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, but I’m concerned about the negative effects I’ve read about. Any advice?
Dear Reader: Long-haul flights can be arduous. Sleeping conditions are less than optimal: being packed into close quarters and seated upright with limited legroom and minimal privacy. Add in the 75 to 85 decibels of ambient aircraft noise — in the neighborhood of a hair dryer or a vacuum — and falling asleep becomes a challenge.
