kevinm016

First time flying from North America to Japan; I have plenty of experience flying back and forth to Europe from the East coast of North America but not having flown to Asia, I was wondering what advice people might have about dealing with jetlag. I assume that the return (HND-YYZ) will be the more arduous of the trips.

Depart Toronto around 2 pm, arrive Tokyo around 5 pm (3 pm Toronto).
Depart Tokyo around 7 pm, arrive Toronto around 5 pm (7 am Tokyo).

Thanks..

Pureboy

On the way to Tokyo, I'd try not to sleep too much on the plane. By the time you get to your hotel and sorted it could easily be past 8pm. I would go to a restaurant or pick up some combini food and try to wind down and get some sleep- perhaps take some melotonin. If you end up waking very early in the morning (or can intentionally set an alarm) you can head to the new fish market to check out the auction or do an early morning stroll around the Imperial Palace and check out some nearby parks- make sure you know when the first subway departs if you aren't taking taxis.

More or less the same advice on the way back. Sleep a bit on the plane, sure, but don't overdo it. Better you arrive back home drowsy in the evening as it will offer a better chance at quality sleep and a jumpstart on re-adjusting to Toronto time.

Also never tried this but it looks promising: https://www.wired.com/story/timeshifter-jet-lag-app/

kevinm016

Thank you; that is very helpful.

PAX_fips

That would be 3am Toronto?

My flights (FRA-HND-FRA) are ~11h, too. My rule of thumb is to sleep eastbound (thus trying to get higher class there)
and only doze westbound if I am really exhausted (for me that is after a week in Tokyo ).
For my eastbound sleeps, I try to sleep as early as possible (and skip food or ask for delivery after sleep) so the
"remaining" day is not that short. Goes really well for me!

Doing the same tactics on FRA-YUL/YOW/YYZ just the leg isn't taking long enough to have a night worth of sleep.

kevinm016

oops.. yes (that sounds even worse)

ricktoronto

Flying west (to HKG, etc.) try to change your clock to the destination time. Which is why 1 a.m departures are better than 2 p.m. ones but that's what he bought. (Leave YYZ 1 a.m., e.g. 1 pm HKG time, stay awake to 8 or 9 pm HKG time then sleep, wake up 4-5 a.m. local time).

So 2 p.m. YYZ is +14 hours in HND, leaving at 4 a.m. HND time. Get up early in YYZ like 3 or 4 a.m., to get on HND time. Try to stay awake to say 7 or 8 pm HND time then sleep and get up crazy early. But at least it's 7 or 8 hours of sleep.

Heading east I use Triazolam because you are awake the flight day at a normal time and either have to sleep a few hours after just waking up or you need to chemically get to sleep early. My flights back are at 10:30 a.m. after waking up at say 5 a.m. you're not all that tired. So I sleep early and try to arrive such that I go to bed at a normal Toronto time. Nothing wrong with properly prescribed and used hypnotics for one leg of a trip.

If you are in Y flying that far you might want Triazolam both ways just because it is nothing short of torture in coach.

ksandness

I have never taken a late night flight on this route, but my anti-jet lag strategy for flying from North America to Japan on an early afternoon flight is to stay awake as much as possible on the plane. My iPad is loaded with books, TV shows, and games to keep me amused, and I get up and walk around every couple of hours. I usually get drowsy, but I sleep no more than two hours. After all, who but workers on nighttime shifts spends the whole afternoon asleep?

Flights usually arrive in the late afternoon JST, so I buy some canned coffee to stay awake and then take the train or bus to my hotel. I do whatever it takes to stay awake till 10PM local time. Then I go to bed. In terms of my home time zone, I have just pulled an all nighter.

At that point, it's easy to fall asleep and stay asleep, but I make sure that the curtains in my room are tightly closed. Japan is in the "wrong" time zone, an hour ahead of where it should be, based on longitude, so it starts getting light by 4:00AM in the summer. I set the alarm for 6:00AM, which gives me eight hours. Once I'm up and dressed, I take a walk outside before heading inside to breakfast. For the next couple of nights, I get tired early in the evening, but I'm fine during the day.

I have yet to find a technique that works as well coming home, although I somehow have had little trouble adjusting to the time change on flights to Europe. Perhaps this is because there is less of a time change.

kevinm016

Thanks ksandness, that makes sense to me and is what I plan to do. Try and avoid sleeping as best I can going to Japan, although I am sure there'll be some dozing. On the way back, as the flight is in the early evening, I suspect I will get some sleep on the plane, but regardless, the first few days back home will be unpleasant.

Q Shoe Guy

My experience as of late ( former YWGer, based in TYO) is via MSP.
Eastbound ( ex.HND-MSP-YWG ) Usually the flight leaves early evening , depending on price I usually take Premium Economy eastbound. Although I would rather be seated up-front, premium economy is fine eastbound. I usually don' have bad jet lag going east. I usually eat, watch a movie , read a book, get up and walk around. I might nap a few hours.
Westbound : ( ex.YWG-MSP-HND) The westbound flight is longer. I usually try and get a J class seat on this sector. I will eat, and then go to bed for 4-5 hours. I will then watch a movie , read or stand up and walk the aisles. I usually am over jet lag in a few days, but nothing horrendous for me. Like others, I try and stay up until a normal hour, and then sleep as long as I am able. Usually 5-6 AM. I much prefer flying to HND, as it is much closer to where I need to be.

roberto99

OP, I have flown the same flight times to/from ORD-TYO-ORD > 18 RT's now.

I set my watch to Japan time a few hours after take off. I just force myself to stay awake on the flights to Japan from NA. First night dinner usually is comfort food from konbinni. Then a great night of sleep in my hotel.

Resist the urge to nap in Japan. Maintain a normal schedule on Japan time and walking in Japan!

On the TYO-NA flights that leave at dinner time, I enjoy the departure drinks and meal. Then I sleep soundly for 5-7 hours. (0.5 mg Xanax helps this)

I arrive home refreshed and sleep well in my bed with no problem.

Result: Very little ongoing jetlag!!

Tip: Do not think about what time it is back home! That habit impairs adjustment.

kevinm016

Thanks roberto99, helpful.

mxqisit

https://www.jetlagrooster.com/