Sleeping on the plane

[glassslipper2004]

Anyone have any tips for planning to sleep on the plane? We're leaving on a flight to Rome that departs at 4:00 p.m, and arrives at 6:00 a.m. I know DH will have no problem sleeping (he can sleep anywhere), but I doubt my kids (8 and 10) will voluntarily nod off, and I might have trouble as well. Are we better off not worrying about it and trying to catch a nap at the hotel when we arrive, or will that throw us off more? Any props, medications (tylenol PM for adults?), suggestions for making the overnight work?

 

[DionysiusP]

We're headed for Ireland in August. Will leave house about 0630 am and arrive Dublin 0730 am the next day. Do NOT like Tylenol PM or any other such OTC sleep drug. They usually leave me "fuzzy" in the head.

When I need to sleep, I use (1) Thera-Flu Nighttime ... a Cold & Allergy medicine. But it can leave me jittery OR better still ...

(2) Sleepytime Tea ... which seems to knock me out ... and lets me sleep.

Try that some night soon, see if it works. You could give it to the kids too & not worry about it. Getting a cup of hot water should be easy too....

Hope that helps ...

 

[inkkognito]

Benedryl might be good for the kids, and if you're willing to give Xanax a try for yourself, I can attest to the fact that it zoned me out for an entire transatlantic flight. I took it mainly for flight anxiety, but the side effect was a nice, sound sleep. Only got up once to go potty, and that was mainly because DH accidentally bumped me when he got up.

 

[Mamadis]

Chewable Dramamine usually works well for my kids, except they hate the taste.

 

[Pakey]

Nothing works for me. Last time to Rome, I tried prescription sleeping pills and still couldn't sleep because of the noise and discomfort and the people constantly getting up to use the restrooms (seemed like a steady stream throughout the night).

And yes, the nap will really mess you up because your short nap is going to turn into several hours or you'll just be so groggy (and if you sleep several hours you will not be able to go to sleep that first night you are there). You need to try to stay awake that day to get on schedule unless you are going in a day early to give yourself time to adjust.

This next time when we go to Paris, I'm planning on getting good headphones that will drown out the white noise and I'm taking some soothing music, along with a sleeping pill.

 

[eva]

This is one reason why I set our flight to arrive at 8:25 am in Rome. So if we do sleep through most of the flight we will be waking about 7:30 am. That will be perfect for keeping our sleep on schedule with Italian time. Luckily, DH and I are pretty good at sleeping on a plane. I think the key is not to worry about it. If you worry about going to sleep, it is a lot tougher to get to sleep. I know it is more difficult when you have kids. Be sure to stay away from any caffeine and sugar. And drink plenty of water. If you are dehydrated, you will not sleep well. Chamomile Tea is a great way to get me drowsy. And don't forget some earplugs or head sets. If I were taking any children, I would definitely leave a couple days early to help them get over any jet lag. With the time change in Europe being 6-8 hours ahead of the US, this puts you right in the middle of the afternoon during bedtime at home. You might also talk with your doctor. Our DD used to get car sick and the doctor would prescribe her a light sedative for when we took long car rides. It worked pretty well. But she was a bit groggy for a few hours after she woke up. But she said she didn't feel bad and was right back to her old self in a couple of hours. Think about what makes you tired while at home; watching TV, reading a book, listening to music. Whatever works at home will probably help on the plane too. Reading keeps me wide awake but TV and music knock me right out. 30 minutes into the movie I am usually gone. Good luck to everyone.