Cba From United States, joined Jul 2000, 4462 posts, RR: 4 Posted (5 years 7 months 4 weeks 1 day 15 hours ago) and read 3306 times:
I've got a 10 hour trip to Paris coming up soon, and I'm determined to sleep on this flight. I've flown the flight (IAH-CDG) many times, but I've never found a way to sleep on the plane. Usually I can just take a day to unwind, but I've got a wedding to go to the on the evening of my arrival, so I really do need to arrive in Paris well rested. Any tips?
Continental From United States, joined Jun 2000, 5174 posts, RR: 28 Reply 1, posted (5 years 7 months 4 weeks 1 day 15 hours ago) and read 3270 times:
Make sure that it's a relatively dark area, odds are the flight will be dark most of the way. There's really no tips, just lean back and sleep. Try to get a window seat, you can lean against the window. Other than that, sleeping on a plane sucks unless you can lay down among an empty row of seats. Make sure you fall asleep when you reach cruise. Falling asleep at 10,000 feet and sleeping for many hours and waking up at 40,000 feet really hurts your ears. Other than that, there's really nothing to know. I guess you could always taking a sleeping pill!
Longhaulheavy From United States, joined Dec 2003, 397 posts, RR: 3 Reply 2, posted (5 years 7 months 4 weeks 1 day 15 hours ago) and read 3236 times:
I find that the reason I can't sleep on planes usually comes from the excitement of being on the plane! Even when it's dark, I find myself listening for things, watching movements. I never watch the inflight movies, because I find the sights and sounds of the planes too distracting.
Anyhow, I have found that Ativan (a/k/a lorazepam) really knocks the edge off my desire to be interested in every aspect of the flight. It's an anti-anxiety drug that's also prescribed as a sleeping pill. It does have to come from a prescription, but as I understand it it's a rather weak benzodiazepine, and side effects are rare.
If you're really worried about being able to sleep and have tried everything except drugs, maybe you should ask your doctor about it. (Ha, I sound like a Viagra ad). But whatever drug you may try, make sure you try one before your flight! You don't want to be taking a new medication on a plane 40,000 feet over the Atlantic.
Longhaulheavy From United States, joined Dec 2003, 397 posts, RR: 3 Reply 4, posted (5 years 7 months 4 weeks 1 day 15 hours ago) and read 3219 times:
Just to add, I have a friend who has very good luck using regular old Benadryl as a sleeping pill. It knocks him right out. But I use it in the summer for allergies, so my tolerance is a bit higher and it doesn't work for me.
And remember, with depressants, NO alcohol! The post above mine is a good idea too, but it's drugs -or- booze, not both.
Note that nothing given here should be taken as an official medical recommendation - just giving my own experiences.
VSLover From United Kingdom (Scotland), joined Feb 2004, 1883 posts, RR: 32 Reply 5, posted (5 years 7 months 4 weeks 1 day 14 hours ago) and read 3170 times:
i cant do alcohol because i always have to use the toilet as a result.
i can say that time and time again tylenol pm works wonders. it is a sleeping aid, but wow it will knock you out good with two pills. it takes some searching at your drugstore, but it is called tylenol pm.
Nycfuturepilot From United States, joined Dec 2003, 790 posts, RR: 0 Reply 6, posted (5 years 7 months 4 weeks 1 day 14 hours ago) and read 3101 times:
In response to Vs lover's post, you can now by tylenol pm with out the tylenol in it just the drowsy part that way you arent getting anything that you dont need. A friend of mine started using simply sleep 2 days ago and said it works well. Bewar though, she took 2 first shot and woke up drowsy but said that one worked well. It may be different for you as she is pretty small but take longhaulheavy's reccomendation and test it before you go, i recently had a terrible reaction to tylenol so who knows what could have happened to me if i had taken tylenol pm on a plane.
Irishpower From United States, joined Aug 2003, 263 posts, RR: 0 Reply 7, posted (5 years 7 months 4 weeks 1 day 14 hours ago) and read 3098 times:
Actually Tylenol PM and Benadryl are the same drug--Diphenhydramine!!!!!
Both work well and a LITTLE wine on top won't hurt. Just remember to hydrate a little bit ahead of time and make sure you take the meds. a good hour before you want to sleep--they take a while to kick in!!!
I used it a couple of years ago on my SFO-SYD flight and it worked great.
Ativan is great BUT you need a prescription!!!
JoseMEX From Mexico, joined Oct 1999, 1533 posts, RR: 38 Reply 9, posted (5 years 7 months 4 weeks 1 day 14 hours ago) and read 3068 times:
I always use eye-shades to help me sleep. Also, I put on my in-ear Etymotic earphones and listen to music (not very loud, though). This helps me relax and go to sleep, as well as mask the outside noises. I avoid alcohol completely.
I have only taken sleeping pills on a flight once, it was a HKG-EWR and took a couple of Tylenol PM about 4 hours into the flight. Next thing I remember, I was awaken by the flight attendant 10 hours later to prepare my seat for landing (though Tylenol PM tends to give me a bit of a hangover, so I probably wouldn't take it on flights less than 10 hours).
PanAm747 From United States, joined Feb 2004, 4242 posts, RR: 11 Reply 10, posted (5 years 7 months 4 weeks 1 day 14 hours ago) and read 3049 times:
Drink LOTS and LOTS of water the previous day. Get yourself rested and relaxed. Absolutely NO alcohol the day before or the day of your flight - that includes on the airplane as well.
Tylenol PM (or even regular Tylenol) works for me. If you take an Ibuprofin, take it at least two hours beforehand. By a blindfold, as there will always be lights on somewhere.
If you cannot get to sleep immediately, focus on meditation. Try and make your body as relaxed as possible - you're not in your usual sleep position, but you can make your body tell your mind that it's okay to let go and go to sleep.
Even though it's during the day, the return trip actually wears people out more. Try the same trick coming back. Bon Voyage!!
Pan Am:The World's Most Experienced Airline - P(oor) S(ailor's) A(irline): San Diego's Hometown Airline-Catch Our Smile!
Aloha73g From United States, joined Jul 2003, 2134 posts, RR: 6 Reply 14, posted (5 years 7 months 4 weeks 1 day 9 hours ago) and read 2811 times:
I've found that listening to the dialogue of the inflight movie and closing my eyes always puts me to sleep on my OAK/SFO-HNL flights. Simply Sleep works good too.
-Aloha!
Aloha Airlines - The Spirit Moves Us. Gone but NEVER Forgotten. Aloha, A Hui Hou!
HZ747300 From Hong Kong SAR, PRC, joined Mar 2004, 1442 posts, RR: 1 Reply 15, posted (5 years 7 months 4 weeks 1 day 6 hours ago) and read 2697 times:
Take four TylenolPM just before boarding. You will sleep comfortably for about seven hours. But then again on a 14:30 flight, you will have to take four more as you are waking up from your first nap.
Aa61hvy From United States, joined Nov 1999, 13211 posts, RR: 69 Reply 19, posted (5 years 7 months 4 weeks 23 hours ago) and read 2462 times:
Drink some water, get a real stiff drink and sleep. It worked for about 3 hours when I flew to KIX (3 hours is huge for me) I used to never sleep on planes.
Caetravlr From United States, joined Oct 2000, 837 posts, RR: 1 Reply 20, posted (5 years 7 months 4 weeks 22 hours ago) and read 2432 times:
When I was flying CDG - BKK, and arriving at 6 am BKK time, I took a Melatonin, sold here in the US as a supplement, and it knocked me out until some kids were running up and down the aisle. I took another one, went right back to sleep, and woke up in BKK completely relaxed, and ready for a day, without even the slightest hint of jet lag.
My two suggestions, depending on your time of departure, and your arrival time. Take a Melatonin (my personal preference) just as you reach cruise, or after the first service.
Time it so that you wake up at whatever time is good for you based on local time at your destination. If you are arriving early in the morning to CDG, then that should be easy.
Just my thoughts.
CAETravlr
A woman drove me to drink and I didn't have the decency to thank her. - W.C. Fields
ATLhomeCMH From United States, joined Dec 2003, 770 posts, RR: 5 Reply 21, posted (5 years 7 months 4 weeks 22 hours ago) and read 2426 times:
This might seem a little out there: but when I was headed to Iraq last spring, we didn't sleep the night before we left b/c we were too busy making final preparations...and I noticed that when I slept on the flight from Dover AFB, DE to Moron AB, Spain, I slept almost the entire 7.5 hours, and woke up feeling pretty rested.
Obviously, it's never good to deprive your body of anything that it needs (food, water, sleep)...so I wouldn't recommend it. But, limiting your sleep the night before so that you'll sleep heavier when you fly is always an option.
Personally, if I was in your shoes, I'd combine that with the aforementioned alcohol.
"The most terrifying words in the Engligh language are, 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'"-Ronald Reagan
Cba From United States, joined Jul 2000, 4462 posts, RR: 4 Reply 22, posted (5 years 7 months 4 weeks 22 hours ago) and read 2404 times:
Thanks for the advice all. I've heard that drinking a lot of water is a must-do on these flights because the air in the cabin is much dryer than normal air on the ground. The only problem I see with the alcohol is that it tends to dehydrate you a lot.
Aa61hvy From United States, joined Nov 1999, 13211 posts, RR: 69 Reply 24, posted (5 years 7 months 4 weeks 22 hours ago) and read 2393 times:
Melatonin works, since its naturally produced in the body, alcohol produces the same affect (melatonin and serotonin are produced) I would not rely on those all the time though. They will lose their effect.
Greg From United Kingdom, joined May 2005, 0 posts, RR: 2 Reply 25, posted (5 years 7 months 4 weeks 22 hours ago) and read 2354 times:
I fly in biz..so it's not so bad on BA with the beds, but I always take a 2MG Xanax with a Crown and Coke right after take off.......repeat as necessary if awakened. To hell with IFE--let me sleep!
26 Bartond: It may not work for some people, but having a couple of drinks probably won't dehydrate you too bad. If you take some bottled water on the flight and
27 Amhilde: I usually take good ol Nytol, though Tylonal PM works too. I used to have issues sleeping LAX-LHR and that is one LONG flight if you cant sleep. I fo
28 Warren747sp: All good tips. But why don't you find a way to become member of the mile-high club. I think the chances are very good you will sleep soundly afterward
30 Bobb: If you have flown a lot, you know what bothers you. Some people just are disturbed very easily. Me, I sleep even with a craying baby next If you don't
31 Johnboy: Don't bother with Tylenol, you really just need Benadryl (the anti-histamine which makes one sleepy). I drink a couple of glasses of wine with my Bena
32 AeroAussie: Ambien is great stuff. Just make sure you have a friend with you to throw you on a baggage cart and push you through customs. (It's fairly strong stuf
33 Yyz717: this is not complicated. one word. gravol.
34 Greg: We have a saying among our travelling group: "Ambien is for amatures!" It gets you drowsy...but I kept waking up during turbulence or cabin chimes rin
35 EIDW: Sleep whenever you can. Some people advise trying to sync your body clock by altering your sleep pattern a bit before and during the flight. In my exp
36 Henpol747: A couple beers and a few shots of tequila would do an amazing job, you can´t imagine
37 Ulfinator: A while back I read an article that was on just this same subject. I will try to find it but the big thing I remember is that you should use regular e
38 Jblake1: As your doctor for a scribe for a few Xanax... works everytime.
39 Zak: relax yourself. if you need pills to sleep you have a problem in my opinion. you get a rather comfortable seat(even in cattle) and a bit of background
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