(NSR) Sleep-Aids for Flying

[Nate Dogg]

Well, the title is pretty self-explanatory...I will be leaving Boston on Friday evening for a flight bound for Munich (via a layover in London). On previous overseas flights, I've had quite a bit of trouble sleeping, and I was curious if anyone could suggest something I could take to sleep on the plane. I've never taken any sleeping pills so I'm not sure where to start, or if one will be better than the other. Any suggestions? Thanks.

[belgian]

Excedrin PM works well, but take it about an hour before you want to sleep, otherwise it won't really kick it. I've heard Alluna works alright as well, but I don't know first hand.

[778skier]

A professor of mine, who flies a lot, just happened to recommend this today; ear plugs and some sort of mask. He said he actually managed a good sleep using them.

[hucksquaw]

go get drunk at the bar before you board and pass out on the plane.. works every time

[Nate Dogg]

go get drunk at the bar before you board and pass out on the plane.. works every time

Already considered that alternative, which to be honest, seems like a good solution ...however I'm not sure the rest of the family will be in agreement.

[runethechamp]

Every time I go back to Norway or to go skiing somewhere in the Alps I use my almost foolproof plan for sleeping on the plane and eliminating all jetlag almost 100%. First, make sure you don't get enough sleep the last couple of days before you go. Then, take a couple Excederin PMs right before the dinner (if you want to eat that). Drink some wine, beer or whatever with the dinner and voila - you sleep like a baby. I usually get between 6 and 7 hours of sleep with this method, but I can also sleep pretty much everywhere. Then, you wake up in the morning, European time, ready to go for a pretty much normal day. You've had lots of sleep, and the shorter day you get (should be 6 hours from the East Coast) is offset by the lack of sleep you had before you left. If I haven't been skiing or something the first day over there I usually take another Excederin PM the first night in Europe just to make sure I fall asleep the first night. The only thing reminding me about the jetlag is the screwed up shit cycle you get from the travelling.

[FreakofSnow]

Having made a few flights over to SE Asia, I recommend the following:

ear plugs (get the kind that let the pressure out)
mask
one of those cheap blow up neck pillows
AND
a few beers and a Vicodin

[Lane Meyer]

Ambien, 10 mg. And join the mile high club.

[hucksquaw]

Already considered that alternative, which to be honest, seems like a good solution ...however I'm not sure the rest of the family will be in agreement.

ya traveling with the family kind of complicates things sometimes...

[freshie247]

Melonin,& start going to bed real early.

[H-man]

Nyquil liquid gel caps, foam earplugs and one of those new beanie type pillows. Works for me every time.

[Tippster]

Pot Brownie.

Otherwise go with the Nyquil/earplug/comfy pillow idea. If you have any of those "Noise Reduction" headphones they're great. Turn them on but don't plug them in anywhere, and you'll have as close to silence as you can get on a plane.

[basom]

this one time, in nepal, i was on a bus. one of those horrible third world deals, with several goats on board, and men riding on the roof. i was in the back, and the seats were rocks, and the suspension was hard, and each switchback the bus would lean over towards certain death.

for some strange reason i decided to take a big bite out of the chunk of hash in my pocket.
it did not calm me down, or ease any back seat stiffness. the guy at the door (takes the money) did ask me to lend him the cassette i was listening to, and he put it on the busses tape deck (i was amazed they had one). the next four hours were a mixture of stoned adrenilne fueld fear of death by bus falling off himalayan foothills, and boping my head to underground New York hip hop playing on the blown out speakers of the bus. it wasn't fun, but it was memorable.

*this post has little or no relevance to this, or any other, conversation*

[lemon boy]

Ambien. Great stuff.

[INDY GS]

Just to echo what has already been said. Tylenol/excedren PM, and some beer or wine. On my recent trip to europe, I slept all but 40 minutes of the flight there, and on the way back I fell asleep before we took off, we were 2 hours from home when i woke. It is good stuff, does'nt cause any addictions, and you will be well rested when you get there/back. Just remember to hydrate well many days before said trip, those PMs tend to dehydrate you quite abit.

[Nate Dogg]

Wow, looks like everybody uses this method in one form or another. Thanks for all the suggestions guys, looks like I'll be sleeping like a baby

[Hicks]

go get drunk at the bar before you board and pass out on the plane.. works every time

What he said + a couple of more aboard the plane.

I frequently fly across the pond - never failed so far especially when coming over here after a short night.

[Cornholio]

Read this story first. Then decide.

You'll know my vote!

[iceman]

Cornholio's experience aside, I'm all about the valium. Go to the doc and explain that you are terrified of flying but can't get out of it (also tell him you have more flights to take than you do, so you will get more) Get some 10 mg valiums, take two an hour before the flight, have a glass of wine and you are history. Drinking to sleep on planes is bad, way too dry and hangover-making.

[lemon boy]

You don't even have to lie to get the ambiens. Just say you'd like a sleep aid for the flight and to help with jetlag. Tell the doc you've had ambien before and it worked well.

Note: take 1/2 or a whole one at night at your destination to get a good night's sleep and onto the right timezone faster.

[13]

Boston to Munich is about 8 hours of flying time.

OTC Dramamine worked for me when I went from Hawai'i to Detroit.

Don't make the mistake I did & take 2 pills. 3 girls had to drag me & from one gate to another during my layover in Houston. I was out COLD.

[biggins]

Ambien- works well. Habit forming though- not a good idea if you generally have trouble sleeping (you'll get hooked fast).

Codine is always my favorite.

[slim]

Basom's killing it... even on a bus in Nepal.

this one time, in nepal, i was on a bus. i decided to take a big bite out of the chunk of hash in my pocket. the next four hours were a mixture of stoned adrenilne fueld fear of death by bus falling off himalayan foothills, and boping my head to underground New York hip hop playing on the blown out speakers of the bus.

[Jumper Bones]

I recommend you stop being such a pussy.

earplugs and a pillow, and maybe some eyeshades or something like that

it also takes your body a day to adjust for each time zone you go forward on...so maybe consider adjusting your schedule for the new one, ie, get on that schedule 8 days before you go there since you're now ahead 8 hrs, something like that.

[Crinkle]

for you non-pharmaceutical types (sp?) Ambien=2 beers, trust me. I would go higher grade like ice said Valium or some other nice depressant.