Although I agree that trying ambien at home is a good idea, that does not guarantee that it will work for you on the flight. I had no problems when I tried it a couple of times before a trip, but I have never had much luck with it on a flight. My son (grown)and I have finally given up and just plan to watch movies and then suffer through staying awake the first day. We don't enjoy watching and hearing my husband and daughter (also grown) sleep and snore as we while away the hours, but that's the way it seems to be with both of us. I have tried several sleep aids, and I guess I just have to stay awake in case the pilot needs me. PJK

I take a 10mg Ambien just before the first meal service of the flight. After I eat, I usually get 6 hours of restful sleep. I don't feel groggy or hung over afterward.

I also take one/night the first 2-3 nights of the trip to help adjust to the timechange. I've usually had a few (or more) drinks prior, and get a solid 8 hours of sleep. I wake up ready for a full day of exploring.

My only negative experience with Ambien was when I took a half tablet on a return trip to the US. Hoping for a 3-4 hour nap, I felt restless and frustrated, and wasn't relieved until the effect wore off.

I experimented with the Ambien my doctor gave me and found that I needed only half a tablet for it to work. Unfortunately, it didn't work on the airplane! I can't fall asleep in itty-bitty airplane seats no matter what the drug.

However, all was not lost because once we arrived in Europe, I had trouble falling asleep--the nighttime sounds weren't ones I was used to, and I was so overtired, as well (isn't that a funny paradox, to be too tired to sleep?). The Ambien was a life saver in ensuring a good eight hours' sleep every night. Probably saved my vacation for me!

Made me edgy and irritable and I hadn't had sense enough to try it out before getting on the plane.

Good advise to try it first. Have to assume that you're driving right away - the way almost everyone departs Shannon. So it's a good idea to know how ready you'll feel.

This thread is amazing. I did not know that so many took drugs to travel.
Ambien rather than ambiance.

coccinelle, I don't take drugs to travel. I take a mild, sleep-enhancing drug when I have a night flight of 8 hours or more. I don't want to spend my first day in another country sleeping, and I'm too damn old to miss a full night's sleep and not feel the effects upon arrival.

sealady, for those of us who are used to sharing a bottle of wine with dinner, a glass of red won't really induce sleepiness. A few glasses of red combined with the dehydrating effects of air travel will give me a nasty headache by morning, which Ambien does not do.

Marcy - OMG! My doctor must think I'm elderly and debilitated! He gave me the 5mg but since it didn't work I guess that means I'm not e & d.

I've noticed most people aren't mentioning what strength of Ambien they are taking.

I tried it out at home befoe a flight, as I can NEVER sleep on a plane. Within 5 -10 minutes I was fast asleep and it happened so fast, my husband had to take my glasses off. I felt slightly "off" upon waking, but not really groggy. However, I must have had some sort of rebound effect, as the following night I was awake the entire night! So, I chose not to take Ambien while flying.

Susan

My single experience was good and bad, and looking back sort of funny. I planned to follow the "don't take with alcohol" advice, but when the free drinks came along, we couldn't resist toasting our trip. Soon there after, we had dinner, a couple glasses of wine and then swallowed 10 mgs.

Now I'm a pretty experienced imbiber, and have mixed other "do not mix" sort of things many times with no bad effects, but let me tell you that the Ambian and alcohol knocked me on my ***. Of course, this was the one time that there were no airsickness bags in sight. And boy did I need a few.

The good was that the flight went dreamily by, and our sprint through the total chaos that is CDG to make our 1.5 hour connection woke me right up with no ill effects.

I'll try it again, but won't drink. Getting any sleep in one of those seats is worth the risk to me.

Kybourbon,
I'm glad to hear you still have a few good years left!;;)
Your Dr. probably gave you the 5mg. because you're so little. Of course, you can always just take two.

Valium is not a sleep aid per se but is calming and I find it most helpful for long flights. I'm of the 'have never slept on a plane' group. My doctor said some people can't sleep sitting up (which I found interesting). Valium and moderate alcohol (though obviously never recommended) is a pleasant combination.

For Marilyn~ i love that... makes the hands on your watch go around faster, so true!

For Sealady~ for people who drink wine all the time (as I do) a single glass here and there is not going to do a thing for me (and red gives me a super headache).

For Coccinelle~ nobody's forcing you. Although personally I have always though Valium piped in thru the air system of the plane would make for a much more pleasant flight for all concerned!

"It doesn't MAKE me sleep, it ALLOWS me to sleep"

That's a good description. Ambien is not a sedative, it's an hypnotic and helps you fall asleep. It usually gets me to sleep in about 20 minutes. I love it!

I asked my doctor for a small prescription, just 5, as it IS expensive. I save one for the plane, 2 for the 1st 2 nights in a different country to help get the internal clock rewired & then 2 more once I've returned from my trip.

But it doesn't work well for everyone, like some have pointed out. For some it's a godsend & others a curse. In the literature it's recommended you take only if you plan to get at least 5 hours of sleep. It doesn't work well for naps.

My goodness, I had no idea my question would provoke such a large response! Thanks again, for sharing your experiences. Yes, the drug is expensive. I went to have it filled at the pharmacy and the cost was going to be $55 for 20 (10mg) pills, and that's with insurance.
I'm wondering if my son's pain medication (for wisdom teeth extraction) would "relax" me enough to get several hours sleep. Like most of you, I don't "do drugs" regularly, but I do have a horrible time trying to sleep on an international flight.

Whoa, mkdiebold! What exactly IS your "son's pain medication?" Most likely Vicodan (which has codeine in it). That will almost surely knock you out a lot more than Ambien. These are not over-the-counter drugs for a reason, so be careful.

Beatchick, a hypnotic?? Picture the flight attendants, walking up and down the aisles, saying in soft voices, Your eyes are getting heavy, you are getting sleepy~

The fear of being sick overpowers any worries I have that I will not sleep so the idea of taking a sleep aid and drinking is out of the question for me! I hate to think of what would happen if someone were to need a doctor for a drug overdose, in the air over the sea. A nights loss of sleep is preferable.

I usually watch the movie if it's a good one. I'm usually too excited to sleep but eventually will doze off, wake up groggy and recover as soon as we touch ground. I don't take any medications, but that's my opinion that anything is bad unless you have a serious problems. Now if grass were ok...! :)

Pain medications are *very* different from what is used for insomnia. Be careful in self prescribing. Not so much you'd hurt yourself, but (for instance) codine does not knock everyone out, some people have the opposite reaction (you might have no pain but will be wide awake!). Pay the $55 & get what the doctor recommended. If you decide not to use it, fine. Cheap insurance for a restful trip IMO.

Ja, ja, Scarlett, it's classified as a hypnotic rather than a narcotic (such as those pain pills). You're funny! ;) I see them with those whirligig things that go 'round & 'round till you fall asleep - ar ar.

And I definitely wouldn't recommend drinking with an hypnotic. If Ambien works for you, you don't need the alcohol anyway and if it doesn't then you shouldn't be taking it in the first place.

So, Ambien is a hypnotic because it has no opiates. That's why it doesn't give you that drugged up or hungover feeling the next morning (that and the half-life of the drug is shorter - I looked this up in my PDR just to be sure).

The PDR (Physician's Desk Reference) also notes not to take the drug on less than a 7-hr overnight flight so that you CAN get sufficient sleep. Otherwise it cautions against "traveler's amnesia". I we don't want that! We spend too much money to forget those memories - ar ar!!

It also cautions that the drug takes effect VERY QUICKLY. And it does. It usually puts me to sleep after about 20 minutes.

Soooo, mkdiebold, I hope that helps! Here's wishing you a pleasant flight & a great trip!!

I didn't really sleep well on the plane, but it helped me sleep nights for the rest of the trip. I drink coffee in the a.m. anyway, but I don't think I had lingering side effects, not like with Halcyon, which made me crazy!

I also had some Ativan, and a half of one of those helps me sleep, too. Plus, I drink wine at bedtime.

Ambien does not work for anymore...took it for a while when going through the "change", and after a while I became immune to it. The only thing I can use is Xanax, BUT it does not help me sleep per se, just relax.