What can I take to make me sleep on a flight?

Try a sleep aid Over-the-counter options include Dramamine (bonus: it will also help if you have motion sickness), melatonin (a hormone that can help with sleep and prevent jet lag), any antihistamine containing diphenhydramine (such as Benadryl), and medicines designed for insomnia, like Unisom or ZzzQuil.



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These drugs are usually taken shortly before a flight. They include: Anti-anxiety medication, such as diazepam (Valium) or alprazolam (Xanax). Motion sickness medication, such as dimenhydrinate (Dramamine).

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?Melatonin pills on a plane There's no limit to how many melatonin pills you can bring on a plane. You might want to keep the pills somewhere easy to reach in case a TSA officer wants to take a closer look at a security checkpoint, but there's no TSA rules against bringing melatonin in pill form on a plane.

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Benadryl - Many parents ask about giving Benadryl to their child before a flight to promote rest and sleep. This is not necessary. Benadryl does not necessarily cause a child to sleep or sit quietly. In fact, it may cause a child to be hyper and/or irritable.

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People often come to us requesting the doctor or nurse to prescribe diazepam for fear of flying or assist with sleep during flights. Diazepam is a sedative, which means it makes you sleepy and more relaxed.

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Those longer acting medications should be avoided for short flights. For example, you wouldn't want to use a long-acting medication like Ambien on a short flight. Why? You could find yourself too groggy to take care of yourself when you arrive at your destination or during an emergency, he said.

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Prepare before the flight: Take 1 mg of melatonin after waking up and gradually start waking up later. Day of the flight: 1 mg after waking up.

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So, clearly, more studies need to be done to pin down an exact dose. But here's what one paper recommends based on multiple studies: For eastbound flights up to 9 hours long: Prepare before the flight: Take 5 mg of melatonin, wake up earlier, and get bright light exposure.

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“As this hormone usually helps us fall and stay asleep, the excessively bright lights on airplanes naturally make it hard to sleep well.” Even if the lights aren't bright enough to suppress melatonin, they can distract and irritate those trying to sleep.

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Read on for our science-backed strategies* for how to sleep on a plane.
  1. Stay at the right temperature. ...
  2. Wear bed socks. ...
  3. Power down your devices. ...
  4. Wear a light-blocking eye mask. ...
  5. Listen to pink noise. ...
  6. Wear noise-canceling headphones or earplugs. ...
  7. Uncross legs and use footrests. ...
  8. Lean backward with proper support.


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If you have a fear of flying, traveling by plane can be very upsetting. If you fly regularly, you may find talk therapy and antidepressant medications useful. Flight anxiety medications, like benzodiazepines, might also help with immediate symptoms.

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While Xanax may be useful for flying on an airplane, it will not help you with your anxiety. It may help in the moment but you will not tackle your fear of flying if you are asleep the whole flight. If you ran out of your medication or left it at home, the anxiety will still exist if you go on an airplane again.

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Get into the habit of sleeping eight hours per night. When needed, and if possible, nap during the day, but limit the nap to less than 30 minutes.

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