Will Dramamine help me sleep on a plane?

Dramamine is an over-the-counter preventative drug that can help with motion sickness while flying. Although this medication can cause severe drowsiness, it can help you sleep through your flight instead of feeling the unfortunate common symptoms.



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Take melatonin. Melatonin is the hormone your body naturally produces when it's getting ready to go to sleep. Taking a melatonin supplement when you first get on a flight— if traveling overnight—is a great way to ease yourself to sleep, so you wake up refreshed and rested when you land.

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Does it help to take the medicine before you start traveling? If you have a history of severe motion sickness symptoms, it's best to take medication one hour before your trip.

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Medication is sometimes prescribed on a temporary basis to treat the symptoms of a flying phobia, such as anxiety and nausea. These drugs are usually taken shortly before a flight. They include: Anti-anxiety medication, such as diazepam (Valium) or alprazolam (Xanax).

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I recommend melatonin as a natural supplement to my patients with flight-related anxiety. Melatonin induces sleep and adjusts your circadian clock to help you function better when you reach your destination.

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Pharmacological treatment 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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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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That reality can make it tempting to just pop a sleeping pill in order to pass a few hours of a flight snoozing—but again, you'd be better off only taking one at a time when you would typically be asleep in the place where you're headed, so as not to throw off your circadian rhythm and worsen your jet lag once you ...

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If you suffer from allergies, consider a non-sedating antihistamine instead, such as loratadine (Claritin®) or fexofenadine (Allegra). Claritin and Allegra do not have wait times (after the initial ground trial).

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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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12 Tips (and Carry-On Essentials) for Surviving a Long-Haul Flight
  1. Buy your ticket as early as possible. ...
  2. Wear your most comfortable outfit. ...
  3. Invest in a good travel pillow, earplugs, and sleep mask. ...
  4. Pack your own headphones. ...
  5. Take the smallest personal item you can. ...
  6. Bring your own snacks, or buy some before boarding.


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The best thing you can do to prevent jet lag is to get a lot of sleep the night before your flight. If you board the plane sleep deprived, you're less likely to fall asleep when you want to on the flight, and less likely to stay asleep. Not getting enough rest before a trip starts you at a disadvantage already.

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These include any hormone-based drugs, like the contraceptive pill and some fertility medicines, and drugs used to prevent heart attack and stroke. Antihistamines should also not be used to help passengers sleep during a flight.

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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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Distract yourself Reading a book or listening to a good podcast can refocus your mind and attention. Distracting yourself from the fact that you are flying can be a great way to keep calm if you're a nervous flyer.. Time tends to pass much more quickly when adequately distracted.

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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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