DEAR DOCTORS: We are flying overseas, and although I would love to snooze through most of the 15-hour flight, I’m generally not able to sleep on a plane. Melatonin doesn’t work for me. I’ve taken Ambien in the past, but I’m concerned about the negative effects I’ve read about. Do you have any advice?
DEAR READER: Long-haul flights can be arduous. Unless you’ve splurged on the pricey luxury of lie-flat seats, you’re faced with sleeping conditions that are less than optimal. This includes being packed into close quarters and being seated upright with limited legroom and minimal privacy. Add in the 75 to 85 decibels of ambient aircraft noise — that’s in the neighbourhood of a hair dryer or a vacuum — and falling asleep becomes a real challenge.
Some travellers swear by melatonin, a hormone secreted by the brain in response to darkness. Melatonin influences the rhythms…
