I stay up all night the night before a flight; then I get on the plane and I'm out before we pushback from the gate.

Great idea! Will have to sample this on the next flight.

I have tried everything mentioned, here. The only thing that works for me, consistently, is a lie flat (180�) seat. Of course, I need to combine that with all the aforementioned.

Slightly (or worse) sleep-deprived when boarding (easy, very sleep-deprived is my normal state anyways), NC headphones (always in briefcase), lots of water/diet-coke (and a chat with the FAs to have them not wake you for breakfast) and a melatonine tends to get me zzzZZZz for about 6-8h -- assuming that the seat is acceptable (long-haul C or better). Taking the melatonine at the right time of the flight, and I wake up ready for my destination as fresh as if I'd spent the nights in the presidential suite at the nearest InterContinental for the last month.....ok, maybe not, but I *am* rather easy when it comes to sleep and to fighting jet-lag. (handy for a FTer...)

I tend to not drink much alcohol in general, and less on flights since it makes my sleep irregular and restless, and due to the dry air + alcohol, I wake up with a headache. If the FAs have a bottle of something that intrigues me I may have a single glass, but I'm over the time in my youth when I'd drink my way through 6 mini-bottles of questionable champaign on a 2h intra-European flight in C (of course, most airline companies are also over the time where they'd give out that much free booze, even in C....)

Hi

I sleep really well on an airplane, but I am pretty small (so probably helps to get comfortable...):
- Fly C/F with a flat, preferably horizontal seat.
- don't drink much alcohol (a glass or two of champagne maybe)
- change into PJs or other very light, comfortable clothing
- eat well
- stay hydrated with water (avoid sodas)
- have a camonmile tea at the end of dinner
- make sure that you are cool enough.
- pop on eye-shade and go to sleep.

ZZzzzzzzzzzzz

Boo

Fatigue works really well as a sleep agent. Try getting up on the East Coast for a 6am flight (wake up at 3:30am, leave the house at 4) fly to the West Coast, get there at 9am, work all day, then take the red eye back. You'll be assured a good sleep on that red eye. It really works. I have many flights where I don't remember either the take off, landing, or anything in between.

I take still nox or xanax. I like my own blanket and squishy pillow. I don't drink alcohol. I use headphones and listen to a book on my dvd player.

Truth. I just pull an allnighter the night before. I just have to work at staying awake while in the club so I don't miss the flight.

I know that feeling well. Many is the time I've chugged a lot of coke/coffee in the lounge just to keep awake, or talk incessantly for fear of falling asleep.

Simple...

Have children (I'll not bore you with the 'how to's' of this)
Get on plane
Close eyes
Sleep the most wonderful sleep you have had in weeks

I'm like OP, never able to sleep. I've tried the no-alcohol rule, get-drunk rules, nothing. Melatonin works, but not on the plane. Ear plug, headphones, musics make my ear ache, so no. Tried not sleeping the day before, actually make things much worse. I now don't fight it anymore.

Amen.

Eye shades and ear plugs are mandatory.

I do that too, but not to help me sleep - I'm just psychologically incapable of packing more than 5 or 6 hours before a flight.

I still don't sleep much on planes though.

What's with all the Ambien-CR (controlled release) bashing? I often take a 12.5mg Ambien CR before a flight. It helps me get *some* sleep, and maybe I'm a bit groggy in between flights in the connecting airport, but I'm usually a bit groggy in the middle of a long flight anyway. I know everyone's different, but for some people Ambien is pretty helpful, and for me it works better in the CR version.