Dealing with Jet Lag
 

This topic is for those who have a hard time dealing with time zone changes. I, among others I'm sure, cannot sleep on a long flight. Many times before I tried alcohol (bad idea) to help me fall asleep. Alcohol just makes me groggy and doesn't really help much. I may sleep in increments of 30 minutes or so and I truly envy those people who can just shut their engines off and doze off peacefully. I was talking to my seat mate on a flight this week and he told me about melatonin. I am usually skeptical when it comes to drugging myself to fall asleep, as I'd never take sleeping pills. I prefer a more natural way to deal with it. So, whenever I fly somewhere (my trips are usually transcontinental or international) I lose about a day or two trying to recuperate. I'm sure you are all experts on the topic.

Szzzleppy Tim

This is not really a tip I'm affraid, but all I ever do is stay on UK time wherever I am, whenever I can.

If my schedule means I can't stay on UK time, I stay as close as possible.

Prior to a flight I always have a 'couple' of glasses of wine about three hours before I will want to sleep, and eat about an hour before I want to sleep. That way, your diestive system is at full blast when you want to sleep and that naturally makes you sleepy.

The only other thing I believe is that if you go on a flight with the attitude 'I do not sleep on flights' you won't!

Enjoy the flight and think positive!
MF

Yeah, being stubborn about it doesn't really help. But the comfort factor also plays a big role that I forgot to mention. Staying in the correct time zone is a must, but the temptation of just crawling to bed is too much to handle.

I can't sleep on a plane either...no matter how long the flight! When I travel LAX to Hong Kong it is not a problem as I arrive at the Hotel at about 9PM and I am exhusted and hit the sack at a normal time...no jet lag. But coming back (or on LAX-Europe trips) you arrive at six in the morning...that's tough. I usually nap for just 2 hours and then head out for some physical activity (walking, health club, whatever) and try to stay awake until at least 8PM. One of my favorite things to do after arriving in Hong Kong is to head to the New World Sauna and get pampered and massaged for a few hours. Magic! Pills, vitamins, lights, mood rings...I've tried 'em all. I don't thinks there is an easy answer other than to say tough it out and get with the local time and don't sleep during the day, no matter what.

go to your local health food store and inquire about Melatonin...works great for jet lag and to help you get to sleep...Vnet

I have a hard time sleeping on the plane unless I am physically and mentally exausted, and even then it's only for a short time before someone manages to wake me up. I do
what you do... try to get in late at night and stay on a normal schedule. If I do get in
in daylight (generally on the overseas trips)
I'll nap then go out for the evening.

I work 2 to 3 am till 11 or noon... maybe I don't feel the jet lag because my body clock's already wacked! I look forward to vacation if only to have a normal schedule.

Vitamins or other things might work. If I am really desprate, I order a serving of Jack Daniels, have it straight and within five minutes I'm off earning frequent sleeping miles (hopefully not snoring points as well!)

Have to try your place in Hong Kong PremEx.
After 32 years finally getting my first massage at the Hilton Short Hills. I need to give myself soemthing for Christmas! CATMAN

I fly HKG to SFO, LAX or ORD quite frequently, but I have exactly the opposite experience as PremEx. I find almost no problem flying eastbound, but the jet lag returning to Hong Kong is a killer.

I asked my Doctor about melatonin. He said there is no clinical backing but that the anecdotal evidence from the journals and his patients is very compelling.

When it comes to sleeping on the plane, the secrets are food, liquor (if you are so inclined), earplugs and eyeshades. The new United "noise reducing headsets" are also remarkably effective.

Hong Kong Flyer, I agree. The person who came up with those "noise reduction" headsets should get the Nobel Peace Prize. They are nothing short of remarkable.

I asked my doctor about a sleeping pill for traveling when I started this job traveling int´l. He gave me a prescription for Ambien (which my father had used and liked) but suggested first that I try Melatonin. $2.99 at K°mart. It seemed to work the one time I took it--I have problems remembering it.

My solution is to stay outdoors as much as possible upon arrival--light lunch and dinner, don´t get into bed until after 8 am and sleep late the next AM.

Also kudos to United for the noise-cancelling headsets--they are so good they might just sell me on buying a pair at the Sony store in Chicago--does anyone know if they are the same?

Headsets: I have tried every electonic gadget available on the market and have yet to find anything as effective and wonderful as the Noise Reducing Channel in C class on a United 777 using those funky headsets.

Jetlag: I have always just suffered through it. The WORST are red-eye flights from LAS or DEN to east coast...a 3 hour flight that departs at midnight local time and arrives at 5:00 am local time...then you are expected to work all day (after having had to check out of your hotel at 2PM the day before!)...

Matt: I have the same problem with those red-eyes. My company thinks I'll supposed to be so perky and ready for work when I come in
after an overnight (and most often delayed!)
Flight! What I try to do is fanangle my schedule -- take the day off after the red eye and work a saturday or sunday (For which the boss's secretary, despriate for people to work weekends, is very grateful!)

Those noise reduction headphones are very good. UA should sell them and we can take our own with us on whatever airline they travel. (I normally end up listing to the Jazz channel or the cockpit channel or the country music channel and turn it to a dead
channel when I want to try to sleep.) CATMAN

Checked out this site www.melatonin.com and here's what they had to say about Melatonin and jet lag:

"At one time sleep experts recommended that subjects take melatonin for several days before flying to another time zone. Current research, on the other hand, suggests that melatonin taken before travel can actually worsen symtoms. Instead, you should wait to take melatonin until you arrive at your destination, and then take it a few hours before you want to go to bed for the night." (MAAH, pg. 134)
Ms. Lavert also suggests that you use light-therapy. If you want to stay awake a little longer, be sure to spend some time out in the sun upon arrival, or at least have very bright lights indoors; exercise also helps. If, when it is time to sleep, you aren't tired, sit for a while in a dark room to give your body the idea that it's time to sleep.
Other suggestions to help avert jet-lag: Avoid alcohol during the flight. Don't have much caffiene (sic), it may keep you awake at the wrong time, and try not to nap, as this tricks the body into thinking it's night.

A footnote:

(From Melatonin, The Anti-Aging Hormone by Suzanne LeVert, hereafter referenced as "MAAH", page 145, Avon Books, New York, 1995, $5.95)

Jet lag trivia:

Two weeks ago, I had someone tell me that they drink lots of liquids to deal with jet lag...because of the dry air on the planes. Obviously the person does not know what jet lag is. Once in the paper, someone asked if they would have jet lag while flying from N. America to S. America? or flying East coast to West coast and then right back to the East coast? The answer is..NO!...jet lag is your body's inability to rapidly change sleep schedules in order to adjust to a new time zone....it really has nothing to do with actually flying. If a high-speed train went from LA to NYC, you would still have "jet lag"(maybe we would call it "train lag"?).

When travelling from the US west coast to Europe, I fight jet lag by staying awake on the entire flight, limiting my alcohol consumption to a glass or two of whatever wine seems tempting. KLM has always offered some wonderful wine selections in business class.

Upon arrival at 6-9am, I jump into the day as if I had slept the night, exhausting myself by 7-8pm local time and collapsing into bed. By the next morning, I feel just fine.

The returns are even easier as I arrive on US Pacific time near bedtime and am tired from the long flight anyway.