Best Over The Counter & Natural Sleep Aids For Flying: Safe Choices Explained
For travelling on long flights, people must be prepared to face the turbulence, the noises and the altitude sickness some travellers might have. One of the issues people face while being on a flight is sleeping. This is a common issue, as humans are not meant to sleep upright, that too on such high altitudes. If you are one of the travellers who want a sound sleep on long international flights, then there are a lot of medications that can help you sleep at 30000 ft above. This blog will deal with the wide range of sleep aids for flying.
Sleep Aids For Flying: Learning The Medications That Help Our Sleep On Flights
What Makes Sleeping so Difficult in Flights?
No matter how much one mentally prepares themselves for the journey in the skies, sleeping on the flight will remain a challenge. There are many reasons behind it, and one of them is the physical discomfort. Unless you buy a first class or a business class ticket, you get to sleep on chairs that barely recline. People might feel a bit awkward to sleep for hours because sitting with strangers keeps us alert all the times. And the noise of the plane, the bright lights of the cabin, and the temperature fluctuating against your will, can make your sleep troublesome.
What are Sleep Medications for Flying?
Travellers would prefer to have a comfortable sleep on a flight over a disturbed one. For this, there is a lot of sleep medication for flying that can help us have a sound sleep on a flight. These medications are mostly easy-to-access drugs from medical stores, but some must be prescribed by doctors. There are basically three types of sleep aids for flying, and they are Non-prescription medicines, Prescription medicines and Natural remedies. One needs to understand these sleep medications properly because just naming the drugs will not help travellers realise that how each drug helps them in falling asleep.
OTC Sleep Aids for Flying
The best non-prescription or OTC (over-the-counter) sleep aids for flying consist mainly of three medications: Melatonin, Diphenhydramine, and Doxylamine. There are many brands which have these three as their ingredients.
Melatonin
It is not just the most popular non-prescription sleeping aid but also one of the most popular sleeping medications in the world. Melatonin is used widely for sleeping issues and for travelling on long flights, this is a perfect option. It is usually found naturally as a hormone in our body, which regulates our sleep-wake cycles. Melatonin pills induce sleep by activating its receptors M1 and M2, inhibiting signals that cause wakefulness, and sending signals to the brain that it’s time to take some rest. The sleeping pill brands that use melatonin are:
- Pure Zzzs
- Natrol
- OLLY
- Nature Made
Diphenhydramine
This is another OTC sleeping pills for flights that works well as a sleep aid for flying. Though used for allergies, travellers find this antihistamine helpful for sleeping peacefully on an international flight because it causes drowsiness. Diphenhydramine can make us a bit too tolerant and dependent on it, as its effects last for a short while.
- Benadryl
- ZzzQuil
- Simply Sleep
- Unisom SleepGels
Doxylamine
This is another good OTC sleep aid for flying. As an antihistamine like Diphenhydramine, Doxylamine can cause sedation to make a plane passenger fall asleep. It works by stopping those histamine receptors (H1) that produce wakelfulness.
- NyQuil
- Unisom SleepTabs
- Kirkland Signature Sleep Aid
- GoodSense Sleep Aid
- Welmate Sleep Aid
Prescription Sleep Aids For Flying
While OTC medicines remain the best option for sleeping on flights, sometimes they may not help the passengers effectively. In such cases, travellers can ask doctors what medications can help them with this problem. There are two types of medicines which can help passengers in flights, Benzodiazepines and Non-benzodiazepines. Doctors can also advise us to take antidepressants that can induce sedation.
Benzodiazepine
Doctors believe that Benzodiazepines can help people boarding long flights. These drugs induce sleep by binding to GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) receptors and slowing down the brain. The many benzodiazepine sleep tablets for flying available in stores are:
Non-benzodiazepine
Non-benzodiazepines are preferable over Benzos as they may cause a lot of unwanted side effects. Non-benzodiazepines have fewer risks for dependence even if they work like Benzodiazepines. Travellers can use them for a peaceful voyage in the skies. These are sleep aids for flying in non-benzos:
Antidepressants
Doctors can tell us to use antidepressants to solve our sleep issues, but very rarely. For sleeping in aeroplanes, passengers will not be prescribed antidepressants unless other drugs fail to work. This is because antidepressants can cause drowsiness and serotonin syndrome. Some of them work like antihistamines, but proper antihistamine medicines are still better as sleep aids for flying. These antidepressant sleep medications include:
- Doxepin
- Mirtazapine
- Trazodone
Natural Sleep Aids For Flying
When one travels on plane, they want the whole trip to be a joyride, and not a sleeping pill-taking routine. In this case, we can count on natural supplements which are very accessible and have fewer side effects. They have been used historically as sleep aid for flights, which makes them as good as allopathic sleep medications.
Chamomile Tea
This is a very relaxing drink one must take to have one of the best sleeps on a flight. This is because of the compound apigenin present in it, that induces sleep. Take it with yourself in a small bag or pouch and ask the flight attendant for a hot cup of water. You will have an excellent natural sleep remedy in your hands, over the clouds.
Valerian Roots
Valerian roots is one of the oldest sleeping remedy of human history. Even today you can take this herbal supplement in its raw form by making a tea of it, or as capsules and tablets. For flights, take it at least 30-40 minutes earlier and allow the herb to fully show its effectiveness in your system.
Lavender Essential Oils
This oil has also been very effective as a sleep remedy. Applying it on wrists and foreheads can give a sense of relaxation and induce a sound sleep. But in planes, liquids may not be allowed. So try using lavender-scented eye masks and pillows to get the same benefits.
Conclusion
Having a proper sleep on a long flight is something every passenger deserves. These sleeping pills for long flights helps a traveller a lot. The best sleep aid for flying is Melatonin, not just for flights, but also in general. Other OTC and prescribed drugs are also very useful. Natural remedies helps those who want the whole plane trip to be peaceful.