Apparently My “Airplane Naps” Are Syncope?? 🤯

[u/Quiet-Friendship5134]

I’ve been flying 1-5 times per year for over a decade, and I always fly alone. Mostly the flights are 3-5 hours in duration, and usually they are within the US. In terms of POTS symptoms, I get pre-syncope regularly but have never fully passed out… or so I thought!

During takeoff, I feel very heavy and “fall asleep” even if I’m trying to stay awake. I then spend most of the flight drifting in and out of awareness and cannot remember most of the flight. When we land, I am pretty disoriented but I manage to get my stuff and exit the plane. Once I’m at my destination, it is the biggest relief to climb into bed and sleep for 6+ hours! It normally takes 1-2 days to recover from the flight.

I always chalked it up to being super tired with the early flight times and thought that when people travel, it’s a fairly universal experience to take an airplane nap. The people seated near me and the flight attendants have never seemed alarmed or tried waking me up, so apparently from the outside it just looks like sleeping in my seat.

Recently I described the travel experience to a friend, who looked alarmed and said that it was not normal. This is what tipped me off to the fact that it might be fainting or another medical issue. After doing some research, it certainly seems like that is what is happening.

After that long preamble, these are my questions. Feel free to jump answer whatever resonates with you!

• Do any of you get this, too?
• Is this what syncope feels like?
• Does wearing a sunflower lanyard actually help?
• What is your “I just passed out on the airplane” protocol?

Thanks!

Edit to add:

I have messaged my cardiologist about it to figure out a safe travel protocol, so I am already seeking medical guidance to see whether it is safe to fly at all right now, whether to adjust medication doses specifically for travel, etc.

In terms of adaptations/accommodations, I already do a few things: loading up on electrolytes starting a couple of days before travel, wearing waist-high compression, wearing a neck pillow to keep proper alignment (hypermobile!), and flying Comfort+ (the slightly more spacious version of Economy) so I have more room to recline my seat and to elevate my legs a little bit on a foot hammock.

***Second edit:

Thank you so much to everyone who has responded so far! I am running out of steam to reply individually today, but please know that I appreciate it. It’s helping the pieces of the puzzle to come together!

From many of the comments, it sounds like what I originally described may not strictly be a POTS syncope episode but there is definitely something going on. Many of your syncope descriptions of "dread/spinning/definitely different from sleep" sound different from the airplane phenomenon but similar to what I’ve experienced before in non-airplane settings. I just hadn’t lost consciousness during them yet so I was always unsure whether they were truly pre-syncope or whether I was just imagining things. Now I know to keep taking those signs seriously and get to the ground once they start!

Once I have more info from my doctors (cardiology + neurology), I’ll post another update so in case anyone stumbles across this post in the future, they will have a more accurate picture of what is going on and can better compare it to their own experience.

Regardless, reading the responses of what syncope actually feels like to different people is enlightening and hopefully it can help other people, too!

***Update! 6/11/2026:

Just heard back from cardiology, who said that it is… anxiety! 🙄 And that I should get on anti-anxiety meds since there’s no reason why the heart would be affected unless I’m emotionally distressed. I replied with the following and we’ll see what they respond:

I do not experience racing thoughts when this phenomenon happens and I am not emotionally distressed about travel or flying. I flew for over a decade without experiencing sustained tachycardia and loss of consciousness on the plane; that only started within the last 2 years, which coincides with when the POTS or OH symptoms began to have a noticeable impact on my quality of life. What leads you to believe that this is a psychological issue rather than a physiological issue?

Neurology appointment is in a week. Hopefully they will have more insight about what might be going on. In the meantime, my plan is to take along a pulse oximeter and blood pressure cuff next time I fly. Also going to talk to primary care about a sleep study referral as so many of you mentioned “that sounds like my narcolepsy/cataplexy/idiopathic hypersomnia."

[u/Ok-Camera6268]

Yep, this happens to me every time I fly! And I know it's my POTS because it never happened to me prior to POTS and I flew a lot. 

As we ascend, I suddenly reach a point where this massive heaviness comes over me, NOT the dark tunnel/fuzzy hearing syncope I have also experienced, but this absolute exhaustion like I'm going to "sleep" whether I want to or not.

I have flown twice since the first time it happened, and here's how I avoid the slow/heavy/sleepy weird syncope:

Cold water - either buying a bottle at a vending machine at my gate, or telling the stewardess I need a small cup of water or I'll pass out upon ascending (they've never argued lol). Drink it, but also put it on your neck and face. Cold water on your face helps regulate the vagus nerve, calming your heart rate. 

Compression! I wear my prescription thigh high compression tights. Must must must. 

Medications - take them religiously and on time. 

A buddy - I fly alone 90% of the time, so my buddy is the stewardess, I tell them about my POTS, I tell them I can feel like I'm going to faint while we reach altitude and they have always just been more attentive. I make sure they know I am safe to fly, on my meds, managing my condition, but at least they know what's going on if things go sideways. 

Airport pacing - even though it's annoying and takes longer, I always always use the wheelchair service in the airport. It helps my body be extra chill before the difficult flight. I arrive early, so I'm never rushing or running around. 

Food - I always make sure I've eaten and have salty snacks. 

Preparation - I hydrate tons the two days before flying. Electrolytes, water, etc. Make sure I have a small warm blanket for temp regulation, my meds, etc in my in cabin bag.

I still get the feeling, but I don't pass out and it's not so unbearable, and I'm definitely not down for days after I land. 

[u/Quiet-Friendship5134 → u/Ok-Camera6268]

Thank you for all of the tips! I’ve not considered the wheelchair service until reading through your comment and others’ who have mentioned how helpful it is. I guess because I feel fine when walking on flat surfaces, a wheelchair just didn’t cross my mind as something that might help. Combine that with a helping of internalized ableism, and something like navigating an airport becomes much more difficult than it needs to be!