hezarkhani

I have a prescription for x10 10mg tablets given to me by my doctor every month. I was planning on travelling to the US (Los Angeles) from Ireland. It's going to be a 9+ hour flight and would like to sleep.

It's known for inducing sleepwalking and anterograde amnesia in people but I've never gotten the latter. I don't do anything weird but just sleep. I'm just a bit worried I might do something stupid as I read a story on Reddit of a guy who woke up in jail after mixing Ambien and alcohol.

USA_flyer

I wouldn't do it and nor would I try to sleep on a West bound flight. In my experience, arriving at your destination bed knackered and ready to sleep will stand you in good stead for getting into the timezone faster.

Eastbay1K

I wouldn't do it. I once took Ambien on a flight and did not fall asleep, and was miserable, knowing I couldn't functionally get up for hours. One of my friends, an MD no less, took it on a flight and does not remember his business class meal all over his lap, food all over the place - there are photos. And most importantly, "it is going to be a 9+ hour flight..." Rather, it is scheduled as such. When I see people popping their pills, pre-departure, I think of what fools they must be, as none of us have ever had a mechanical and had to disembark. More importantly, I am reminded of a HNL/SFO flight once upon a time, when I departed HNL at 10pm or so, and landed back at HNL an hour later with a parade of fire engines awaiting our landing. All reasons why I don't want to be any more than Benadryl drowsy, or have a few cocktails of impairment while traveling.

mike_la_jolla

I do this regularly, but a 9 hour flight is a tad short. A 10mg tablet will knock me out for about 6 hours. Don't take the medication until the plane has taken off. I've heard a story from a friend about waking up on the plane and not remembering how she got there.

I usually take the tablet just as they start serving the meal. I never drink alcohol until I've arrived at my destination. You'll be fine.

USA_flyer

This is bad advice. Sleep aids shouldnt be used in unfamiliar or stressful environments, especially aeroplanes where the consequences of a mistep could be a diversion to goodness knows where and end up in handcuffs. Just because it works for you, doesn't mean it will work for everyone the same way.

mike_la_jolla

Wrong. He's made it clear he tolerates the medication well. I stand by my recommendation.

USA_flyer

Nope. Sorry. If he falls asleep in an aisle seat and is too out of it to stand to let seatmates out, it's a problem.

He'll also get into timezone better if he doesn't sleep on the plane.

Its OK to be wrong for yourself.

WestCoastPDX

I do this all the time, been doing it for years. Eastbound & Westbound.
Zero issues.

Has made jet lag almost a thing of the past for me.

Eastbound:
West Coast NA to Europe: Take off, watch movie or two (skip meal service, the pill works better on empty stomach). About 7 hours from landing, pop pill.
Wake up about an hour to go. Eat.
I usually can sleep about 4 hours on 10mg. And then I wake up, and doze off for 60-90 minutes


Westbound:
Makes a ton of difference. Leave Europe in morning. Same idea, no food, watch 2 movies.
Take pill about 6-6.5 hours from arrival.

Can go right to work either direction. Get a good nights sleep, and in general, don't have any jet lag.

--
Highly recommend. Has changed long haul travel for me, completely.

(Also, for all the wanna be doctors out there, I journal every single trip I take. From when I last ate, to when I took the pill, to when I wake up, to when I doze)
I show that to my doctor, and they are pleased to keep giving me 20 pills for 1-2 years of travel.

corporate-wage-slave

Ambien, or Stillnocht as it is known in Europe, is a nonbenzodiazepine drug, or Z drug. It's a fairly powerful drug with significant side effects, which needs to be used with care and entirely under the terms of your doctor's prescription, particularly if you are over 40 years old. I would seek advice from him/her primarily - that is what they are there for. Mixing any Z drug with alcohol isn't a good idea.

We're all different and there is no one perfect way to do this. But in my case I don't get jet lag, don't use pills and don't drink alcohol. It's possible to do this with a bit of body clock manipulation, understanding how REM works and how to get REM sleep in strange circumstances.

mosfet

Maybe just take 1/2? 5mg probably enough to aid sleeping and mitigate being too zonked.

If you’re in CA have you thought of a natural sleeping aid if you’re concerned about ambien’s side effects? 5-10mg mellow edible could relax you into a nice snooze and in my opinion, less grog and zombie side effects.

Try one at home first though!

azepine00

I take it on every long haul so does my SO, many colleagues I ve flown with and countless other fliers.
I would not worry about one off stories of rare side effects especially since you tried it at home first.
Splitting the tablet is a good consideration for shorter flights and going EU to US which are usually daytime flights that arrive in late afternoon.

Ilove2fly

I wouldn't do it traveling alone. A friend always use Ambien when travel includes large time difference. Usually she is fine but just twice bad things happened. Once she slumped/crashed on her way to the toilet in flight. Luckily her husband was there to make sure she did not seriously hurt herself. The other time, her husband had to guide her through the immigration.. She has no memory of ether one except for the pain from the crash.

I am greatly affected by jetlag even though I easily fall asleep in planes. I usually fall asleep right after meal service and do not wake up until breakfast service. There are times when I never got over the jetlag on a three week trip. My husband on the other hand can never sleep on the plane. He is seriously tired for one day (like falling asleep standing in a taxi que) but never suffer jetlag. Everyone is different. Posts above have suggestions on what to do. Try all of them and hopefully one of the would work for you.

lamphs

I know from a SO's personal experience...don't do it unless you have proof from others that are around you during the time you have taken it previously, on multiple occasions, that it has no negative effect on you!

Eastbay1K

The suggestion of traveling with something such as the edible you suggest, through TSA checkpoints, possibly with residue of something somewhere at an arrival international destination, is not the best of ideas.

Dublin_rfk

I'm not a doctor, I don't play on on Television, and I haven't stayed in a Holiday Inn Express lately, BUT. If you have taken it at home without any issues you should still use common sense before taking any pharmaceuticals when flying and be sure to always wear your seatbelt.