'Red Eye Flight' and Birchat HaShachar

Hi, I have a “red eye flight” tomorrow, and I generally sleep for about an hour straight during the flight. Is that enough, and is sleeping while sitting on a plane considered a night’s sleep in order to later recite Birkat Hashachar?

The Answer:
Yes. Sleeping for an hour, even while sitting, since that is the normal way of sleeping on a plane, is considered sheynat keva, and you may then recite all the Birkat HaShachar, including Birkat HaTorah, however with regard to Al Netillas Yadayim, one may only recite it if this was his main sleep for the night.

The Answer in Depth:
Really, the question needs to be divided into two parts:

1. With regard to Birkat HaShachar (such as Elokai Neshamah Hama’avir Sheynno and Al Netillat Yadayim).
2. With regard to Birkat HaTorah.

So let’s break it up and address these two issues:

Birkat Elokai Neshamah, HaMa’avir Sheynah, and Al Netillat Yadayim

First, we need to know, how long does one have to sleep for it to be considered a proper sleep that would then obligate him to recite Birkat HaShachar?

This is addressed in the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 4:16) as follows:

שולחן ערוך אורח חיים הלכות הנהגת אדם בבוקר סימן ד סעיף טז
 דוד היה נזהר שלא לישן שיתין נשמין, (פי' ששים נשימות), כדי שלא יטעום טעם מיתה

David was careful not to sleep sixty breaths (i.e., the time of sixty breaths), so that he would not taste the taste of death.

We see that the measure of sleep is sixty breaths. The Bi’ur Halacha brings three opinions as to how long sixty breaths are:

ביאור הלכה סימן ד סעיף טז
 דוד וכו' שיתין נשמי - רבו בו הדעות בשיעור זה י"א דהוא ג' שעות וראיה מהא דהאר"י ז"ל היה ישן בשבת ב' וג' שעות ויש דוחין דשאני ת"ח בשבת דמצוה לענג השבת ועוד אינו מוכרח כלל דשמא היה ניעור כמה פעמים בתוך שינתו ולא היה ישן ס' נשמין בפעם אחת וי"א דהוא יותר מחצי שעה וי"א דהוא שיעור מעט יותר משלשה מינוט ע"כ בעל נפש יחמיר לפי כחו.

“Sixty breaths”, there are many opinions on this. Some say it is three hours, based on the fact that the Arizal would sleep two or three hours on Shabbos. Others argue that maybe he would only do so on Shabbos, as it is a mitzvah to rest and enjoy Shabbos, and also, it does not specifically say that the Arizal slept two consecutive hours. Some say it is more than half an hour. Others say it is a bit more than three minutes. 

Le’halacha, Hagaon Harav Fried says, based on the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (Siman 2:8), the Kaf HaChaim (Siman 4:55), that the Shiur of sleep Le’halacha is half an hour.

The Chayei Adam (Klal 7:8 and Klal 8:9) writes:

חיי אדם חלק א כלל ח
 הניעור כל הלילה, מברך כל ברכות השחר חוץ מעל נטילת ידים ואלהי נשמה והמעביר שינה. ואם ישן ס' נשמין, מברך את כולם. :

One who remained awake the entire night recites all of the morning blessings except for Al Netilat Yadayim, Elokai Neshamah, and HaMa’avir Sheynah. But if he slept sixty breaths, he recites all of them. 

We see from the Chayei Adam that if one sleeps sixty breaths (which we said is half an hour), then one may recite Elokai Neshamah, HaMa’avir Sheynah, and Al Netillat Yadayim. This is true even if it was not a sheynat keva, meaning he didn’t sleep in the normal way one goes to bed. For example, if he slept on a bench or chair, he is still obligated to recite these blessings.

However, we do find that the opinion of the Rosh is that one needs to sleep sheynat keva in order to recite Birkat Al Netillat Yadayim.

The Mishnah Berurah brings the opinion of the Chayei Adam only regarding Elokai Neshamah and HaMa’avir Sheynah, while the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch brings it even with regard to Al Netillat Yadayim.

So, in practice, Hagaon Rav Fried says that if one slept half an hour, even if it was a sheynat aray (temporary sleep, like on a chair or bench), one is obligated to recite HaMa’avir Sheynah and Elokai Neshamah. With regard to Al Netillat Yadayim one recites it only is this was his main sleep, if not, he should recite it.

Birkat HaTorah

It is brought in the Rishonim (Shu”t Maharam of Rothenburg, Prague ed., Siman 43; cited in Shu”t Rashba I:1455; Be’er Sheva on Berachos 13; Shu”t HaRosh Klal 4:1; and the Gemara Berachos 7:9; Tur Orach Chaim 47 and 231) that one needs to have slept sheynat keva, a proper sleep, in order to be able to recite Birkat HaTorah.

Unlike the other blessings, this does not require specifically sixty breaths (half an hour). The main thing is that one intended to sleep and did so in a proper manner. For example, if one went to bed, even in daytime clothes, with the intention of sleeping, and then slept even for a few minutes, he may recite Birkat HaTorah.

Therefore, circling back to your case of sleeping for an hour during a night flight:
Since it is the normal way to sleep on a plane in a sitting position, even if you are wearing your day clothes, as long as your intention was to sleep and you did fall asleep, then you may recite even Birkat HaTorah However A Netillas one may only recite it, if it was his main sleep for the night.

Wishing you a safe journey.