I have a heck of a time sleeping on airplanes. I once took a 20 hour flight to Bangkok and got 1 hour of sleep.

I've got a redeye from SF to DC coming up and I really need to sleep. Usually when I can't sleep I take a Tylenol PM, but it doesn't usually work on me and I don't need the acetaminaphen that goes with it. Anyone have successful experiences with over the counter sleeping pills?

Any other tips on sleeping on an airplane? I was thinking of getting one of those crescent shaped pillows.

my wife and i highly recommend the cresent shaped buckwheat filled pillows to go behind your neck when sitting up. they keep your head from rolling from side to side. since i am cursed with insomnia and sleep apnea i get about four hours sleep a night, mostly in my recliner, and they help. some otc sleep agents are antihistimine based and give you a hangover. on special occaision long trips you can request from your doctor just a couple of prescription  sleep aids. i've had prescriptions for just two pills, one to get me there and one to get me back, therefore no risk of overuse.

Here are a few suggetions to try rather than sleeping pills.

First of all, watch your diet. A day or two before you plan to travel, be sure to only eat foods that are easy to digest. Don't eat a lot of meat, especially red meats, and stay away from any and all junk food. Doing this is going to relieve our body from having to work so hard ... and thus give you an environment to relax and get some rest.

Secondly, no caffeine or any other liquid that might stay in your blood stream ... making it difficult to sleep or rest. Drink all the water you want! Try to have your system flushed a day or two before you travel.

Thirdly, start training your body to get back on a regular rest routine. We all have such a fast paced lifestyles that our bodies don't know how or when to rest. Look at how nature rests. When the sun goes down, non-nocturnal animals stop activities and sleep. Our biological clocks get really messed up because our society turns on the lights when it gets dark.  Try to give your body ample time to enter the rest process. To do this, dim down the lights at least one hour BEFORE you plan to retire for the evening. For the flight, you may need to wear something to cover your eyes. It's been proven that light does affect our sleep patterns. If you get up in the night to go to the bathroom, and you turn on a bunch of lights, you just gave a signal to your body to wake up!

Lastly, just try to prepare your body to rest before you need to rest. You can't be running around, doing a lot of activities and expect your body to just shut down and rest when you want it to.

There are a number of herbs that can help you rest. One thing that my wife uses to help her "unwind" when she needs to rest is to take a product called Calms. It works for her, but doesn't do much for me.

There's a lot of fact in the whole "warm glass of milk before bed". Rather than get into all the scientific evidence, I would encourage you to do some research and find your "warm glass of milk" ... seeing what works best for you.

The sedative in Tylenol PM is the same as the active ingredient in the antihistamine Benadryl (diphenhydramine hydrochloride).  Although it may put you to sleep, it interferes with REM sleep so it won't be a very restful sleep.  And it usually leaves you with a hangover that feels like your head is in a cloud.  

Bart's suggestions are very good, especially the junk food and caffeine avoidance.  In addition, try a cup of camomile tea, slow, deep breathing . . . and the cresent pillow.

Ratamatatt

what is this silly thing you call sleep? explain this process to me.

lol

i have a terrible time trying to sleep at night... i can't stay awake during the day.
i've done everything non-medicine.  i have a strong belief in not using medication for anything other than sicknesses.

so i just work the night away sewing extra pockets on things, making things, writing, reading etc... do these things until you're mind and body get so bored they shut down.

I do this thing where I try to put myself to sleep an inch at a time. Imagine you're slowly slipping into water. Relax your toes, and make a contract with yourself that once they're under you won't move them. Then your feet. Then ankles, and so on up. I usually fall asleep before getting to my stomach.