Jetlag and Sleeping aids
 

Does anyone use sleeping aids to help lessen the inevitable jetlag? Just curious.

Yeah. Never had a jetleg so stubborn that a few wee drams of Highland Park couldn't alleviate.

I swear buy Ambien, take 1 after take off and you'll sleep till you land,and with no lag, you'll be good to go.
Best of luck
Fluffy

Also the key from going to the US to Europe is when you land in the am, you have to stay up as long as possible and try to get to bed around 8 or 9pm. If you go to sleep when you arrive, it throws you completely off balance.

Another vote for Ambien. It comes in both 5mg and 10mg tablets. Try it at home before you fly to see if it has a big effect on you or none at all, and adjust the dosage accordingly. Great stuff!

Where do you get Ambien?

Ambien (Zolpidem) is a sedative/hypnotic produced under patent protection by Sanofi Pharmaceuticals.

It is available by prescription only and is classified as a Category IV (definite potential for abuse) by the FDA.

Cheers,

Ron

Dietdoctor: you must not be a doctor if you don't know about Ambien.

I too take Ambien on long night flights. I also use it the first few days in the new time zone to get my system back on schedule. Though it is true it could be habit forming, it is rarely abused and one does not develop tolerance. Discuss it with your doctor.

PS Remy: what is Highland Park - other than the town I live in?

I never bother with the prescription medications to help me sleep. Usually I get a free one (flying business class) called Dewars!!!! One or two or maybe three of those and I'm out like a light for the flight over.

I also usually go business class and a few glasses of red wine will help me "sleep"... not out like a light like some folks do though. I may take a Tylenol or Excedrin PM, but never any other sleep drug.
When I get to Europe, I try to stay up until about 9pm that first day. That helps me get used to the new time zone a little easier.
It also helps if you can get a red-eye flight like the 10pm Chicago to Frankfurt. You arrive later in the day in Europe, and typically would have slept a good portion of the trip because you leave home so late. That helps too.
Carol

Hi--I take an ambien the moment we get on an evening flight--have a lite dinner and I'm gone folks--4 hours or so of sleep is great--we then go until about 10 the day we arrive and usually get a good night's sleep. Works like a charm!

Make sure if you use Ambien you give it a trial run. I use 1/2 of a 5mg tablet and that's plenty to get me to sleep without feeling groggy when I awake. FYI, you can buy Ambien over the Internet but it's rather pricey (30 tablets for $127). Better deal to go see your GP and he can give you prescription for a small supply.

For this post my screen name is "Paranoid"

Why would anyone want to be drugged or near drunk on a flight overseas? IF something happens I want my wits about me. As far as jet lag, the best advice given (in my opinion) so far is to force yourself to stay away the first day, no naps and no giant caffein intake, until 10:00pm or so. Then stay in bed - even if it means just reading - until 6:30 or 7:00am. Resist the urge at 7:00am if you feel drowsy to go back to sleep.

awake . . . not "away"

They're playing Gigli on the flights now so you won't have a problem.

jor....cutting but fair!

Snoopy, pray tell if "anything happens" on the flight over the Atlantic, what do you hope to accomplish if you do have your wits about you?

And for the record: one, two, or even three Dewars won't really make me "drunk", especially not with all that food they serve. But they sure will relax me so that I can sleep.

One of Ambien's best features is that it typically does not produce any groggy feeling upon awakening. I feel much more doped up and have more trouble waking up if I take one Tylenol PM than 5mg Ambien. I have also found that with Ambien I can wake up at any time, even 2 hours after I've taken it, and be alert.

A few drinks may or may not help me sleep. I find alcohol unreliable in that way.

Again, cannot stress it enough, try Ambien or any sleep assisting or relaxing drug at home before you fly. You may need to adjust the dosage. Sensitivity is not size-related -- my husband, despite outweighing me by 50 lbs, needs far less Ambien than I do for the same effect.

I fly overseas once a week and I am working the flight. My tip for jetlag-take a shower and then ONLY a 3 hour nap when you arrive.(After 3 hours it seems to get you into the deep sleep that makes you feel even worst than death when you get up).Then get up,get out in the fresh air-perhaps have a cafe au lait and then hit the pavement(whether its shopping,sighseeing or having a great dinner later on in the evening).I used to die when I was traveling to Europe for vacations as I could never figure out whether I should stay up or sleep away the first day.With the above, I have finally gotten onto something that gives me the best of both worlds. That little 3 hour nap really takes the edge off so you are not "zoning" off in your dinner.Some of my traveling partners have tried the Ambien route and have reported that you should take the smallest amount as you seem to need at least 8-10 hours of sleep to get the stuff out of your system. Alot of them have said that they won't use it anymore as it has produced some strange symptoms the next day.I agree about having your wits about you when you travel (particularly) on overseas travel!

dutyfree, your friends' experience with Ambien illustrate again why these drugs need to be tried out at home first. I have never had any of the problems you mention, especially feeling that it takes so long to get it out of your system.

I take 1/2 of a 10mg. tablet, it's not like you're unconscious, you're asleep if any real emergency happened you could still wake up and have your wits about you.As suggested a trial run before you leave is a good idea, everyone reacts to RX medication differently, overall Ambien is safe and non- habit forming.
Happy trails
Fluffy

Patrick,

Surely you are kidding. Odds are that nothing will happen. However, if something does happen . . . I am a pilot and I have a 2nd Degree Black Belt in Kenpo Karate. Neither of those skills is augmented by alcohol.

I just reread my own post and I did not mean to sound arrogant. I was on a Pan Am 747 leaving Hong Kong in 1975 when shortly after takeoff a turbine blade broke off and was sucked through the engine, blowing the guts out of it and causing the plane to dip severly -- we were in a fairly steep left turn and the outboard right engine blew. The woman in the seat next to me had been drinking quite a bit as we'd been held at the gate for almost two hours and the flight attendants opened up the bar as a courtesy. As the plane shuddered and the water seemed to be rushing up toward us she threw up twice, people were screaming and moaning, and I simply decided that if I die in a plane crash I want to be stone cold sober, and if I survive the initial impact of a plane crash I don't want any impairment.

I've realy never been particularly bothered by jetlag on the trip east. I sleep when I can , walk around in the sun, nap 2 hours in afternoon and am in bed by 11. Then ready to go!

The only thing that bothers me about using a sleep aid, such as Ambien, you are greatly increasing your chances of DVT or as it is now called , ECS..economy class syndrome. Being in your seat in an upright position for 4-5 hours without moving is an accident waiting to happen. It doesn't matter your age or health condition, DVT strikes without those concerns. I'd rather have a restless night and move around than chance a hospital stay after I arrive.

We swear by no-Jet Lag. We've taken it to the Orient, too. 3 of us took it on our last trip-the 4th who did not slept through lots of sites. We have pictures of her sleeping in all kinds of places.

Diane

When I take Ambien, I am not immobile (as in unconscious). I shift around about the same amount I would if I were just sleeping on the plane. I never thought about it, but I guess my tiny bladder is a great preventative for DVT, Jody, as I have to get out of my seat at least every 2 hours. :-D

My local pharmacist recommended an herbal solution: melatonin. I haven't used it yet but plan on it for an upcoming trip to Europe. Has anyone else tried it? It's supposed to offset the grogginess associated with prescription drugs..

Melatonin isn't an herb it is, <i>&quot;is a neurohormone produced in the brain by the pineal gland, from the amino acid tryptophan. The synthesis and release of melatonin are stimulated by darkness and suppressed by light, suggesting the involvement of melatonin in circadian rhythm and regulation of diverse body functions. Levels of melatonin in the blood are highest prior to bedtime.

&quot;Synthetic melatonin supplements have been used for a variety of medical conditions, most notably for disorders related to sleep.&quot;</i> ( mayoclinic.com )

Melatonin doesn't work for me. The only way for you to know if it will work for you is to try it - but do this <i>before</i> traveling.

Dear DutyFree,
THanks for your advice. THe next time I fly to England or Europe, I am going to do what you suggested. Every time I fly east, I am a complete wreck. Once I arrive, I make myself stay up all day, wind up eating all kinds of things I shouldn't just to stay awake, feel sick to my stomach, and then can't stay asleep when finally I allow myself to go to bed. I should add that as hard as I try to sleep on the plane, I find it close to impossible although the next time, I will take my new Bose noise canceling headphones. Maybe that will help, too.

Whatever you decide to use, do take the good advice and try it at home before your trip. I tried out melatonin before a trip we made a couple of years ago-ended up with night terrors.

I've since learned that you can increase the amount of melatonin naturally by wearing a sleep mask. Your natural melatonin production is reduced by light--even the ambient light in a darkened aircraft cabin (or the light from a clock radio on your bedside table). Wearing a sleep mask will eliminate most of this melatonin reduction.

Xanax or Valium for the first few nights after arrival helps you to sleep thru and get you on to local time. Less intense than Ambien, Lunesta and other prescription sleep aids.

From what I've read, to lessen jetlag, you're supposed to avoid alcohol and caffeine and drink lots of liquids. But when they offer me that free glass of champagne, I weaken....

Just a thought

How many of you who take meds carry a prescription with you?

And has no-one had a problem with customs?

sassh-We always take Ambien (for Husband who tried every non-prescription suggestion before finally getting this, the one thing that works) and Xanax (for me-afraid to fly but that doesn't keep me from traveling). We've never taken a doctor's prescription with us and often don't take the original bottle. Never had a problem - I too would like to hear from someone who DID have a problem and what they did about it (and I don't mean a story about the occasional celebrity caught with prescription drugs).

No, I don't carry a prescription. Sometimes I use the original bottles w/ label, sometimes not. It's just a small amount, obviously for personal use for 1 trip. No one has ever paid any attention.

I am a huge fan of Ambien and take it every time I fly overseas. I don't get any kind of &quot;drunk&quot; feeling and one pill is enough to keep me asleep but not in such a deep sleep that I fear I can't wake up, as the planes are too uncomfortable to put me into a really deep sleep. And unlike OTC sleeping pills I don't have that terrible groggy side effect once I do wake up. I wake up refreshed and ready to go, and I stay awake for the whole day. I also take it when I go to bed for the first few days so I don't have any of those moments when I'm wide awake at 3:00 am.

And my Ambien is always a prescription from my doctor. I just call, tell him I'm flying overseas and want Ambien, and within a few hours a prescriptin is called in to our preferred pharmacy.

Melatonin and No Jet Lag don't work for me.

Tracy

As I mentioned above, melatonin doesn't work for me - but here's an herbal blend that does help me sleep:
http://tinyurl.com/yv8bsa

You might want to try this before going the prescription drug route.

&quot;Though it is true it could be habit forming, it is rarely abused and one does not develop tolerance.&quot;

It can develop tolerance over time, at least in my experience. I have been taking Ambien with a sleep disorder for about 5 years now. My sleep doctor said it is habit-forming, but benign. I tried to get off it about 2 years ago, but the rebound insomnia is hell. I HAVE also developed a tolerance to it. On occasion, it does absolutely nothing to help me sleep and I lay there for hours knowing that I can't take anything else and will just have to suffer through the night restless and miserable. I would define that as a &quot;tolerance&quot; to it myself. I'm not a doctor, and I don't play one on TV, but as a long-time user of the medication, I can only speak to my own personal experience.

With regard to the DVT issue, consult a doctor. I have restless leg syndrome as well and worried about being too still during a transatlantic flight. When I went in for a periodic sleep clinic visit about a month before my trip to Europe this summer, I asked the doctor if I should take my RLS meds and Ambien or suffer through because of concerns about DVT. He looked at me like I was nuts and asked why I'd want to suffer the RLS symptoms during an 8-9 hour flight when I didn't have to! He said take my meds and attempt to sleep as much as possible.

I took both and only slept about 2 hours. Of course that's probably because we forgot to close the window shades and the sun coming up woke me--the eye mask had slipped off my eyes and once I saw that sun I was up for good. The Ambien made no difference except to help me get to sleep. From what I've read and experienced, that is what Ambien is actually effective at--helping you get to sleep--not stay asleep.

FWIW, it didn't lessen the jetlag going East. We just took it easy for the first few days. Coming West, I had no jet lag whatsoever.

I fight about this every trip with my husband - he takes some sleeping pills and is out for the count most of the trip. On the other hand I never take anything - mind you I never really sleep for the 24hours (but I still remember 15 years ago walking hallways with babies all through the night) so maybe that is the difference. When I arrive it is like hell trying to stay awake until the normal time (while my husband is again snoozing somewhere on a couch). By 8pm I am in bed and sound asleep and I continue this daytime (awake), nightime (asleep) wherever I am unlike himself who spends days righting his body and pacing the floor through the midnight hours.

mucka, I am the opposite of your husband. I take Ambien on the flight over and it is the only way I can stay awake all day upon my arrival. I take another one when I go to bed, even though I am exhausted, so that I stay asleep all night. After that it is all cake...the Ambien allows me to adjust so much quicker than on my own. I don't take it other then when I travel because I get plenty of sleep otherwise, but I consider Ambien an essential part of my trip and I wouldn't travel overseas again without it.

Tracy