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What should I take to sleep before a flight?

For those, since you know you'll never have enough time to get what you need, just try to steal as much time as you can. Take a melatonin pill. That's the hormone that our bodies use to put us to sleep naturally. Pop the pill a few hours before the flight.



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Take melatonin. If you're traveling, your body might need a little nudge. Melatonin is available as a nonprescription sleep aid in doses of up to 10 milligrams. It helps your body produce natural melatonin at the appropriate time when your schedule is off-kilter.

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As a general precaution, however, Dr. Varga does not recommend taking either melatonin or a sleeping pill for the first time on a plane, given that both may occasionally cause adverse effects in some people. (And it's best not to find out that you're one of those people while you're trapped at 30,000 feet.)

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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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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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Flight anxiety medication
  • fluvoxamine (Faverin)
  • citalopram (Celexa)
  • escitalopram (Lexapro)
  • paroxetine (Paxil)


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Choose a seat in the middle of the plane. As the air circulates across the rows and not up and down the plane, some experts believe the worst air is in the front or the back of the plane. Stay well hydrated by drinking lots of fluids (water or fruit juice) and avoiding caffeine and alcohol, which will dehydrate you.

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The majority of the time, though, many flight attendants aren't going to wake you up if you're napping during the flight. In that case, you can ask to be woken up for the meal. Tell them at the beginning of the flight so you can nap in peace and not have to worry about it.

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Planning Your Trip
  1. Carefully Select Your Booking Time.
  2. Consider an Upgrade to First or Premium Economy Class.
  3. Choose Your Seat Wisely.
  4. Talk to Your Doctor about Natural Sleep Supplements or Anxiety Medication.
  5. Invest in a Travel Pillow.
  6. Buy Noise-cancelling Headphones.
  7. Pick out Some Sleep-Inducing Music & Podcasts.


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Face your fear, repeatedly but in small doses
  1. Watch YouTube videos of planes taking off.
  2. Watch videos of planes actually flying.
  3. Listen to audio of a flight in turbulence.
  4. Go to the airport and watch planes take off.
  5. Get on a plane.


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If you are yearning to speak with someone about your anxiety, don't be afraid to walk into the flight attendant cabin and tell them exactly what is going on. Be honest about your experience- you have anxiety and you are currently experiencing an anxiety attack.

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Yes, when the pilot makes the selection to speak on the PA, he will hear if anyone else is using the PA. They would just wait until the other party is finished, or they can take priority and speak over them.

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