Dianna

I know this item is very frivolous for a trip to Europe but...my husband snores very loudly and I sleep with a sound machine..it really helps! Will this run on the voltage in London & Paris? Or will I risk burning it out? Thanks for your help!

tina

Be careful of Excedrin as a sleep aid, I think it contains caffeine. One of the things that i use is a walkman with relaxation/meditation tapes and books on tape. On the plane I sometimes don't have much ability to concentrate on a book. The thing I rarely want to do is talk to my seat mate.

Carissima

Just had to get in on this great thread.

Until recently, most of my travel has been from Canada to India (generally 18 hours). On my last trip, return flight, I took a couple of Gravol. It not only knocked me right out from Bombay to Frankfurt, but after a five-hour stopver, I was able to fall sleep again, from Frankfurt to Toronto.

Although I am petite and can curl up in airplane seats quite effectively, even I find them uncomfortable so I really recommend trying a sleep aid. Generally, there's nothing I'd rather be doing. It also keeps you from eating the disgusting food (and having to use the restroom).

Thankfully, my next trip is a relatively short jaunt: Toronto-Paris, about 7 hours or so. But I'm still planning on the Gravol!

Have a great time.

pam

re: nightmares from melatonin
from my readings & discussion w/ husband's coworkers @ a nat'l natural-foods market, you just sleep more soundly & deeply and probably are in dream phase sleep whatever it's called more than usual.... My conclusion is that we don't usually get enough of that kind of sleep so aren't used to vivid dreams. JMHO.

Holly

my last trip - Sydney to London was 23 hours. I bought a book to read, a whole stack of magazines, ones that I don't usually buy and which included crosswords and puzzles and a gameboy. Then I watched the inflight movie and tried to sleep, although I didn't get more than an hour. Once arrived at destination don't go to bed, I know it sounds tempting but stay awake, see the sights or something and go to sleep at the local time, it helps your body to adjust. Hope this helps.

Jo

Last year, I embarked on a trip from Scotland to Sydney. Left Aberdeen 11am Wednesday Morning, arrived Sydney 9am Friday Morning (11pm GMT) total of 36 hrs travelling time. Not the best journey I've every had, but to be honest, the excitement keeps me going. The worst thing is sitting around the airports, especially in hot countries, as the air con usually makes it feel like alaska.

Best suggestion I have about beating the long flight problem, is to break up the journey. On the way back from Perth, Australia in July, I stopped off for 3 weeks in Thailand, then Oman, London, then back home to Aberdeen. I realise this can be a bit difficult from East USA to London where there you pray they don't stop enroute, but where possible, it's worth considering.

Rachael

Hi, I'm only a teenager, but I have a LOT of experience with flying. The closest airport is Philly, and we usually fly from there. I've been to Hawaii and Calgary, and that's the farthest I've been so far. But the 11 hr. flight to Hawaii was excrutiating, save for what I brought and the movie. In my experience, bring several BOOKS, lots of CDS or TAPES, be sure to watch the INFLIGHT MOVIE because it takes up time, PROLONG MEALS as mcuh as possible, listen to all of your cds from song one to the last one, write LONG LETTERS to friends and family back at home, and since i can never sleep, don't. you wake up feeling groggy and it's not worth it. Also, a long flight is a great time to think about your posistion in life, where you stand, and how to fix broken relationships when you return home. write letters to old friends or peoplet that you haven't talked to in a while. also, if you have a LAPTOP, be sure to bring it! take advantage of the modem port!