I went inside a hidden room where flight attendants sleep on long-haul flights. I was amazed by its small size and comfy beds.

• On Air New Zealand's Boeing 777-300ER, flight attendants rest in a room hidden above economy class.
• I explored the secret bedroom with an in-service flight manager.
• As I scaled the steps up to the room, I entered a cramped space with eight beds and storage.

For travelers, long-haul flights typically involve cramped quarters and attempts at sleeping.

It's not just the passengers who get a rest. When flight attendants and pilots work long shifts, they also take a break — in tiny rooms hidden on planes.

On the way back to the US from New Zealand in 2022, I went behind the scenes for a firsthand look at flight attendants' break room on Air New Zealand's Boeing 777-300ER.

On Air New Zealand's long-haul flights, a flight attendant's job doesn't pause until the plane's completed takeoff, dinner service is finished, and passengers are resting. Even then, their breaks last only a couple of hours.

As someone who has survived several long-haul flights, I was curious about where those breaks occur. So, on a 12-hour flight from New Zealand to Los Angeles, I boarded early to tour the crew area, which is off-limits to passengers.

Read more: I took a 13-hour flight to New Zealand from LA. Here are 8 mistakes I made and what I'll do differently on my flight home.

Sarita, the in-service manager for my flight, met me at the entrance of the plane. Together, we navigated to the crew rest area.

We walked past business class, premium economy, and the last row of economy seats into the rear galley.

Read more: I went inside Air New Zealand's future plane cabin that has bunk beds in economy and wireless chargers in business class. Take a look.

At the very back of the plane, Sarita approached a door camouflaged by a wall. After pressing a sequence of buttons, a latch popped open, revealing a steep stairwell.

Each step was covered in a non-slip tread that led up to a bedroom for flight attendants. I grabbed onto the handrail and scaled the steps.

As I entered the rest area, I was surprised by its small size. While the room was large enough to fit eight beds, low ceilings and narrow hallways made it feel cramped.

At 5'8'', I was too tall to stand comfortably. Instead, I crouched and crawled around the dimly lit room

While there are eight beds, Sarita said six are occupied at a time. That's because most long-haul routes have 12 flight attendants who take breaks in shifts once meal service is finished, she said.

When it's their turn to rest, a flight attendant will unlock the door, climb up the stairs, and pick one of the eight nooks for their two-and-a-half-hour break.

Sarita also told me the room can't be used during takeoff and landing. While the rest of the aircraft cabin is pressurized during these times, she said there's no ventilation in the bedroom space until the aircraft reaches 25,000 feet.

As the flight manager, Sarita said her bed had a telephone so she could communicate with the pilots and crew.

Each sleeping nook had a heavy curtain designed to dampen the sound, block out light, and create a sense of privacy.

Each bed had a seat belt for potential turbulence, with blankets and pillows strapped underneath.

I also spotted a mirror and two storage compartments inside each nook …

… as well as a panel to control the lighting in the sleeping space.

Sarita allowed me to crawl into her nook, and it felt surprisingly cozy. It wasn't nearly as supportive as my bed back home, but the thick mattress topper was comfy enough for a nap.

Once out of her bed, I moved to the front of the room, where there was another mirror and storage for flight attendants to stash their personal belongings.

Also in the front was a control panel for the room's temperature and an outlet.

At the very back of the cabin, I noticed a closet. Sarita told me it's for uniform storage.

Besides the lights and mirrors, the cabin rest area appeared bare. There were no windows, and I didn't spot any TVs for entertainment. Sarita said that's because the flight attendant's main focus in the room is relaxing and resting.

Sarita said she usually falls asleep during her break. Other flight attendants on board told me they struggle to sleep on planes, so they just use their breaks to rest.

Sure enough, as I walked around the airplane before I went to sleep, I noticed fewer flight attendants in the cabin.

After watching them prepare the cabin, serve dinner, and complete countless behind-the-scenes tasks, I was glad to know these hardworking flight attendants had a comfortable place to take a well-earned break.

Read the original article on Business Insider