Kids, drugs, and overnight flights...advice??!!
 

Hi all,
I'll be flying with my kids, ages 8 and 11, to Europe very soon. In the past our overnight flights to Europe have been at natural bedtimes (leaving East Coast after 8 or so), so my kids have been able to sleep on the flight over without the help of any otc drugs or herbs. However this time we leave Toronto at 4:30 and arrive in Germany at 6:05 the next morning. It's certainly not normal for my kids to go to sleep at 6ish or so, and arriving so early will be a new adventure as well. I know we'll all be a mess the next day and I'm fine with that, but I really want my kids to get some sleep on this flight. I personally use melatonin with no problems, but I know there have been studies saying kids should not use it, but from what I've read that seems to be a directive not to use it long term. I also have that No Jet Lag remedy, but I've never used it. What are your thoughts (based on experience??) about melatonin, No Jet Lag, good ole Benadryl or Dramamine?? Or do we just suck it up and hope for the best??
Also, given the extra early arrival time, should we just head out and get used to the day (which is what I would normally do arriving a little later), or catch an hour or two of sleep upon arrival and then adjust to the new time?
Many thanks!
Angela

You might be interested in this piece about Melatoninhttp://www.cbsnews.com/8301-204_162-57547680/parents-use-melatonin-to-get-kids-to-sleep-is-it-safe/

Flights with my grandchildren have been a bit later, arriving in Paris around 8:00a.m., and although my 5 yr old grandson did get a few hours sleep, my 8 yr old granddaughter hardly slept, preferring to watch the movies on the seat back! We took short naps upon arrival, and they never seemed to have a problem after that. IME, kids adjust much more quickly than adults. My vote would be not to medicate.

Have fun!

I don't medicate myself, so I wouldn't medicate kids. If you are seriously considering it, I'd recommend asking your pediatrician. I think kids can treat the overnight flight like a sleepover party. Watch a movie, get a little sleep. They'll drag the next day but some outdoor time in the day of arrival should help. Just my opinion of course.

Yeah, I would suggest just sucking it up and hoping for the best. The medications could backfire in all sorts of ways - it will be enough for them to deal with the redeye, altitude, motion, etc, without adding another thing for their bodies to process. It's an early departure for sure, but the flight will dim the lights after the meal. I'd encourage you to keep them busy during the day and treat it like bedtime. Even if they only get 3 hrs of sleep rather then 6, it's better than nothing. You could certainly just play it by ear the next day, rather than pushing too hard. Kids take longer to adjust sometimes and that should be ok. Hopefully you've budgeted for this with your schedule.

>>It's certainly not normal for my kids to go to sleep at 6ish <<

If you depart at 4:30 no one will be sleeping at 6-ish. They won't have cleared the dinner trays until nearly 7 or 7:30 PM Toronto time. So more than likely by the time dinner is over and after dinner drinks are served - they may be able to sleep. Just make sure they don't drink anything w/ caffeine.

|Talk to your doctor.. my doctor suggested melatonin for my 13 yr old son ( he has some issues with sleep in general) and it helped..

On another trip I took my 11 yr old dd and she has no particular issues, and she got a row of three seats to stretch out on, and she still didn't sleep( I was crammed into out two seats and was quite jealous of her luck, lol_

My rule was , can't make you sleep, but its quiet rest time ( just like when they were 3 or 4 and growing out of naps) , so at least they rested, no movie watching all night etc. .So I did rest time .

I wouldn't expect any child to sleep at 6 pm mind you. Get through dinner service, have them go to the bathroom, let them watch one show, then quiet rest time.

Kids do a lot better with jet lag then adults.

Can you try time shifting them a few days before?

What's the problem? You take off at 4:30 p.m., so let them stay awake until 8 or so, then let them sleep.

After dinner and clearing the cabin they'll darken the cabin - so it will be easier for them to sleep.

Thanks for all the advice! I think we'll just stick with sleeping masks, and just all be zombies the next day.

Thousands of kids fly on long-haul trips to distant destinations every day and night without medication. There's nothing to get worried about, and trust me, the kids will be fine the next day. I did hundreds of trips overnight with mine, followed by train trips, followed by driving, and no one was ever a zombie. A bit tired and had to go to bed earlier than usual in the new time zone, but not zombies. You'll be fine.