Sleeping on a Plane

yogi_colin

So I have chatted up some nurse and doctor friends of mine and am getting a number of different suggestions for knocking myself out on a long flight from Canada to London and then again from London to Delhi. I have a really hard time sleeping on planes and have tried a number of breathing/relaxation techniques that usually last an hour or two before I get frustrated and watch terrible movies the rest of the way.
One suggestion was benadryl, another gravol, and another suggested a prescription med called adavan. And the most recent was a doctor who recommended nytol.
I am looking for something with limited hangover and with a fair amount of "knockout power". Any thoughts?

thanks,
colin

edwardseco

Do you realize that you could get coronary thrombosis or Raynaud's syndrome from such a method? Either will leave you with lifelong complications. Raynaud's doesn't kill you though, just lifelong pain from the nerve damage. Periodic movement helps prevent these conditions which are far worse than bad movies..

PeakXV

I'm never too concerned about it when travelling to India. Because, really, there's plenty of time to catch up on it(sleep) when you get there(India) - waiting for people & things to happen. Oh, it happens(sleep) eventually on the plane - but usually after the cabin settles down a bit, the lights dim, and the complimentary nightcaps kick in - then - the next thing ya know your zipping in low over windsor castle.

__________________
What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are tiny matters compared to what lives within us.
~ Oliver Wendell Holmes

Don't go to India ~ Pre-trip Warnings & Misconceptions?

Sama

I second edwardseco. I can't believe that any reputable nurse or doctor would actually advocate you being "knocked out" on a long flight. they should have their licenses pulled.

look up DVT -- Deep Vein Thrombosis.

__________________
MY INDIA, 2005-2008
"Once you have felt the Indian dust, you will never be free of it." (Rumer Godden, 1975)

PeakXV

Yes - you wouldn't want to have 'wing walk on the hudson' with those prescribed drugs in your system.

New-South-Welshman

DVT only affects older people doesn't it? Or can it affect a 23 y.o. like me?

PeakXV

DVT can happen in the teens & 20's - more likely to the overweight, over 60 demographic though.

dipydoo

Watch an in-flight movie. Guaranteed to send you to sleep in half an hour.

Jokes apart, its best if you stay away from ANY alcoholic formulations in a flight.

Sama

Reporter David Bloom died from DVT. He rode around in cramped tanks all day -- he was 39 and in excellent health.

"Who Is at Risk for Deep Vein Thrombosis?
Blood clots can develop for various reasons. They most often occur if your circulation is decreased or slows down in a particular area. When blood stops flowing freely, it becomes stagnant and naturally begins to clot.

"There are three classic factors in developing DVT," says Bruce A. Perler, MD, chief of the division of vascular surgery at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore. They are:

* Prolonged immobility. If you're in a confined area for long periods of time and can't stretch your legs, your circulation can get worse. This is why deep vein thrombosis is more common in people who are stuck in bed or taking long trips. Because DVT often occurs after long plane flights, it is sometimes called "economy class syndrome."

* Trauma -- from an accident or surgery. Damage to the tissue can increase the blood's tendency to clot. This can happen after accidents or, more often, after an operation.

* Genetic predisposition to clotting. Some people -- although many of them don't know it -- have inherited a higher risk of getting deep vein thrombosis. Their blood is more likely to clot than average. After his death, doctors discovered that Bloom had a genetic blood disorder."

coming back from my first trip to India, got on the plane at 2 AM, had two glasses of wine at 3 AM and passed out from exhaustion after being awake for 24 hours. I woke up 6 hours later with my ankle the size of a softball, could not see or feel my ankle bone. I am definitely not overweight nor over 60. scared the crap out of me. I was lucky that was all I had.

from then on on every flight I get up and walk around every hour. or do yoga in the aisle.

yogi_colin

thanks for your concern.

still looking for pharmaceutical suggestions, though.

indiaprof

Yogi Colin,

I see you'll be flying from Canada. From North America, it's an awfully long flight. Your main problem won't be sleep, I think, but muscle cramps and dehydration. I know that's what gets to me - and complimentary drinks are definitely a mixed blessing under such circumstances. What you need is water and to do those little foot-lift exercises if you can. And walk around the cabin - not easy to do, believe me, on Indian Airways. As soon as you get up, if you're not loo-bound, someone will brusquely order you to sit down. On the other hand, I must admit, Indian Airways will stuff you to the brim with pretty decent food, and that alone should put you to sleep.

Also, you don't want to show up in India groggy, dehydrated, and disoriented on top of everything else.

The guys I pity are the poor Indian businessmen such as I shared a row of seats with last time. They were all pounding bottles of liquor, and when I asked them about this, they explained that they had bought one for themselves and one for their boss back home - but since they could only bring one into the country, they had to polish off their own before arrival. They were seriously hating life by the time we reached Mumbai.

70s-80s overlander

Your best bet is to the use the well-researched jet-lag-diet approach:
(1) 3 days before departing Canada have a “feast day”: hi protein early; hi carb late; coffee at 1500; then 2 days before have a “fast day”:light diet; coffee at 1500; then 1 day before have a “feast day” again: hi protein early; hi carb late; coffee at 1500; then on day of flight have a “fast day”: light diet; coffee at 1500;
(2) to the extent possible start moving toward India time 3-4 days before you depart, and upon boarding the plane go entirely onto India time -- in which case you will try to stay awake during "Indian day-light hours" and will try to sleep during "Indian night-time hours".

That is, try to rely more on your body's natural need for sleep [on Indian time] rather than rely on pharmaceuticals.

Most of the airlines automatically put you on the high protein breakfast at Indian time. Upon arrival in India you should spend as much as possible of the 1st day -- especially the early part of the day -- out in the sun. You still might be a bit dazed that 1st day in India, but research says this is indeed the way to acclimate as quickly as possible. I have access to any prescription I might want, but long-distance flying really isn't the time to be taking sleeping aids.]

Saulteaux_woman

I was just telling my mom to see the Dr. for th e same thing, she's coming from Saskatchewan. I used to get these sleeping pills at the Drugs store, there were specifically made for planes, and lack of sleep. YOu can buy them over the counter. I used to take 2 just after the first dinner was served, and would wake up just as they were serving breakfast. I used fly alot between Canada and India, and the best thing was lots of sleep and water!!!!

yogi_colin

thanks folks - i will certainly check out the jet lag diet. and while jet lag is certainly is a bummer, its not so much that i have a hard time adjusting to indian time. its more that i just can't sleep in planes. Given that the flight, including layover in london, is over 20 hours I am going to find a way to get in some sleepy time.

thanks again!

yogi_colin

oh - i am coming from Saskatchewan as well!