It did, just a little. When threads are that old, the links are mostly dead. Too bad as several seemed interesting. The Washington Post link was good and still alive.

Thanks for finding it for me.

I assume both Ambien and Provigil are prescription only, right? How willing is everyone finding the doctors to prescribe these drugs? Do you have to convince them you have a history of sleepless trips and exhausted days thereafter?

I can usually sleep a little bit on the way over. Maybe 2 hours. But when I arrive I'm pathetically zoned out. It would be so much better if I were able to sleep 6 hours, wake a bit stiff & sore, take another drug and get through the day. If not the arrival day is essentially wasted for me. An afternoon nap just doesn't do it for me.

(PS, any flyertalk MDs wanna prescribe for me?)
Rita

Skip the meal on board and pop the ambien as soon as you are at a cruising altitude and are able to recline your seat. Food even in biz class is mediocre at best. I value my sleep more than airline food. Eat a dinner at the terminal before boarding and then stop and eat a nice hearty Irish breakfast when you land in Dublin. Also realize that your hotel room probably won't be ready when you land in the the morning so you will want to arrive well rested and ready to hit the streets.

Just go to your general practitioner or find a nearby clinic and you should have no problem getting a prescription. Explain to the doctor that you don't have insomnia generally, but you do have difficulty sleeping on longhaul overnight flights without the aid of a sleeping pill. I've never had a doctor even bat an eyebrow (anbody who has traveled in economy class on a redeye will understand immediately).

I've used 1/2 Ambien on Transatlantic flights, taken at the end of the meal, and typically get about 4 hours sleep with no adverse effects. I'd not heard about the amnesia thing until reading this thread. Anyone know where I can learn more about it?

I had also not heard about Sonata before, and may ask my doctor about it and perhaps try it on a future trip.

Though I do usually wait to finish the meal (this also allows time to see a movie), I've always assumed that these pills pose some pretty serious hazards in conjunction with alcohol, and have skipped the wine. If that assumption's incorrect, then by all means correct me, but otherwise, it should be an important consideration for anyone considering sleeping pills.

Funny enough, I was at the dr on Monday before I'd seen this thread and had asked him about Ambien (I remember it being mentioned around here not too long ago) since I foresee having at least one international (or otherwise redeye) flight/month for the next several months (excepting December, I hope). He just asked me if it was only for the flights and not because I was having problems sleeping on a regular basis and wrote up a prescription saying that he had absolutely no problem with it. He also mentioned Benadryl for shorter flights (transcon US redeyes).

Melatonin
 

Melatonin is available through health food stores. Non-prescription. Works when I've used it at home. Don't know what's in it. I'm on the road right now, with no info. Try to 'google.com' the name.

Here's my experience with the various sleep aids/inducers:

Melatonin - totally useless for me.

Benadryl - gives me that tired hangover feeling for a long time the morning after, sometimes well into the afternoon. I take this when I want to sleep in.

Ambien - works best for me although I try to avoid it because I have had the amnesia effect once or twice. I heard that in some cases it also produces nightmares.

Temazepam aka Restoril - sometimes works, sometimes doesn't work. I haven't experimented with it enough to correlate the conditions when it doesn't work, i.e full stomach. No hangover, no amnesia. Induces sleep but doesn't make you stay asleep. In other words if you get awakened, tough luck.

Yes: right on the website for Ambien:

True:
You'd be better served by skipping the meal and the movie as well. Sleeping pills are less effective on a full stomach. And watching the movie and waiting for the often protracted meal service cheats you out of valuble and finite sleep time.

Alcohol
 

Don't use this advice to save your life, and perhaps there is somebody here w/medical background, but my roommate in college was a paramedic. He said that it was rare for death or serious illness to happen taking say Xanax and alcohol. He said a more serious risk would be taking a narcotic pain killer and alcohol because that can damage the liver. Perhaps the legends of death with alcohol and sleeping pills come from the older generation of drugs that were barbituits or a drug like pheno barbital. I have certainly had a few drinks and taken Ambien and Xanax w/no apparent issues. Of course the drug companies are going to be very conservative and tell you of course you should NEVER drink and take it, but I cannot say with any certainty that you would suffer major illness especially with the newer generation sleeping pills and alcohol, but again, I'm not a doctor and you may not want to take my experiences and interpelate that you would react exactly the same way :).

I sure hope note....a xanax and a glass of wine is my sleeping aid. I dont know what the PHD's in the world would say but it works for me and I am going to stick with it. :)

From DaDOK
 

I am a physician, so I will make a few general recommendations:

1. Whichever med you choose, I agree to try it at least 1 or 2 times in advance, and different dose (10mg might work, but 5 might work just as well)

2. Whatever other people tell you 'works', ignore them -- it does NOT apply to you, Each person reacts differently (as some above have said). For me, Ambien knocks me out for at least 7 hours.

3. According to the manufacturers -- and the general consenus is -- that Sonata does not last as long as Ambien (therefore, less likely to get a hangover). Temazepam is generall short-acting too. Another med often used for sleep is Trazadone. But, see #2 above.

4. As far as non-prescription meds, Benedryl may be enough to knock you out. Get the generic (diphenydramine, 25mg) -- just as good, much cheaper. The other option is melatonin (generic name), which is a natural chemical secreted in you body, often used to correct jet lag. Usual dose is 2-3mg.

5. Whatever you take, even the OTCs, the mantra is: Do not mix with alcohol. ;)

6. As far as getting the meds, your local doc should have no problem giving a limited # of meds for travel (unless you have other medical problems).

7. And, No, I will not prescribe without knowing the person, :)

A cheaper way.
 

Well, while I don't find sleeping in a business or first class cabin that hard at all, and I usually pre-condition myself to my destination's timezone the night before I depart for my trip, I do need sleeping aid when I'm in coach.

Ambien? Nah, prescriptions are a pain.
Xanax? No thanks.

My preferred method is this: take four glasses and line them up on the counter of the self-service bar. Put ice in the last one. Into the first one, pour 3 ounces of your favorite vodka. Into the second one, pour 3 ounces of your favorite gin. And into the third one, pour 3 ounces of Southern Comfort. Water to fill the last one, which has ice.

Shoot the first, shoot the second, shoot the third, drink the water, and then quietly leave the airport lounge and board your flight. Depending on your tolerance and sleepiness, you'll either fall asleep shortly after takeoff or shortly after the meal :D.

I've never had the amnesia effect, but I was suffering through a nasty bout of amnesia once and was taking it for about 5 nights in a row, and on the 5th night, I had a night of really vivid, unpleasant nightmares. After that, I will only use it for "spot treatment" for flights and whatnot! Never had the amnesia effect, luckily!

We're flying to Africa in December. Daytime flight to Miami from LAX, then night flight from MIA to LHR. I think I'd try the Sonata on this one. But then we fly LHR to Nairobi after a couple hours layover. Would any of you take another Sonata or Ambien for this flight? I would think it's best not to mix medications, so if you start with Sonata, stick with it. Any thoughts on this?