Am I the only one that is worried about people taking Ambien on a flight? I have had way too many people "zoned" out(read unconscious) on my overseas flights and it scares me that they would be unresponsive in an emergency.

Hi dutyfree, your comment is most interesting to me as there is no way I would ever take anything to even make me the least bit groggy while on a flight. I know many, or maybe now a days most people do but not me. I want to be alert and have my full capacity in case there is any kind of a problem.

The one time I was comfortable in coach was when I took on a down bed pillow with me and leaned back on it. It was an old one and was not firm at all. I also just take a little piece of zantac to relax a bit. The zantac doesn't knock me out but I figure if something happens to the plane over the Atlantic there is not much I can do anyway.

What am I saying? xanax ! not zantac.

Hi A,

A: Get up about every hour or so and walk around the plane.

Go in the back and do knee bends, arch your back front and back, twist at the waist.

Also helps prevent deep vein thrombosis.

or

B: Right after dinner, drink three servings of gin. Wash down with tonic water. Go to sleep.

Enjoy your flight.

dutyfree, I can't speak for anyone else but I never had a problem "zoning out" on Ambien. Actually I usually don't even fall into a really deep sleep because it's hard to fall asleep sitting upright in coach. I sleep enough that I feel rested upon waking up, but I can still hear hings going on around me unless I am using my earphones.

The only time I've had problems with Ambien is when I've a) taken two of them and b) when I've taken one an hour or so after drinking alcohol...not a good combo. Otherwise no problems at all.

Tracy

believe me should the plane be on fire or goin' down, i'll be as alert as the next passenger (having taken valium or xanax for the flight). these are not sedatives and shake off easily should the need arise for you to be coherent.

Suze and others-the reason that I brought this up was I have had my share of international passengers that have taken "something" and we could not get them up.Examples-they take the pills and then immediately fall asleep into the next passenger's head and shoulder whom they do not know and wecannot move them OR we need to reseat someone right after takeoff and they cannot even open their eyes to communicate. I have had parents take this stuff while traveling with their small children which has been interesting as I don't think that it is fair to expect the flight attendants to babysit for 8-10 hours when there are only 4-5 of us in economy for hundreds?

I meant to add that you are always welcome to come back and chat with me as everyone else does-I know more scoop!!!

dutyfree~ well medicated or not, i have *never* once fallen asleep on a plane flight, not for a minute, regardless of time of day or length of flight, so i'm not the one you'll be worrying over.

If anyone is still reading this and interested in making a coach seat more comfortable, I travel with a "Tush Cush." It fits in the seat but tips your spine so that you don't get pain...I got it for sciatica and it worked wonders. I use it on all overseas plane rides. I got it at my local Longs drugstore, but they're available online. Here's one place: http://www.tushcush.com

To Dutyfree,
Ambien is useful for getting people TO sleep, but not keeping them there. This is from a long-time user for a sleep disorder. I can wake up easily in any emergency, at home or elsewhere, on the Ambien and I take 10mg. You should be able to wake anybody on that--don't know about other stuff, but can speak to the Ambien.

dutyfree, as Kellye mentioned above I don't use Ambien to stay asleep...I use it to help me fall asleep. It has never put me in a deep sleep where I am not aware of my surroundings. And believe me, if there was an emergency it would terrify me into alertness!

I would never take anything in a public place that would put me into the comatose state that you are referring to, although for me most sleeping aids don't work to that extent and otc pills don't work at all. If someone took something that put them int such a deep state of sleep, I would wonder what exactly they took or if they had some kind of adverse reaction to it.

Tracy

We put our trays down and rest/nap by leaning forward into a travel pillow, recently added a semi-inflated $1.40 beach ball underneath the pillow. If you lean forward to nap, you don't have the feeling of subconsciously fighting not to lean to the side.