Pasta and wine.

<< A bit of jetlag and being tired for a day or so would seem to me be the better trade off. >>

It's a matter of probabilities. The risk of Ambien-induced sleep adding to the risk of your flight is somewhere between minuscule and unmeasurably low. The possible benefit (of refreshing sleep) is, for many - - 50% or greater, and many know that the risk of being miserable (for a day, maybe two) without that sleep has a similarly high probability.

Nevertheless, I recommend trying the various <i>non</i>-drug aids (to sleeping) on your transatlantic flight... that I have previously posted. I still believe that getting to sleep on a plane is mostly a function of _trying_ to sleep (adjusting your wake-sleep timetable beginning 24-48 hrs pre-flight, making a concerted effort to avoid anything stimulating... like NO books, NO movie etc... and <i>maybe</i>... the dietary timetable adjutments once known as the Forsyth method).

If you have traveled trans-atlantic enough times to know how this works for you (or its limitations) - - then Ambien or similar medications may enhance your success at a satisfactory night's sleep while flying.

During our water-landing in the middle of the night, I'd rather have someone on 5-10 mg of valium handling the emergency exit than someone who is both sleep-deprived *and* hysterical...

Hmmm, well I haven't read anything that would encourage me to take any kinds of meds when flying. I handle going without sleep quite well thank goodness. I do not handle meds well at all. And since I am not the hysterical type at all (having been around more than one emergency situation I state that as a fact) I will just continue to handle transatlantic flights as I have always done in the past. Thank you Rex for your advice and thoughts.

I definitely nominate loveitaly to sit in the exit row on my next flight! You sound wonderfully sober and calm... Maybe everyone on the plane who's drugged up should be required to wear a warning label sticker on their foreheads -- i.e. in case of emergency, do not wake.

Don't worry about it too much. I just read about a study of the effects of sleep length on life expentency.

They were surprised to find that folks who slept only 5 or 6 hours a night lived longer on average than those sleeping longer periods--and people with chronic insomnia who slept even shorter periods lived longest of all!

Of course it's only one study and will have to be replicated to be sure it's results are correct. But it's encouraging for shorttime sleepers.

For those worried we will be zombies... a low does of valium, xanax, or adivan does not knock you out so you couldn't wake up and do what was necessary in an emergency. If doesn't even necessariliy put you to sleep, just makes it more of a possibility.

Sitting on an eleven hr flight plus a cramped economy seat is miserable if you can't sleep part of the time. One of the non-med type things that helps me is listening to a book on tape. It often lulls me into a doze for a couple hrs or so.

Rufus-- I would be curious to see where you read your research on sleeping...I have read the exact opposite....those with sleep times average under 6 hours were more likely to have shortened life spans.

Also, there is a direct correlation between sleep deprivation and memory.
Do you have a link for the research if possible? I would be really interested to see it.

I have not tried this on a plane but at home I find that 500 mg of pantothenic acid which is a B vitamin calms the adrenals and I fall asleep within a half hour of taking it.

I, too have read the same info as you did, birthdaygirlstrip that under six hours' sleep was detrimental to your health, also that over nine hrs was not beneficial either.

Yes, there was a good study that I unfortunately experienced firsthand in college where lack of sleep adversely affects your memory and how memories are stored--long term versus short term.

I will stay cleaaar away from the Ambien....mainly because too many stories are coming out about people doing stuff while under the influence of Ambien? Yikes!

I would try meltonin, but it gives very vivid dreams--something that may not be helpful 30,000 feet up!

I heard valerian may be good.

I am going to Italy in October and was glad to see this site. I am a nurse but had some hesitation about using any sleep aid as I am traveling alone. I sleep walked and talked in my childhood so Ambien probably would not be a choice for me. I might experiment with the Valium though before I actually go somewhere with it.

I've never used Ambien or any other sleep aid in my life---and after the recent spate of stories on &quot;sleep eating,&quot; I never will!

birthdayg--it was a story on MSN.com, and the study was done by a university in California.

Not sure if I had all the details exactly right, but definitely people who slept just 6 or 7 hours a night lived longer than those sleeping 8. I also remember it was a big study with over 1 million participants.

50inItaly-

Give it a try at home first. I am a solo traveler and valium on the plane taker. Never a problem. I will mention I don't actually fall asleep either, honestly, but it does help pass the time. Any of the &quot;-zapam&quot; family members work similarly without the scary side effects being discussed specific to the new sleep drugs like Ambien, et al.

I am going to try Restoril for my Italy trip as it seems to work for hotel sleeping.

The only thing that ever help me fall asleep while flying in the past was listening to the Da Vinci Code on an Ipod!

My doctor just gave me 10 Alprazolan 0.5mg. for my RT flight to Europe.
she said to experiment at home first to see how it will affect me and how I will wake up feeling. If 1 works fine, if not she said to try 2.
I will try tomorrow night.

Alprazolam = xanax

LoveItaly, your concerns seem well thought out and valid.
I don't take anything to sleep either, my body seems to know what it needs. I've tried a couple of sleep aids in the past and side effects, for me, are always worse than a little lost
If I could go to sleep on a plane naturally, I would. My husband doesn't do anything but 2 drinks and is often merriely snoring away. Alcohol keeps me up.