Sleeping Aid for Flying?

I work offshore and end up taking long flights quite often... Also, I am very tall, so some flights are incredibly uncomfortable if I don't get emergency aisle seating.

Anyhow, the question. I'm flying to France soon (~10hrs I expect) then to Pointe-Noir (Republic of Congo. ~14hrs?). It is almost IMPOSSIBLE for me to sleep on planes. I am in good physical shape and all that jazz, but I just can't sleep around other people.

When I flew home from Amsterdam last time, I was running on two days with no sleep, and STILL I couldn't catch a wink due to the racket and people (I wore sound-proof earplugs).

I'm investing in a neck pillow but I need some pharmaceutical support to push me over the edge so I can actually sleep. Please advise.

I have the same problem. No matter what I do I can't sleep on airplanes. I can only sleep in the car if I'm totally exhausted, but even then I only nap. I've found that a good eye mask to block light and some relaxing music help me relax and rest even if I don't actually fall asleep.

Simply Sleep, made by Tylenol, is the same thing as Tylenol PM except it doesn't have the pain reliever in it. Other OTC options are Unisom, Tylenol PM (if you tend to get sore during the flight), Advil PM, or Benedryl.

You need to be careful when taking prescription sleeping aids. Many times they will leave you feeling groggy or hung over, especially if you don't get the required 7-8 hours of sleep. The also make you harder to rouse should there be an emergency situation. Some prescription sleep aids cause people to have hallucinations or to see things that aren't there (this is very common with Ambien) to sleep walk, or recognize who they are or where they are if they are awoken suddenly. I've been known to have entire conversations while on Ambien and not have any memory of it when I wake up.

If you do decide to go with prescription sleep aids such as Ambien, Lunesta or Rozerem take them for a night or two before your trip so you will know how you react to them. Some meds don't work for some people. Lunesta didn't do a thing for me.

If its 10 hours than take two tylenol pills, the blue kind. The box says "Tylenol Nighttime" and has a moonlit sky on it. It'll keep you asleep for the whole flight. Trust me, I travel a lot and it works for me.

Perhaps your doctor will prescribe a few Ambien tablets for you. Alternatively, you could try a simple over-the-counter sleep aid like Unisom, Tylenol PM, or Simply Sleep. Try one out at home first to see how it works.

I think you are going to need to do a few things. Number one, the environmental factors are going to keep you up. These are the noises in the plane, the light and the uncomfortable seats. You may want to invest in one of the sleeping blindfolds, you already have the earplugs and the pillow you mentioned are a great idea. Now as far as the sleep aids I probably would choose an herbal one. A lot of the prescription and over the counter drugs will just knock you out and won't allow you to feel rested when you wake up. With an herbal sleep aid they work on the body to relax it and can help with stiff and sore muscles like from what you might experience from sitting on a plane for a long time. The best ingredients to have are chamomile, 5HTP, hops and valerian. I've been taking this stuff called SnoozeEase for awhile and it works great for me. If you want to check it out you can go here. http://www.snoozeease.com I hope this helps!