WillTravels comment is what I think. Although I am a "no stress" flyer, I would not want to be half knocked out in case of an emergency.

If I can sleep that is great, but I want the sleep to be normal, not because of some pill or medication.

If there is some kind of emergency I want to have my mind clear of medication.

No one on this thread has yet mentioned one potential problem with Ambien that dissuades me from trying it: my perceived need to move around the cabin or exercise occasionally to try and fend off deep vein thrombosis (DVT). I would rather get up and walk every hour or so than sleep undisturbed and unmoving for a few hours when under the effects of Ambien or Benadryl. So, sleep deprived, I usually stagger off the plane and run the risk of getting run over at my destination! Now, if I could just learn to sleep while walking the aisles....

Big John

The possible need to awaken and function in an emergency and the recommendation to get up and walk around to avoid a DVT are good reasons NOT to take a sleeping pill on a flight.

Most people could be awakened by loud noise or a commotion, or a fellow passenger intent on awakening you, but a few people would be very groggy.

I take 5mg of Ambien. It helps me fall asleep and I can still wake up if I need to. (A child shoving a phone in my face "MOM THE PHONE'S FOR YOU!" All my REAL friends know NEVER to call and wake me up when I've been working nights.)

Super unusual to have Ambien hang around for a long time--you should have your liver and renal function checked, seriously.

The moral of the story is to try it at home first and see how your body responds. Restoril is another short acting sleeping pill that some people like.

I should have no problem sleeping on the plane this trip. My flight from LAX leaves at 0700 and it's impossible to get a commuter flight from SLO that gets me there in time. So, I get to travel half the night to get to LAX and goof off in the airport until I can check in and go get some breakfast.

I can't leave early enough the day before to make it worth getting a hotel room overnight when I'll get there at 0100 and have to be at the airport by 0500.

Figure sitting in LAX half the night should leave me sufficiently exhausted to sleep on my way to NYC and hopefully a while more on the plane to Istanbul.

At least I don't have to do much my first day--just need to buy a SIM chip and activate my cell phone lol