sleeping on long haul flights

[t60]

Thank you for all your replies. Taking any form of medication (prescription or over the counter) to sleep on a plane is a no no for us.

I really wanted information on small pillows, gadgets or other non medication ways to have a rest on board.

We are fairly frequent long haul flyers, and have done 24 hr London to Sydney before. (last time we managed a couple of hours sleep on arrival at hotel before going out sightseeing) but have never successfully been able to sleep/doze on the plane.

The cost of booking anything other than coach for this trip is not possible, although we have been upgraded before to Upper Class on Virgin which was lovely.

 

Sandy in Spain

[navybankerteacher]

As a regular trans-Atlantic night flier I've found a great sleep aid. Two shots of Drambuie as soon as I am ready to try nodding off usually put me out for the flight. I' m a regular wine drinker , but rarely have spirits -- so that non-prescription sleep aid works well.

[searoses]

thanks for the followup talisker.....i will start saving!! anyone cringe at hearing others sharing their rx drugs? think that's

a felony for drugs like xanax....ambien is a loose cannon. it's the only thing that works for my debilitating nightmares and i tolerate it well. not so much for one of my family members who felt insane for 10 hrs.

[notentirelynormal]

No..Don't...Never good to be under the influence of anything during a flight...A quick response could save your life !!

 

You're kidding right? You think that if I'm sleepy or drunk or over tired that if the plane goes down in a burst of fire, the tire blows out while we are landing or whatever else could go wrong.... that the result of plane troubles will differ because I was more responsive. I guarantee you that if something goes wrong on my flight - taking an ambien or having a drink will not affect my response. You sober up pretty quick when you are in an emergency situation.

[suekay]

I NEVER travel without my Jetsleeper. I've tried all sorts of pillow and this is the best of the lot. I also take a small inflatable pillow which I put either on top of or under the Jetsleeper which is like a hammock to support your head. It's compact and lightweight - I just weighed it at 6.7oz and it is 8"x5" in it's plastic pouch

[meggie711]

No..Don't...Never good to be under the influence of anything during a flight...A quick response could save your life !!

That, and different people have different reactions to medications like this. A lot of people hallucinate while on Ambien. Not what I'm looking for in fellow passengers.

Editing to add that it may work well for some, but shouldn't be suggested and used for the first time on a flight when you don't know how your body will react.

[MJC]

I use Melatonin to sleep on planes and adjust to time differences. I put my earphones in and play something familiar and quiet, and bring my own travel pillow. I always have a shawl or heavy sweater since I get cold.

 

One of the best sleeps I ever had in economy was when I put my tote bag on the tray table, put my pillow on the tote, and leaned forward with my arms hugging the bag. Couldn't believe I could actually sleep like that, but it worked like a charm.

 

DH is one of those people who can sleep sitting up in broad daylight, anywhere, anytime. Grrr.

[jamessemaj]

There is no magic bullet. Security and all. Just have to tough it out however you can.

 

The airlines do their best to make your long flights as miserable as possible.

[Zach1213]

The airlines do their best to make your long flights as miserable as possible.

 

Not quite. They try to pull a profit in a day when people only care about the cheapest ticket.

[sjcruiser]

I've been on several flights to Asia, first a thirteen hour flight, then an eight or vice-versa. I've never had problems sleeping, but I do use noise cancelling headphones, and go to sleep when they crew dim the lights. A have a half-moon/travel pillow that I purchased from a local store for $5, and it works great on planes or in the car.

[Talisker92]

One thing we did was to have our VISA card give us miles on BA for everything we charge. We even got companion tickets. We use our miles to upgrade to Business Class

[Grumpy100]

Don't take an ambien they are very habit forming and takes forever to get off of them. Then you might want to sleep walk and that would not be good and then eat in the middle of the night like I have heard some people say.

Take a xanex which just relaxes you and you will be fine.

We did that flight and Qantas takes very good care of you so I would recommend that airline.

Happy flying and sailing.:p:p:p

[jamessemaj]

Not quite. They try to pull a profit in a day when people only care about the cheapest ticket.

 

That may be. I will upgrade when it is feasible. Standard economy is a miserable experience which the airlines (and maybe, as you suggest, the consumer) has created. I would rather undergo a root canal than fly and I only fly to get to a nice experience at a reasonable price, such as a cruise.

 

My belief is that it doesn't have to be as bad as it is. I would fault idiot airline management, and maybe the airline unions as well. Whatever, I repeat, flying has become a horrible endurance.

[Zach1213]

That may be. I will upgrade when it is feasible. Standard economy is a miserable experience which the airlines (and maybe, as you suggest, the consumer) has created. I would rather undergo a root canal than fly and I only fly to get to a nice experience at a reasonable price, such as a cruise.

 

My belief is that it doesn't have to be as bad as it is. I would fault idiot airline management, and maybe the airline unions as well. Whatever, I repeat, flying has become a horrible endurance.

 

I study airline economics regularly. Trust me, it's the consumer who has dictated the current status of coach comfort. One example is how AA introduced "More Room Through Coach" many years ago. It failed because people weren't willing to regularly pay a bit more money for more legroom/comfort.

[cruisemom42]

Standard economy is a miserable experience which the airlines (and maybe, as you suggest, the consumer) has created. I would rather undergo a root canal than fly and I only fly to get to a nice experience at a reasonable price, such as a cruise.

 

 

From someone who has had her fair share of root canals and economy flights to Europe, I'll take the economy flight ANY day over a root canal. :rolleyes:

[DizzyDallasDi]

No..Don't...Never good to be under the influence of anything during a flight...A quick response could save your life !!

 

Seriously? :confused: Then why do the airlines sell alcohol? In first class, they give it to you free. I'd say they're actually encouraging you to be under the influence of something. :D

[Treven]

same here.

I take Ambien with my doctor's approval. DH's doc has also OK'd him taking Ambien, but he does not generally do so. My reaction time might be slower on the Ambien. heck it might be slow just from fatigue. DH would be there to look out for me if needed. plenty if other people on the plane have taken a sleep aide, so flight attendants would be aware of the potential sleepiness. worst case would on a transocean flight would be bad, sleepy or not. For a long eastbound flight, I also try for a late flight, close to my normal bed time if workable.

I definitely don't do well on Ambien; my Dr. even has it on my records that I'm allergic to it. Of course different reactions to it. I fly first class from the Left Coast to FLL and always take the red eye. I take one or two Temazapam (sleeping pills) when I first board with a glass of white wine, and I'm lucky if I doze for an hour or so.

[room010]

I envy those who can sleep on planes because I certainly can't and I fly a LOT. First, Business or Coach makes no difference. The best I can manage is a doze with good earplugs and a comfortable eye shade, only to be woken by that bl**dy fasten seatbelts BING! Drives me nuts.

[t60]

snip.. The best I can manage is a doze with good earplugs and a comfortable eye shade,snip....

 

What sort of eye shade do you use?

 

Sandy in Spain

[room010]

I'm sorry I don't know the brand but it's semi-moulded total blackout material with slight "bulges" so your eyes don't have any fabric pressing on them. The strap is also very adjustable so it's not too tight but doesnt slip either. Makes all the difference.

[Arzeena]

I am almost embarrassed to admit it, but at our age (we will never see 60 again) those transatlantic flights from the West Coast are a killer. We have swallowed hard, and cut back our traveling so we could go Business Class on British Airways. The first time we did it my wife said she was in heaven, as she could sleep on her side.

I have attached part of a trip story that shows the configuration.

We are using FF miles to upgrade us to save some of the costs.

On word of caution, you have to go to each airline to see what Business Class offers.

We cancelled a South Pacific Cruise because all that was offered for a ton of money was more legroom!

 

Wow! that is wonderful! Enjoy your travels, thanks for sharing.

[t60]

I'm sorry I don't know the brand but it's semi-moulded total blackout material with slight "bulges" so your eyes don't have any fabric pressing on them. The strap is also very adjustable so it's not too tight but doesnt slip either. Makes all the difference.

 

Thanks for that room010, it´s that sort I´ve been looking at

 

Sandy in Spain

[Nebr.cruiser]

I can't seem to sleep on planes either; maybe a light doze off and on, even in Business Class.

 

I even got a script for Ambien this spring, tried it out beforehand, as suggested, and slept like a baby at home. On the plane (unfortunately this was economy class), barely a wink. I'm not a good sleeper at any time, but it did work well at home. Partly lack of comfort, partly psychological, I suspect.

[corpkid]

I have a small stash of Xanax for this very reason (obtained legally from my doctor). I've had some very long haul flights (longest was 17 hours, NYC to New Zealand). Have a Dallas to Rio coming up (12 hours) and 14 back from Buenos Aires. ALWAYS pick the latest flight possible (10pm or later). Dress comfortably (including a hoodie), use an eye mask, noise canceling headphones, and a neck pillow. I have a drink or 2 ASAP and pop one pill, put my mask/phones on, and then do the best to get comfortable. Usually I'm out cold within an hour waking 6-8 or so hours later. Not refreshed, but not exhausted. I always figure on a slightly down day after a flight like that. Not easy for anyone I suppose. Of course, in 1st class it's much easier, but if you don't have a bunch of loyalty points, it's insanely expensive on many of these long hauls.

 

Also, I only get about 5 or 6 hours the night before (usually because I'm packing!) so I'm dragging all day anyways.

 

Good luck!

[iheartbda]

CANNOT sleep on flights but tried something similar to what another posted. I put some things on the snack tray, leaned forward on it and was able to get some sleep. Saw this in the Sky Mall Magazine on a plane and have seriously considered ordering one. Says it's a top seller. I didn't read all 86 reviews but the majority liked or loved it and it had an overall rating of 4 stars out of five.