Sleeping on a plane
 

What are some sleeping aids which can be used to sleep on a plane during a long MR? I know about Ambien, but that requires a prescription.



[This message has been edited by yevlesh2 (edited 01-30-2003).]

Melatonin which you can buy at melatonin.com and a John Tesh CD will be great sleep aids.

My preference is Ambien, which is a prescription drug, and very effective...

Champagne. Works for me at least !!!! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Bose headsets. Well worth the $300 investment.

A bottle of Dom is quite effective, and cost effective as well :-)))

However, ask your dr for some samples of Ambien. Usually docs have 'em.

I'm taking both for my upcoming MR. See my thread http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum...ML/004342.html

[This message has been edited by RoyNWAA (edited 01-30-2003).]

If you insist on an over-the-counter medicine, choose one with diphenhydramine HCL (e.g. Unisom Sleep Gels, Simply Sleep, or Tylenol PM) or doxylamine succinate (Unisom Sleep Tabs). Better yet, get a prescription from your favorite physician for Ambien or Sonata.

The over-the-counter medicines are decent in inducing drowsiness, but won't be as effective as Ambien in prolonging sleep. Thus, if you choose an over-the-counter medicine and are disturbed (by light turbulence, a passenger/flight attendant moving through the cabin, and/or other stimuli such as noise or light), your sleep will likely be prematurely interrupted. Ambien, on the other hand, will reduce the likelihood of waking up mid-flight. Sonata is a little less effective than Ambien, but it also has a shorter half life so it is better when a shorter flight affords less time for sleep.

You should be aware of a few things. One side effect is traveler's amnesia -- essentially a hangover from the sleep aid. Be sure to take the pill early in flight and give yourself plenty of time to sleep (at least three or four hours with Sonata, more with the over-the-counter aids, and at least seven with Ambien). Second, your sleep aids will be more effective if taken on an empty stomach and without the consumption of alcohol. Plan accordingly. Third, don't just rely on a pill; improve the quality and ease of your sleep by wearing an eye mask, using ear plugs, and bringing an inflatable neck pillow with you. Finally, to reduce jet lag and to avoid jarring the body with induced sleep at an unusual time, try to slowly adjust your schedule at home to correspond with the schedule in your destination in the days before your travel.

The best bet to maximize sleep and reduce jet lag on lengthy eastbound flights is to skip the meal service and in-flight entertainment and take your sleeping pill a few minutes after the plane takes off (as a precaution, don't take a sleeping pill before the wheels go up in case, for some reason, you have to return to the gate prematurely). Hopefully you will get a decent night's sleep and awake refreshed and ready to work or play. Ambien has certainly worked for me, anyway.

[This message has been edited by cAAl (edited 01-30-2003).]

Thanks for the great tips. I will try ask my doctor for some Sonatra or Ambien.

champaign wouldn't work, I am flying coach :-(

Noise Canceling headphones and music you like. Works like a charm for me.

B & B

Benadryl (2 MAX!) and Budweiser

we're flying coach also! ;-)

Bring your own pillow---the bigger the better. The pillows they pass out in coach are a joke.

Yes to pillow; plus add good soft ear plugs deeply planted and a good eye mask (thanx Cathay). Last trip to IST on delta coach in the back - had the entire mid-section to self. Fell deeply asleep for about 5 good hours on my side, woke in time for a quick breakfast and approach to Constantinople - awesome.

Anyone tried Sominex?
http://www.sominex.com/information.html

No, but it has the same active ingredient as Unisom Sleep Gels, Simply Sleep, and Tylenol PM -- diphenhydramine HCL. Unless you are really comfortable with sleeping in a virtually upright and locked position (in which case you probably wouldn't need a sleep aid in the first place!), do yourself a favor and get Ambien. If you want to experiment with over-the-counter medicines, then be our guest, but don't be surprised if (a) you have trouble staying asleep, (b) your sleep is not very restful, and/or (c) you wake up with traveler's amnesia. To summarize: GET AMBIEN!

[This message has been edited by cAAl (edited 01-31-2003).]