Something to make a long flight more bearable?

[*newmomma*]

Hey all! We're traveling to Maui (from IN) in a couple months and I'm already anxious about sitting that long. Aside from lots of books on the Kindle, what do you all do when sitting on an airplane? Is there any type of OTC medication to make you sleep or at least relax a little better?

[Philly Mom]

Movies/tv shows. Lots of them. Cards if your family like is. Tylenol PM can help if you want to sleep.

[mikala]

Read books, watch movies, play a mindless game on a phone or tablet. I'd definitely take noise canceling or in ear earphones that muffle noise a little. Wear comfortable clothes and make sure you have enough layers to be warm enough to sleep, take a travel pillow and enjoy your vacation! As an adult the flight will be over before you know it, kids are generally the things that make a flight seem long :-p

[gymnbomb]

Movies, books, snacks, and if you want to sleep Benadryl plus ear plugs and a pillow.

[schrocat]

Kindle and watch movies on the little screen. Most airlines have a decent selection of movies.

[carolinamama]

Movies, games on your phone or even paper (word search, crossword puzzles etc) and reading. Without my kids, I have no problem wasting away the time reading and dozing. The only time I took meds on a plane (Ambien) was an overnight flight to Europe years ago. It made me almost sleep but it did nothing to stop the toddler behind me from kicking my seat and screaming for most of the flight. I ended up in the twilight state of desperate for sleep but unable to get there, which was worse than staying awake! I know it was an isolated event but I haven't tried again.

[twowhat?]

Movies make the time go by fastest for me.

[Zansu]

Movies, books, lots of water (good for you, and then you also have to get up to stretch your legs). Comfy clothes. Earplugs or NC headphones, and eye mask if you want to sleep. Check airline website closer to flight for movie offerings.

The flight back is the pits. Everyone is cranky. You just suffer through it.

[Philly Mom]

If you have an iPad, put movies on iPad. I have had airplane screens not work before.

[klwa]

Not quite what you were asking about, but I always recommend Earplanes, especially when travelling with kids. https://www.amazon.com/EarPlanes-Value-Pack-3-pairs/dp/B001HTWL8C?th=1 They are about the only thing that keeps me from having horrible ear pain with the pressure changes due to air travel.

[DualvansMommy]

If you have an iPad, put movies on iPad. I have had airplane screens not work before.

I always do that for my flights! For me it's more of reliability with closed captions. Some airlines don't have CC on their little tv's, and then it's movie dependent too.

What helps me to pass a long flight; flew to Kenya from Boston, and now that was a LONG flight! Buying/downloading really big intense books. It helps me to forget the fact I'm stuck in an airplane easily for few hours!


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[Philly Mom]

I always do that for my flights! For me it's more of reliability with closed captions. Some airlines don't have CC on their little tv's, and then it's movie dependent too.

What helps me to pass a long flight; flew to Kenya from Boston, and now that was a LONG flight! Buying/downloading really big intense books. It helps me to forget the fact I'm stuck in an airplane easily for few hours!


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Yeah I read the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo second or third book on what turned out to be a 12 hour flight from England. It was right after one of the airport terrorist attacks when they decided to do background checks on every person who flew to the US but they didn't start the checks until the plane was loaded and pulled away from the gate. It took over 2 hours. This was before iPads. I got lost in the book and read the whole thing on the flight. Didn't even realize we were on the plane.

[*newmomma*]

Here's a super dumb question, but what app do you all use to put movies on the iPad? We have Netflix, I think I read something about being able to download from there now? I rarely take drugs, but definitely am curious to see what others use. Perhaps I'll try the Tylenol PM thing. Our return flight is overnight so that could be a good idea anyway.

[hillview]

tylenol PM is great
netflix allows some items to be downloaded -- they do expire to be careful when you do the download
a good book
some good games on an ipad
I fly long distances often and my plan is to sleep as much as possible. That usually means
- eat before I get on a flight
- take Tylenol PM when I board and go to the bathroom before takeoff
- have a glass of something alcoholic at take off (if business class)

SLEEP, keep trying to go BACK to sleep until you cannot do it anymore.
then wake up and do movies or whatever

[gatorsmom]

If you have an iPad, put movies on iPad. I have had airplane screens not work before.

This happened to me out last trip home from France. The airline apologized and offered to put me in another seat but I needed to be near my kids so I passed. They gave me 15,000 extra miles as an apology! I had my iPad loaded with movies so it was fine.

I also recommend bringing snacks along. I find airplane food (even first class food) to be stomachache-inducing.

I second Philly Mom's previous recommendation for Advil or Tylenol PM. Or melatonin. That will help you sleep. Long flights are a perfect opportunity to read a great book. Or marathon-watch a TV series. On his first flight to Australia Dh downloaded 4 of seasons of Lost without knowing what it was about. That's a series I wouldn't recommend for a long flight. ;)

[BDKmom]

PPs have given lots of good ideas--movies, books, games, snacks. I would suggest that if you want to take a sleep aid, try it out at home first. I took something similar to Tylenol PM (but without the Tylenol, so just the sleep aid) when I took an overnight flight to Chile. I ended up like a PP mentioned, feeling that desperate need for sleep, but unable to actually fall asleep. For me, I couldn't get comfortable in the seat, the guy next to me was hanging into my space, the flight attendants seemed to be up and down all night, etc. I just could not sleep and was much more miserable because of the drugged feeling. Benadryl tends to do the same thing to me, makes me feel loopy, but doesn't knock me out. So, I would definitely recommend trying out whatever meds you might take at home first.

[DualvansMommy]

Yeah I read the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo second or third book on what turned out to be a 12 hour flight from England. It was right after one of the airport terrorist attacks when they decided to do background checks on every person who flew to the US but they didn't start the checks until the plane was loaded and pulled away from the gate. It took over 2 hours. This was before iPads. I got lost in the book and read the whole thing on the flight. Didn't even realize we were on the plane.

I loved that book too! Think i read it one of my flights home to Ireland, and it really flew by for me ;)

[DualvansMommy]

Here's a super dumb question, but what app do you all use to put movies on the iPad? We have Netflix, I think I read something about being able to download from there now? I rarely take drugs, but definitely am curious to see what others use. Perhaps I'll try the Tylenol PM thing. Our return flight is overnight so that could be a good idea anyway.

Depends what rental movies netflix allows to download, and be careful of rental expiration once you download it too. Some start clocking from the moment you download, others clock from the moment you press play and usually for 24 or 48 hours long to "rent". I usually download movies via Apple as they allow me to start the clock from pressing play vs. download which buys me more time with the movies.

[niccig]

I travel to Australia about once a year. I rarely sleep on the plane and I don't like taking medicine as I travel alone with DS. When DH is with us, he takes anti-anxiety medication to help with being on a plane. He can get claustrophobic and only takes it for flights. Our doctor will prescribe it as long as he remembers to go see her before a flight. Pretty sure he takes xanax


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[american_mama]

If you have young preschoolers or toddlers, one thing that is a bit of over-the-top effort, but might be worth it, is to wrap a few very small cheap toys and bring them out individually at desired intervals. I did this when we flew with DD1, aged 2.5 and newborn DD2 from Belgium to the US. It was mildly helpful.

My mother's far easier version of this when we were kids making regular car trips to grandparents was to buy a very special variety pack of cookies and dole those out. It was much easier and cheaper than my idea above, and worked great in the 1970's. Sadly, I think kids today might not respond the same.

Read aloud to your kids, if you are comfortable doing that without disturbing anyone on the plane. My kids love being read to even at older ages.

If your kids are older, the in-flight movies and fun of the flight and trip might make things much easier. We flew US to Germany when the kids were aged 4, 9, and 11. They did not have tablets at the time. It was no problem at all - between selecting their own movie on their individual seatback screens, the serving of dinner and breakfast and soda/snacks, and the lights out/sleeping portion of the flight, plus their own entertainment in their backpacks, they were fine.

[HannaAddict]

Mai tai and movies or binge watching tv show. Once you land it will be worth it! Aloha!


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[ray7694]

Tylenol pm makes me groggy. I use Benadryl.