We get it. Waiting in the airport lounge for an hour, only to be informed that your flight is delayed by another hour. When it's finally time, you somehow make it to the departure gate and board the plane. Once the cabin crew finishes their safety checks, you settle into your seat and let out a sigh of relief. After all that waiting, you just want to close your eyes and catch a few minutes of sleep. But you may want to resist that urge! That’s right. Flight attendants have a very specific reason for wishing passengers would stay conscious.

Why flight attendants want you to stay awake

If you are someone who dozes off the moment you settle into your seat, you may want to hear this. It can be tempting to close your eyes while you are waiting for your flight to depart. But the cabin crew would not really recommend it.Wondering what’s the harm in shutting your eyes before your plane takes off? Well, the crew have a solid reason for wishing passengers would stay conscious until the wheels leave the runway. Flight attendant Ale Pedroza, who lives in Orlando, Florida, revealed why you should avoid this common mistake during your next getaway. In a list of ‘what not to do’ on a flight, she explained when not to nap. "Let's talk about things you shouldn't do on an airplane - coming from a flight attendant," the flight attendant said in a TikTok video."The first tip is try not to fall asleep before take-off. I know travelling can be exhausting and sometimes you just want to get on an airplane and go straight to sleep,” she said.But according to her, pre-flight napping is not really the best thing to do while flying. The issue isn't about judgement or comfort. It's about physics and your own ability to respond if something goes wrong. “Not only is it not good for your ears to fall asleep before take-off, but you also want to remember that taxiing is one of the most crucial phases of flights. You want to make sure that you are completely aware and completely awake in case of an emergency or in case you have to evacuate,” she said.Taxiing is the period when the plane moves along the runway before acceleration. This is one of the most active phases of flight from a safety perspective. During this time, crew members need passengers to be awake, alert and capable of understanding emergency instructions if evacuation becomes necessary.

Don’t lean on the window

Now, another important aspect is avoiding leaning on the window. It may feel comfortable, but that is the last thing you may want to do. Air steward Tommy Cimato, who has over 4.3 lakh followers on TikTok, revealed why travellers must avoid leaning their head against the window. "Do not fall asleep or lean your head on the window. You're not the only person to do that and you don't know how many people or children have wiped their hands or other things all over the window,” he said.

Shorts are not ideal for your airport wardrobe

Cimato also warns against wearing shorts. Going for shorts and a comfy shirt while flying may sound comfortable, but that isn’t exactly protecting you. It sounds arbitrary until you consider the seats, armrests and other surfaces your legs will touch. Your shorts won’t really serve that purpose. You don’t want your bare skin touching those seats, even though they are maintained. "Don't or try not to wear shorts when on an airplane. You never know how clean it's going to be, so if you're wearing trousers you're going to have fewer germs," Cimato advised.

Wear your shoes

Beyond the sleep question, flight attendants have also shared truths about aircraft sanitation that explain why certain behaviours matter more than comfort might suggest. Don't walk barefoot to the lavatory. You don’t know if the floor is clean. Know that cleaning happens between flights, not between passengers. Your feet don't need to know what lived on that surface before you. "One of the most obvious ones is don't walk around barefoot on any airline or any airplane. If you decide to take your shoes off in your seat, that's a different story, but do not walk into the lavatory with bare feet. You never know what you are stepping on, and the floor is not always the cleanest!" Pedroza said.Next time you are flying, keep these in mind. Safe journey!