We've just returned from our second trip to East Africa. Our experience with both trips was that Ambien helped us get some sleep on the overnight flight (DTW to AMS) but the discomfort of coach makes significant rest difficult. Ambien is more effective with sleeping while on safari. We took one each the first four or five nights and it helps overcome the jet-lag induced middle-of-the-night bug-eyed wake-ups. Also gave me wierd dreams, but it was worth it to give some extended sleep time.

Jim

I can see why Ambien will work for many people.

It has some preperties which make it a good choice.

1. First it has a quick onset of action..like about 15 -20 minutes and this is what you want.

You do not want to swallow a pill and wait for an hour for it to start having and effect..especially if you are on a plane !!

2. And this is important.. the drug has a short half life...of about 2-3 hours.!!

To be fair there are a few other sedatives that have a short have life.

3. You do not want to take this medication unless you have at least 5-6 hours to sleep...and that is usually after dinner is served on the plane...and you can now sleep until your destination is reached.

4. Bendery is okay if it helps you and the side effects are less.

5. Valium is the worse sedative to take.. it has a half life of 60 hours....yes 60 hours !!!!!

For those that may not know...let me explain Half- Life.

Let us take Valium as an example:

You take 5 or 10 mgm of Valium.

Now because its half life is 60 hours( or 2 and 1/2 days !!).....this means it takes 60 hour to clear HALF of it out of your body.

It takes another 60 hours to clear HALF of the HALF left over and so on and so on...

ever wonder why you get that groggy feeling for a day or so after you have used a sedative.!!!

Yep, your body is clearing it away, but the longer the half life the longer the time to clear the drug..to the point where you can at least tolerate the symptoms...

or at least the symptoms are now minimal !!

and of course ... this assume that

you have good kidney and liver funtion...because if you are "elderly"... well your kideny and liver is clearing it but not like when you were 20 years old.!!

Finally analysis is that you want a sedative with a quick onset and a short half life.

Pleasant Dreams

Percy

Percy, are you talking about Ambien's half life? how about the extended release, Ambien CR?

Monliz

The Ambien CR is the slow release..this mean the drug is released into your body over a set period of time.....

It's half life is still the same.

There is now a "drag effect" for clearing it but the half life is not altered.!!!

By the way the CR stands for continuous release.

The tablet would then have to come is two portions( fused into one tablet)..as it would have two mechanism of action!

Percy

I still think the safari itself will get you through the jet lag quicker than say, when you return home or if you had to travel someplace far for work etc etc., ......... Yet, jet lag is jet lag ........ it takes it's course, i guess.