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Will melatonin help me sleep on a plane?

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. However, this should only be done for flights longer than 6 hours, as this is how long it takes melatonin to leave your system.



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What type and dosage of melatonin should I use for jet lag? With a fast release preparation, the dose used is usually 1-3mg when indicated for resetting the clock (slow release formulations are available but they may stay in the system too long and confuse the circadian clock).

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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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As a sleep aid, melatonin has been widely studied and is a common jet lag treatment. The latest research seems to show that melatonin aids sleep during times when you wouldn't typically be resting, making it beneficial for people with jet lag.

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Lunesta (eszopiclone) and Sonata (zaleplon) are other well-known prescription sleeping pills for travel. They act quickly, but won't keep you asleep as long as Ambien CR. Sonata is especially recommended for those on flights of only five to six hours.

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Listen to Music or Meditate A playlist of calming music or a guided meditation can do wonders for anxiety. Breathing deeply will slow down your thoughts and body, while the music will help drown out common flight noises.

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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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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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