I would genuinely love to keep learning about what flying does to us mentally/emotionally/physically. What else is science for!