E-zzz to Swallow

Until they find a cure for jet lag, a new generation of sleep aids is the next best thing. Dr. Richard Dawood reports

In the 1950s, a flight from New York to London on a Boeing Stratocruiser could take 15 hours—ample time for a meal and a game of bridge, followed by a full night's rest in one of the aircraft's luxury berths. Today, transatlantic travelers arrive in less than half that time, but the relatively short overnight journey through five time zones leaves many so starved for sleep that they spend the first few days in a fog.

Even the fastest passenger planes can't outrun jet lag, the disrupted sleep patterns and fatigue that plague travelers who fly through several time zones. Although sleep medication isn't a cure, it can lessen the unpleasant effects of jet lag by reducing fatigue and improving alertness. Today's sleeping pills are also much less likely to be habit-forming than those that were available in the days of the Stratocruiser, and they come in such variety that doctors can prescribe a medication precisely tailored to the direction of travel (eastward or westward) and even to the amount of sleep required. However, unless you are able to lie flat—on a fully reclinable seat, say, or across three seats—it is safest to avoid sleeping pills, drinking excessively, or anything else that might put you into a deep sleep, until after you've landed. This is because deep vein thrombosis, the formation of potentially deadly blood clots in the leg, has been linked to air travel, and deep sleep for extended periods in a seated position can actually increase the risk.

A key factor to consider when choosing a sleep medication is its half-life—a measure of how quickly a dose is eliminated from the body. One with a long half-life will keep you asleep for more hours and may make you feel drowsy longer after you wake up. Taking a drug with the wrong half-life can lead to unpleasant surprises: In the 1980s, for instance, many travelers who took the then popular sleeping pill Halcion on short overnight flights found that they had no memory of certain key details, such as where they had picked up their rental car. Timing is also key: Take a pill too soon and you could fall asleep at the gate.

R-X For Time Zone Travelers
Today's most popular sleep aids can help ease the miseries of jet lag. Consult your physician to see if one is right for you

A Pill For All Reasons

Sold under the brand name Sonata, zaleplon is the all-purpose sleep aid for travel because of its short-term effects: A single dose provides four hours' sleep with almost no hangover. Zaleplon is ideal for short flights and for journeys east: When travelers skip ahead a few hours, they tend to doze off and awaken much later than usual. A dose before bed on the first few nights after traveling east can initiate sleep earlier; by the time the drug wears off, your body clock will have taken over and you'll be fast asleep. Zaleplon is also good for journeys west, when travelers tend to wake up in the middle of the night. A dose will help you get back to sleep—just make sure you have at least four hours before it's time to rise.