best way to sleep on flight over
 

I haven't flown overnight to Europe in years - I've never been a good airplane sleeper. I would appreciate any and all suggestions for the best way to get good sleep on the flight over so we arrive with minimal exhaustion. thanks.

Sleeping pill

Ambien works great for me. I get 4-5 hours of sleep and wake up refreshed and ready to go. Make sure you test it at home before you go. A friend tried ambien for the first time on the plane and it knocked her out for about 10 hours.

Another vote for a sleeping pill. I can't even sleep well in my own bed, let alone on an airplane; so it's a necessity. I also bring a sachet stuffed with fresh lavender and keep it near my face. It sounds silly and it may even be a psychosomatic placebo, but who cares as it really does help me relax. (Plus, it can mask unpleasant smells nearby.)

xanax, neck pillow, sleep mask, ear plugs
Also, if possible, eat before boarding so you can get relaxed without all of the meal hubbub.

Wine + regular Ambien = 4 hours sleep
Wine + Ambien CR (time released Ambien) = 8 hours sleep

As someone who works international flights everyweek,please be careful in taking a sleeping pill for the flight.
I have had people take the pill as soon as we got on the flight only to have a mechanical or weather problem with cancellation and we couldn't get them up.
Don't take a pill if you are at an emergency as you will be NO HELP if I need you if you are comatose.

I've had no trouble waking up after taking an Ambien, but I certainly wouldn't take one until the flight was well underway.

To add to what dutyfree says you should do a "practice run" with whatever you take, even if just a benadryl. I also don't take the pill until after takeoff, because if something survivable is going to happen, that is the likely time and I want to be prepared for an emergency exit. I take xanax because I do not wake up groggy from it.

You could also try using Melatonin. It is cheaper than Ambien and is an OTC preparation. Try it out first and it leaves absolutely no sedative hangover as a rule.

Depends on how good of a sleeper you are.

I have taken Ambien and our flight did not take off and I was able to get up without a problem.

So, I recommend it and outside of the package insert, with a glass of red wine.

I don't recommend Xanax, it's not meant for sleep but for anxiety.

Melatonin doesn't work well enough for me, but I do take it at home, but it's not foolproof for me.

Ambien CR does leave me feeling more groggy than the original and it has a longer half life because of its controlled release formula, so again I prefer regular Ambien.

Don't eat too much before you take it...a big fatty meal makes it harder to sleep and can slow the release of the drug.
I highly recommend ear plugs and any other thing that will help you be comfortable in those awful seats.

Benadryl, melatonin and sominex don't cut it for me. Also, many antihistamines and earlier sleep meds can be very drying (which the plane is already anyway).

2-3 Xanax, a glass of wine, and maybe I will nod off for a bit,

The Xanex works better for me because I just can't sit for that long, it calms down my antsyness, sleeping pills haven't worked at all for me and I'm afraid to take more than one because of the reasons stated above, but I haven't a problem taking more than one xanax...to each their own.

I have a cockamamy theory on not sleeping on planes, no matter what you take. I've heard that the airplane is pressurized at 8000 ft, I believe that people who suffer from altitude sicknes (me) can't sleep for this reason. I've never been able to sleep on ski trips, even when we stay at an elevation of 6500ft and take a sleeping pill.

I try never to sit in my seat for over 2 hours. Having had a DVT I like to get up and move aroud. Havng said that, even if I get NO sleep at all I never get jet lag going , just coming home. I do od off naturally for short periods

Booze. Lots of booze.

Business class in a flat bed helps, too.

I'm a side sleeper and I need to lean my head on something in order to fall asleep in a mostly sitting position. I bought a couple plastic popcorn cups (about 8 inches tall) and put them upside down on the armrest next to the window. I put my arm on the cups and my head in my hand, leaned against the bulkhead and I was out for the entire flight. This was the best sleep I ever had and I will continue to use my popcorn cup method.

I get a pretty decent doze with some periods of actual sleep with the following: Neck pillow, glass of wine, pashmina, headphones plugged into mp3 player with relaxing music.

The pashmina goes loosely over my head and then draped around my body - I find that this gives me the feeling of privacy without being heavy and hot (and germy) like a blanket. The music helps drown out any distracting sounds plus it is just enough to entertain me when I wake up that I can generally doze off again or at least veg out.

Having had a severe reaction to (supposedly mild herbal) sleeping tablets on a long haul flight, where I ended up unconcious on the galley floor with an oxygen mask over my face, I would caution against taking these things. I can usually sleep quite well unaided in business, but economy is more difficult if not impossible.

I always wear light clothing as the planes are usually over-heated, drink plenty of fluid and maybe just a glass of wine, and wear noise-reduction headphones playing some ambient music from my MP4. But... if you can't sleep, there's no point fighting it, just read a bok or doze with your eyes shut - one sleepless night is hardly the enormous problem some people make it out to be.

wow, thanks everyone. I use melatonin and benedryl at home and they work well, but I haven't had much luck on airplanes. I may ask my Dr. for an ambien prescription and try it at home to see how I feel, and I love the pashmina and headphone ideas. will also be cautious about when I take whatever, and also eat before boarding - really love this "community" thanks.

I'm in the anti-drug crowd. Just doesn't sit well with me. I do take a few motrin - does that count ?

I try to eat a light meal before we board, take out my contacts before we board, and just generally wind down. I wear a hooded sweatshirt and pull the hood up and use that as my "mental block" from stimulation. It has worked for both me and the kids...

good luck!

(ps, my best advice is for the day you arrive... spend as much of it outside and being active. Take a long walk or do something fun outside. Your body will feel much better this way!)

I take Ativan 0.5 mg, one or two. I never really sleep on planes but I may squeeze out an hour or two with Ativan if I am lucky. At least I am calm even if I am not sleeping (I need this if only to suppress the urge to harm my sleeping husband who is snoringt before the plane leaves the ground, lol).

Ambien or Ambien CR don't work for me so I don't take them on a plane. They leave me more "drugged" than just Ativan and a kind of restlessness which you don't need on a plane.

I like Ativan because it is longer lasting than Xanax. Xanax might work quicker, but Ativan has a slow build up and I feel sleepy in about 1-1/2 hrs after two pills.

Whatever you decide - definitely try before you fly!

I don't ever sleep on long-haul flights, unless I have two or three open seats and can stretch out (hardly ever happens), and I don't take drugs. I just tough it out, doze as much as I can, get up and stretch a couple of times, and arrive with a major dose of optimism that I'll be so excited to be in Europe that I'll make it through the day. I get as much sunlight and exercise as I can the first day, keep moving, eat lightly, take regular breaks for a coffee or tea or cool drink, take a shower in the late afternoon, go out for a light and early dinner, and tuck myself in bed by 10 pm at the latest the first night. I'm fine for the rest of the trip.

A couple of drinks and a guided meditation on my mp3 player helps quite a bit. I don't exactly sleep but it gets me through.

thanks again everyone, I love the lavendar pillow, hoodie, guided meditation ideas, plus the good advice about being outdoors and getting good exercise the first day. Will let you know how it goes.

Replying a little late here, but in the past I've taken regular Dramamine (for air sickness), which happens to have ingredients that cause drowsiness. It kills two birds with one stone for an overnight flight and works a charm.

Sometimes I'm tired enough though that a simple eye mask and ear plugs work wonders.

soggier: wow, I sit next to the same husband who I also want to kill...one time he fell asleep waiting to board the plane, I almost left him in the waiting area...

I'm going to ask my dr about Ativan, sounds good, I definitely need drugs on the plane, thanks

I'm a very light sleeper, and it's very difficult for me to get to sleep, even in good conditions. It's awful on a plane. However, earplugs, making sure I'm hydrated (to avoid jet lag), eyeshades, and either melatonin or (if that doesn't work) xanax or benadryl.

Keep in mind that both Atavan and Xanax are benzidiazepines and as such have a wide range of side effects that are potentiated by alcohol, so skip the wine and see your doc first before taking. People who should not be taking these drugs include pregnant and lactating women. If you have sleep apnea know that benzodiazapines are CNS depressents and could make the apnea worse while it is in your system. Side effects become more common as you move into your senior years. One more caveat, if taking these drugs to sleep on the flight and are renting a car, be a passenger, not the driver for a day.

I vote for sleeping pill and alcohol. It always does the trick...not too much! And NO coffee or cola. Ear plugs, neck pillow, eye mask, remove shoes (I always wear birki's for flying as they are easy on and easy off), loose clothing. Keep a bottle of water at your seat so you don't have to get up or wait for one. Aisle seat always. And eat that dinner! It's too long and you don't want to wake up starving and have to wait for them to serve bkfst. It helps if you get on the plane tired out, so get up early and go for a walk before the airport.

Unless you are flying in first class taking a sleeping pill can be very dangerous to your health.
You may develop DVT in your legs because you are not able to move around .

I was interested to see the comment re Ativan, as I think it's the drug I used many years ago to help me through a very stressful time - divorce. It certainly worked for me then, but I would have never thought of it as a one-time sleeping aid on an airplane! And I don't think my doctor would prescribe it for that, as it's an anti-anxiety pill.

Anyway, I agree with St. Cirq's comments, as I never sleep on the plane either and would never take a sleeping pill to do so. I spend time walking around at my destination, don't nap, and try desperately to stay awake until 10:00 PM. Never have jet lag the next day.
However, I do after I get home. Maybe that's because the old routine isn't nearly as exciting and fun as Paris (or whereever)!

I'm a mess after I get home, too. I think it's a combination of the east-west flight and the fact that I'm not a happy camper coming home from anywhere.

Have toddler wipe out on you (or already sleeping toddler transferred to your lap), nuzzle cute little toddler head, pass out.

Worked like a charm.

The thing that would most help me sleep on long haul overnight flights would be a pistol. I'd use it to pop off the ass who waits until I just manage to drop off to head down the isle using the backs of the seats to haul him/her self along. Some of them really give the seat a jerk, and a sleeper risks whiplash, as well as a sleepless night.

Sorry for the rant, but it's one of my pet peeves, along with seat back kickers in the theater. It is so easy to steady oneself with a hand on the overhead bins, rather than disturbing the sleeper wanna-bees.

"It is so easy to steady oneself with a hand on the overhead bins, rather than disturbing the sleeper wanna-bees."

Yeah sure. If you can reach the overheads.

Nukesafe....I so agree...people are so clueless about using other people's seats. I have had my hair pulled more times than I can count. You should be able to walk up and down the aisles without using seats to pull your self along...I will give a pass to those with physical issues that require some help to move in a plane. But usually, it's just clueless, thoughtless half-wits. Glad to know someone else feels my pain. (I also hate gum-poppers too :-)!

Valid point, november_moon, but if you are that tiny you could reach way up and grab the arm rests.

I also understand that you have to grab anything handy to steady yourself when the plane is bouncing around ---- but few people are sleeping when that is happening. It is the inconsiderate slob that jerks the seat backs just to move forward that gets my goat.

I actually had a nose to nose confrontation once with a chap who was literally doing exercises in the isle while waiting his turn for the bathroom. He had a hand on each seat back, and was vigorously swaying back and forth like he was rowing a boat.

That's my seat. I paid for it. Don't touch!

Hi

After numerous attempts over the years the following works for me:

1. neck pillow: not the stifling U shaped one but the cylinder shape filled with micro beads eg. http://www.cuddlebuddy.com.au/catalogue/c23/c28.
2. sleep mask
3. iPod or similar. Load up a soft music playlist and play it through your earphones at the lowest possible volume to drown engine drone.
4. one Restavit: an over the counter med - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doxylamine

I'm more of a mess when I get home. Even though I can sleep more easily sleep on the plane. I think it's because when I get home I'm so happy to see the pets and be home that I didn't usually get out and take a really long walk like I do when I arrive.

The last time we flew in to LAX and drove home from there so I was ready for a long walk after being in the car for an hour, I felt the jet lag release quickly.


I've been thinking of getting one of these for my next flight.
Has anyone tried it?

http://www.amazon.com/TravelRest-Ult...2705769&sr=8-1


tiny url if you prefer:
http://preview.tinyurl.com/3rsnp8w

I also use Xanax as mentioned by several others. It is not a sleeping pill per se, rather an anti-anxiety med. I still don't get "a good night's sleep". Personally for me that is impossible on an overnight flight. I've never really slept on a plane. But it does help me doze off now and then. I use the airline provided headphones and listen to music to dull the cabin noise.

nukesafe, the other one that bugs me is when people pull on the seat in front of them to stand up. I understand some people have bad knees or don't have the leg strength, but man, they really tug the seat backwards when they yank on it!

I feel your pain. Leaving tonight... will let you know how it goes!