Aiding sleep on flight

[scoobydooby]

Does anyone have suggestions for safe, none prescription medication that my children could take to help them sleep on the flight from the UK. They both hate it. Thanks.

 

[Shazzie B]

My daughter takes Travel Calm - I bought from Boots at the airport for travel sickness (bought on I think by nervousness); but it makes her sleepy-she's slept on every flight she's taken it - even 2 hour flight to Rome (not all the time though).

Have a word with a pharmassist (spelling) & see what they reccommend. My DD was 15 when she 1st started taking but think it's OK for younger kids.

 

[goofieslonglostsis]

Does anyone have suggestions for safe, none prescription medication that my children could take to help them sleep on the flight from the UK. They both hate it. Thanks.

You might want to look into behavioural remedies. Thing with any type of drugging is that you can not turn it on and off as desired. Obviously odds aren't huge, but if something does happen with the flight causing an emergency landing and evac or god forbid worse; you do NOT want to be even the slightest altered. Let alone want kids to be, who will have a harder time in such situations anyways. More common risks? Again, it is not a switch that you control. Some folks react different to a same product in air versus on the ground. Then there are stuff that influence sleep cycles that come with a nasty habit of having to behave as the medication fits. For instance; take it at a moment and have the sleepiness hit at a moment where you are still active (boarding, eating, going to the bathroom) and you can easily no longer get the desired benefits but have it result in a negative thing feeling poor etc. And the list goes on.

I personally need a lot of extra medication on top of my daily norm when on a flight to the US to simply physically cope. Have never been a fan of the risk of drowsiness because of stated above, but after being on a flight where we were instructed about evac since there were some problems that could result in needing to do an evac right after landing and seeing how those that did use "aids" (including kids being given something as "harmless" as benadryl), I've decided for myself I've seen enough. Any and all meds that might cause me to be altered in any way or shape are not an option to be in my system during flight.

What can be done that does not alter the state one is if need be? Behavioural. Most of the UK flights will leave anywhere between morning and afternoon. Keep the kids up during the night before. Turn it into a party, breaking some smaller day-to-day rules to make it a "huge thing". Movies, active games during the most difficult hours, no foods or drinks that make them sleepy etc. You tend to go to the airport early enough anyway, so that should take at least some of the night away if not a big portion if on an early flight. For youngsters it can be harder to skip a whole night out of nowhere. Consider prolonging up their bedtime a couple of days before. Skips as small as 30 minutes per day going to bed later can result in them being able to hang on an hour or 2 more when needed. At the airport; active stuff, keep them alert. Not just great to blow of some last steam before a flight but again will keep them awake.

After boarding, the excitement of finally getting onboard, excitement of food -hey, still a kid- etc dies down, most will beyond craving to go to sleep after pulling an all nighter. For the younger kids; bring along their sleep routine. So; change into pyama, have their usual cuddly blanket or stuffed animal at hand, read the usual bedtime story. Routines are a great little helper for youngsters to get into allowing themselves to feel the sleep. Depending on flight time, you can even play with this to such an extend you come as close to Florida evening time before they go to sleep. Does not just get them to sleep during the flight, but also helps them combate the jetlag. If doing so; be aware that you will also want to beat the jetlag with having kids up and about.

Being Dutch, we have a 6 hour time difference with Florida. You already have one less to tackle, so to say. Seriously though, that shifting in bedtime is key in our family that flies extensively. Most destinations have 6 hours difference (Florida, Thailand, Australia etc.) so we tend to start a week prior to departure by shifting. Night before the flight; no getting to bed. Works like a charm to have very little if any jetlag and sleep in flight. As soon as we hit the airport, we start living at the time of destination and prefer to plan sleep during at least evening time at destination. Flight back; where possible again slowly we begin to work in local time. Coming back from Florida, having a short night (get up around 5am) then keep on going until on the TA flight. Not only long enough to get some proper sleep but again; long enough since having slept to physically want to sleep and great timing to get back on home time again. Has a huge possitive effect on adapting to the new timing.

 

[flortlebap]

If your children are the right age, Medised has a sleep inducing additive.

I would say though that the kids are likely to be that tired the wont need any sedatives to help them sleep. Plus, they're only recommended for over 6s and they're completely banned in some countries. I'd really say avoid it if you can.

 

[scoobydooby]

Thanks. I'll probably skip any meds reflecting on that. They don't need behavioural interventions they are not difficult or naughty. Just very bored! We stay at the airport the night before so it's relaxing and we've got the sleep routines on arrival cracked after 4 trips. Not so much for the jet lag when we get home though. That's always a killer! Anyway, boredom it is

 

[goofieslonglostsis]

Might just be my way of communicating getting it across poorly, but the above posting was not at all about being naughty or whatever. It's purely about behavioural changes to manipulate their sleeping cycle enough so they will be so tired the body will enduce sleep in and of itself at the desired moment in time; during the flight.

 

[Rayvnn]

What time is the flight?

Maybe try melatonin.

Leslie

 

[chmurf]

the best non prescription stuff you could find is "talk"
prepare them, and explain what you'll be doing, where they'll be going, how it's going to unfold and all that stuff.

kids do adapt their sleep cycle better than adults, and you'll notice how they cope with jet lag on arrival when you just can't

It's better (IMO) to keep them entertained during the flight. Games console, portable DVD, Ipad, or even stick to good old IFE.
When kids gotta sleep, they simply do, no matter where they are or how uncomfortably they're seated (look at america funniest home videos, you'll see how some kids actually manage to sleep upside down )

Now there is another question you want to ask yourself (on top of the safety of "drugged" kids in an emergency) ... how well rested do you want your kids to be when you hit florida ? lol, do you really want them to be running at "full speed" at 1am florida time (6am BST) when you've been up over 24 hours ?

They'll catch up with enough sleep on their first night, actually they'll recover better than you will.
Just make sure they have plenty to do during the flight