How to Help Your Child Avoid Motion Sickness on a Plane
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If you’re looking for ways to avoid motion sickness on a plane, or wondered if air travel sickness is a thing, or asked what to take for motion sickness on a plane, you’re at the right place!
When Dottie was 6 years old, the flight we took from Florida back to Texas, after a wonderful week at Disney World, was anything but fun.
As the plane began to take off, she complained of feeling queasy, and even before the plane landed 2 odd hours later, she had thrown up at least 3 times.
We knew she would experience motion sickness on long car drives but didn’t realize she would feel the same way on a plane.
(Side note: Have you read my 10 tips to prevent motion sickness when taking a long road trip?)
Fast forward 4 years, and I can confidently say we have that nagging airplane travel companion, airplane motion sickness, under control.
Tips to Help your Child Avoid Motion Sickness on a Plane / Prevent Airplane Sickness
1. While booking your tickets,, request a window seat, and if possible, a seat near the wing or right in front, as both areas feel more stable in terms of motion during a flight.
2. Encourage your child to wear comfortable clothes, for the flight, preferably cotton based and not too tight.
3. Ensure she doesn’t eat anything greasy or too heavy before the flight.
And while on the flight, avoid strongly spiced food, greasy food, or very salty snacks.
4. Open the air vents right above her seat to allow air to circulate freely.
(If she does feel cold, get her to wear a light jacket instead of shutting off those vents)
5. Avoid airplane smell nausea with peppermint or lemon scents.
Put a drop or two of peppermint essential oil on her dress or shirt, closer to the collar, to allow a refreshing fragrance to mask the strong smell of all airplane cabins.
Lemon essential oil works too.
(Peppermint essential oil also helps ward away nausea)
6. What to take for motion sickness for a plane?
Our family uses Dramamine for Kids for my daughter and have to say it has been the most helpful to prevent motion sickness while flying.
It does make her sleepy and when she was older we tried the natural ginger alternative, but found the original Dramanine for Kids to be more effective.
When to take Dramamine when flying?
Half to one hour before the flight, give her a chewable Dramamine® for Kids
tablet to keep motion sickness at bay.
This is especially helpful for long flights.
For shorter flights, if you know your child does not experience strong bouts of nausea, you can give her a tablet only when she complains of those tell-tale symptoms of nausea and dizziness.
It’s important to note that Dramamine® for Kids is a medicated product that is the #1 pharmacist recommended brand when requiring a motion sickness relief solution for children between the ages of 2 years and 12 years.
Children 2 to under 6 years: give ½ to 1 chewable tablet every 6-8 hours; do not give more than 3 chewable tablets in 24 hours, or as directed by a doctor
Children 6 to under 12 years: give 1 to 2 chewable tablets every 6-8 hours; do not give more than 6 chewable tablets in 24 hours, or as directed by a doctor
7. The lure of the personal TV screen on longer flights or a book can be tempting for long periods, but it’s important to take a break every half hour to look away and focus one’s sight on objects at a distance.
8. Encourage her to walk around the cabin every hour or two, even if it just means walking to the airplane toilet to wash her face.
9. For long flights, stress on the importance of sleeping /napping.
Sleep deprivation can also trigger off nausea and vomiting.
I’d love to hear if you have any other travel tips to share, especially if you/your child experiences motion sickness.