Cure Me: You couldn't sleep on long flights, then you found the cure...
 

I searched FT, but while learning how others regularly fall asleep on flights is kind of helpful, I need to know how non-sleepers found a cure.

I do a once a year 24 hour travel/16 hours flying time trip. I am awake the entire time.... a lone person, in the dark, in a sea of sleeping people. I arrive a total wreck and greet my excited, talkative, welcoming extended in-law family like a barely-walking zombie.

I have tried:
No caffeine (coffee, soda, chocolate, teas, nothing) 24 hours before flight.
Melatonine
Bringing my own travel pillow and blankie.
Using a travel pillow and a neck pillow.
Tylenol PM

I can't:
Use a window seat, because I get restless leg syndrome being trapped in there. I prefer an aisle seat.
Spend a ton of $$$ on Bose earphones

Do any of you experts- who have had trouble sleeping on long flights- have any suggestions for me? I would be really grateful. My upcoming annual trip is coming up in 2 weeks and I am dreading it. Thank you!

Ambien, 100% Ambien.

Call your Doc.

Works for me. I don't use it on relatively short flights like Boston-London; if I take it after dinner (for a night flight) it doesn't wear off before breakfast. For trans-Pacific or U.S.- southern South America flights, it's great.

A Virgin Australia FA told me a few weeks ago that they discourage these pills because they might have to wake up a passenger in an emergency. I took it anyhow. There were no emergencies between Sydney and LA. There seldom are.

ZzzQuil. http://www.zzzquil.com/
I take 2 caplets before a cross-country flight from EWR to LAX or EWR to SEA. Caplets last 4-6 hours for me. Non habit forming and it works.

I tried other OTC meds without success until ZzzQuil.

OP here:

Okay, these are options I haven't thought of! On my upcoming flights, I am sitting by myself on an aisle with my husband on the opposite aisle seat. (In future, on 2-seater flights, I'm going to have us sitting next to each other so I can lean/"sleep" on him.)
With the Ambian or the zzzquil I am worried I will wake up with my head on my seat mate. Are you out cold with these medications or will I have an awareness that I am disturbing people around me and can stop myself?

I am the same, just cannot sleep in public.

What I ended up doing was booking a flight with a long connection, that way it allows me to find a hotel or room somewhere to have some sleep, then I can arrive fresh instead of tired.
I know it won't help this time but perhaps something to think about for future bookings.

Or Tylenol 3 (if you can get it prescribed - it's actually for pain, but can help relax you and bring on drowsiness).

Cure Me: You couldn't sleep on long flights, then you found the cure...
 

Lots of food and lots of wine/beer/liquor does it for me... Since you didn't mention booze as a possibility I take it you aren't a drinker... Two to three glasses should give you at least a few hours rest! :)

Ambien has never been an issue for me. I don't feel like I'm drugged or out cold. I would describe it as simply letting me get to sleep and stay there. No more, no less.

You can also play with lowering your dosage. I only require 1/4 -1/2 of a 10mg Ambien.

However, that's just me!

You're the only one that can gauge how medication is going to affect you. If you take any sleep aid, experiment before the flight. Have your husband keep an eye on you; have him wake you after a few hours so you yourself can gauge how groggy... if at all. It's best to see for yourself.

Melatonin does nothing

Ambien and find an attractive seatmate

Kids
 

My big breakthrough was having kids (as a father).

It's cheaper to buy business class lay flat seats :-).

COmplete lie flat seats is all that has ever worked for me. I've been awake on many red-eye, long-haul flights, including 160 degree sort-of-flat-but-angled flights. Emirates A380 in J is all that has worked.

I'm in the same boat as OP, and have found that Benadryl does the trick for me. Simple to buy over-the-counter and doesn't leave me feeling too groggy after waking up.

You're going to hate me (many do). I can't stay awake on a plane. The drone of the engines puts me to sleep.

Don't try to sleep if you're not tired. If sleep is important on a long haul flight, splurge for a lie flat seat.

There aren't a lot of routes that work, but if you can't sleep on planes try flying during the day,