Ann..yes it is.i keep the pain meds my Dr gives me for arthritis in any kit i carry. with that in mind there is a fine line however in pain control and staying alert/aware/a head on you shoulders/to react.it would be a real bummer to the miss the chopper that buzzed my survival camp because i was buzzed.

I know guys who take a Tylenol PM every evening before bed when on the trail.

the older i get, the more sleep, pain managment and hydration factor into my planning. as a mom and scout leader, they have to be priorities, and arthritis and migrains are realities for me so i'm better off to prepare for them.

I would rather not take any more drugs than necessary. Generally, at the end of a long day on the trail, I can nod off with no trouble. Pain due to injury is another matter, but my experience is that in that situation you want something a bit stronger than OTC stuff.

Right, I was referring to having the medications if needed. In my experience any emergency situation that gets your adrenaline going generally makes sleep harder to come by, especially with anxiety thrown into the mix. And when it comes to pain, my thinking is that even minor injuries may interfere with sleep quality and quantity, which could be improved with some measure of relief.

In my experience the most common 'sleeping pills', and one that is quite effective, is available OTC as an antihistamine: Benadryl/Diphenhydramine. It typically comes in 25mg tablets or capsules and 25 to 50mg will lay most adults out quite handily. It is one of the most commonly used drugs in many hospitals where it is often the drug of choice for patients who need a little something to sleep in the hospital environment.

Diphenhydramine is one of those 'must-haves' in my medical kits. As an antihistamine it often works where more modern antihistamines don't. It works reliably as a sleep aid, controls motion sickness, is an emergency stop-gap for asthma or severe allergic reaction, and even has a role as topical analgesic. It is also cheap with a 100 count bottle of generic going for all of $4.

I go for the capsules because the option of opening them up and using the powder can speed absorption and makes swallowing easier. The powder can be added to food or drink. Diphenhydramine is quite bitter so mix in just enough to ease swallowing. I've been told, don't know for sure and I'll get professional advice before I try it, you can snort the powder or mix with liquid and take as an enema. Which might be useful if the patient can't hold food or drink down.

My 'sleeping pill' is a long day of hiking, a belly of warm food, lots of stars, and few pulls off the brandy bottle. Out pretty quick.

Benedryl is an OTC antihistamine that can also be used as a sleep aid.

But if you can carry some food (even a few granola bars), it can reduce the WORRY about food, and the less worry, probably the more sleep will be 'allowed'.

Sue

And if one or more of those factors were not available to you? This is, after all, a "survival and emergency" topic.

My experience is that sooner or later you will fall asleep regardless. There are reliable accounts of Civil War soldiers who slept while continuing to march.

Sleep is critical to proper function; get as much as you need whenever possible. You will do much better.