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!