I have a flight Friday at 4 pm to Europe… I can NEVER sleep on planes. Any tips?

I can’t sleep on planes, and my flight is from 4 pm USA time to 6 am in Europe. That’s way off my usual sleep schedule. My plan is to make myself super tired by:

  1. Waking up at 5 am and running 4 miles.
  2. Taking 1g phenibut HCL at 10 am.
  3. Taking 1 mg clonazepam and 10 mg melatonin at 3 pm.
  4. Taking 10 mg Ambien and 5 mg Benadryl at 4 pm.
  5. Bringing a sleep mask and earplugs on the plane.

Will this actually work? Does anyone have other suggestions to help me knock out? I really need to sleep on this flight or I’ll be a wreck.

I once sat next to someone who took Ambien on a flight. They started off fine, but after it kicked in, they became totally incoherent. They were hallucinating and thought the safety brochure was a new life plan or something. They even asked if we were in the air when we were already above the clouds. The effects lasted for 15 hours, and they missed the in-flight meals. Be cautious if you go the Ambien route.

Don’t take Ambien before the flight. If it doesn’t work and you’re still awake, you’ll regret it. Here’s an alternative:

  1. Run in the morning as planned.
  2. Save the clonazepam for after takeoff.
  3. Bring your sleep mask and earplugs (look into digital sound-masking earbuds; the A10 or A20 from Soundcore are great).
  4. Try using a Garmin watch with a Breathwork app. Use the Tranquility exercise during the flight—it’s 15 minutes of guided breathing and works wonders for falling asleep. If it doesn’t work the first time, repeat it, and you’ll be out like a light.

@Gray
That’s way too much medication. Aren’t you worried about overdoing it? You might not wake up.

Morgan said:
@Gray
That’s way too much medication. Aren’t you worried about overdoing it? You might not wake up.

Yeah, this much medicine is risky. I’d be scared you might not wake up at all.

Morgan said:
@Gray
That’s way too much medication. Aren’t you worried about overdoing it? You might not wake up.

Skip the clonazepam and Benadryl. Just take melatonin and Ambien—simpler and less risky, but still effective.

All those meds together don’t sound safe. I never sleep on planes either, but you’ll survive a night of no sleep. Just relax, and don’t stress about it—it’ll only make things worse. If you take anything, stick to just clonazepam, and only after you’re on the plane and ready for bed.

@Lennon
When you arrive, stay awake until bedtime in Europe. You’ll feel like a zombie, but you’ll sleep great that night. It’ll reset your schedule better than forcing sleep on the plane.

Skip the meds. Just wear earplugs, a sleep mask, and get a good neck pillow. Use it correctly!

Lane said:
Skip the meds. Just wear earplugs, a sleep mask, and get a good neck pillow. Use it correctly!

That might work for some, but for people like me, sleeping on a plane without meds is harder than swimming to Europe.

Wear comfy clothes or bring pajamas to change into on the plane. It makes a big difference.

Try THC gummies. They help me relax and sleep on flights.

I knew someone who took Ambien on a flight. They fell asleep, but during turbulence, they fell to the floor and started hallucinating. They thought the plane was crashing and grabbed a woman’s leg, causing her husband to freak out and start punching him. Ambien can be dangerous if you end up moving around or not fully sleeping. Be careful!