While not completely on-topic, my additional solution is that as soon as I land I try to check into the hotel, sleep for an hour, shower and then carry on with my day and make sure to avoid falling asleep until 9 or 10 pm local time. The next day I'm gold!

The surgeon saved my life. I'm glad I can breathe at all. And that my nose doesn't look like Rocky Balboa's after a fight.

Spot on. Glad someone got it.

I can't sleep at all on flights. Which makes me arrive to my destination, after a 13 hour flight, ready to collapse. I am reading here with interest!

I tried Melatonin on the ground but it actually kept me awake all night.

Has anyone had any luck with those crazy-looking body/seat pillows or slanted tray table pillows? I've used those dorky neck pillows but that doesn't help either.

Red-eye, I'm asleep before the door closes usually and during taxi for sure. I have woken up at destination before with somebody next to me, when the seat was empty before I fell asleep.

Long-haul morning I probably will not sleep, unless I have pulled an all-nighter the night before, then see Red-eye.

Long-haul evening, will doze in and out but most likely not sleep

Tell us more about the mask.

Strategy?? How can I learn how to NOT fall asleep
 

Maybe it's the sound of the engines, or the pressurized air, but I can't NOT sleep on flights. Usually the last thing my seat mate hears from me is that I will probably just fall asleep, and promptly do. I don't know how anyone has a hard time doing it frankly as there is nothing more boring than a long flight.

I think it also depends on your height. At 6', I just can't get comfortable enough to sleep even in Premium economy. Business Class.. no problem.

I usually don't sleep very well the night before a big trip - my mind is active trying to remember everything I need to do that morning before leavng and what I need to bring with me that I might have forgotten to pack. So, I'm a bit tired already when checking in at the airport. So, I take my Lorazepam, have a glass of wine and it's sleepy time for me - especially when we're in business class ("J" right?). ;-)

You know the media keeps talking about "passengers of size, passengers of size"! It's NOT the passengers it's the fact seat pitch and width is shortened every time I turn around. I am 5'8" 135lb by no means "large" but I feel like an Amazon trying to squeeze into economy seats. But about falling asleep in them, as long as my limbs aren't cramped nor feel some of my blood vessels are being cut off due to lack of oxygen from squishing into some position aboard I can fall asleep too easy. I think it just takes some mental training. I did it by thinking to myself "when the engines start.. you are going to sleep.. SLEEEP.. SLEEP!" lol it works. But a couple times, I woke up lifting my head off some strangers' shoulder. I guess I didn't slobber or snore as the guy was real nice about it. He said "boy when you said you were just 'going right to sleep' you MEANT it!" I take no pills nor drink. It just takes practice.

I believe he links to it in his article.

I swear by this one. So comfortable and blocks out every bit of light. I wouldn't dream of traveling without it.

I don't have it that easy, and I've had a few longer flights where a particularly bad coach seat or a particularly large or particularly unable-to-settle neighbor has kept me up... but in general, any longer flight (8+ hours) I am able to sleep on.

I tend to use trazodone to help me sleep on longer flights, does wonders. Add in an eye mask and some classical music (or film scores) on my earbuds, and I'm good to be out SFO-HKG or DFW-NRT.

Shorter flights where I can't medicate are more problematic, although if I'm tired anyway it's usually possible to sleep.

Benzodiazepines like Xanax can cause amnesia as well as the newer Z-drug hypnotics.

This is true, but they rarely cause someone to drive, eat, or call people while "sleeping". Not that I'm going to drive while flying, but the idea of potentially being "asleep" while I appear to be awake and doing random (god only knows what!) things in a plane just doesn't sound appealing to me. I had a colleague once who took ambien (at home) and despite dieting pretty hard core he wasn't losing any weight - turned out he was completely unaware of the fact he was "waking up" and plowing through ridiculous amounts of food at night. His wife finally caught him in the act or he would have never known. No thanks!

I can't really sleep on flights either, even with drugs in a full lie-flat seat.

I have had some success using a self-hypnosis app on my iPhone. It doesn't really put me directly to sleep, but it does put me into a state of deep relaxation that leaves me somewhat functional after a long flight.

Nytol is your friend. I can't sleep on flights without.

Also great for jet-lag.

Benadryl + Jack Daniels. Learned it by mistake. I have never had allergies, so never really needed benadryl. Several years ago I had managed to stress myself out big time over my third Europe trip in five weeks. I broke out in hives, which I had never had before either. I picked up some benadryl on the way to the airport and washed a couple down with Jack. Was asleep in no time. Does dry out your sinuses even more than just flying does. Note I am also not a medical professional, so use this advice at your own risk.