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

• Flight attendants rest in a hidden room on Air New Zealand's plane.

• The in-service flight manager gave me a tour of the secret bedroom.

• I entered a cramped room with just enough space for eight beds and storage.

On Air New Zealand's long-haul flights from the US, a flight attendant's job doesn't stop until the plane's completed takeoff, dinner service is done, and passengers are resting. Their breaks are only a couple of hours long.

I wanted to know where they were resting. On a recent flight from New Zealand to Los Angeles, I boarded the plane early to view the crew area that is usually off limits to passengers.

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The in-service manager for my flight met me at the airport. We went to the rest area together.

We walked past the last row of economy seats into the rear galley.

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There is a camouflaged door at the back of the plane. A steep stairwell was revealed after a latch popped open.

There was a tread that led to a bedroom for flight attendants. I climbed the steps.

I was surprised by the size of the rest area. The room was large enough to fit eight beds, but it felt cramped due to its narrow hallways and low ceilings.

I was too large to stand upright. I hid and crawled around the dimly lit room.

Six are usually occupied at the same time. She said that the typical long-haul flight has 12 flight attendants who take breaks once meal service is done.

When it's their turn to rest, a flight attendant will open the locked door, climb up the stairs, and pick one of the eight bunk bed-style nooks to sleep in.

The room cannot be used during takeoff and landing. During these times, the rest of the aircraft cabin is pressurized, but there's no air flow in the bedroom until the plane reaches 25,000 feet.

The bed of the flight manager has a phone in it to communicate with the pilots.

A curtain is used to block out light and create a sense of privacy.

Each bed has a seat belt for safety.

I found a mirror and two storage compartments in the nooks.

There is a panel that controls the lighting in the sleeping space.

I was able to crawl into her bed. It wasn't as supportive as my mattress back home, but I thought the thick mattress topper was good for sleeping.

There was a mirror in the front of the room that flight attendants could use to store their personal items.

There was a control panel in the front of the room.

There was a closet at the back of the cabin. It is for uniform storage.

The rest area was bare. I did not see any TVs for entertainment. The flight attendant focuses on relaxing and resting in the room.

During her break, she usually sleeps. Flight attendants struggle to sleep on planes and use their breaks to rest.

I noticed less flight attendants in the cabin as I walked around the plane before I went to sleep.

I was happy to know that the flight attendants had a place to take a break after a long day of work.

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