Tyler McDowell

Hello! I will be going on my first long haul international flight next month.

I depart Seattle at 230pm, arrive in Tokyo at 455pm the following day.

I have read numerous tactics on jet lag and I am just wondering what I should do? Not sleep at all the night before and sleep on the way there? Sleep well the day before, not sleep at all in the flight and go to bed at around 10pm when I arrive?

I do not drink alcohol, have very minimal caffiene so I am not worried about that. Any advice would be highly appreciated. :-)

gfunkdave

Sleep on the plane. When you get to Tokyo, force yourself to stay up until a reasonable bedtime in Tokyo, then go to sleep.

You can try some melatonin if you'd like as well.

Other than that, there's not much to it.

Welcome to FT.

carole_d

What gfunkdave said.

Also, once you are in Tokyo, try to get some exercise and sunshine. Both will help your body clock reset.

abmj-jr

This is pretty important. You will want to go to bed or at least take a nap immediately upon arrival. Fight it. Go for a walk, have a light meal, hit the exercise room if your hotel has one, just do something to avoid going to bed before a normal bed time. I try not to even look at the bed before 10 or later.

OskiBear

On the way to Tokyo, I personally avoid sleeping as much as possible. If I do feel like sleeping, I try to do it early in the flight.

Then, once you get to Tokyo, try to stay up as late as possible.

Your first few days, you're going to wake up fairly early (5am-ish) and there's not much to do that early in Tokyo, except it's really great for getting to the Tsukiji Fish Market.

Make sure you avoid napping during the day once you're in Tokyo.

84fiero

Similar strategy here as well, and it seems to work. The last two times I stayed near Ueno Park and enjoyed walking around there a bit for those first couple of early awakenings.

boss315

I use an herbal product called No Jet Lag and have had wonderful results. It is a pain to have to take it every two or four hours (depending on if you're sleeping ) but I have used it the past five years on monthly trips to Europe and have no lag whatsoever. It is also very important to stay up in the light all day to let your mind think you're on the same schedule. Have fun and good luck!

SeriouslyLost

IMO, jetlag on longer flights is easier to deal with than short. A 14 hour timezone change is much easier than 4 hours. If it was me, I'd keep the same routine, get on the flight, nap for 1-2 hours and then simply stay up - do work, read, watch movies, whatever. Arrive Tokyo and stay awake on the local timezone. Simple, IMO.

darthbimmer

Another +1 on this, but with two caveats:

1. Some people can settle down for a nap seemingly anytime of day. If, like me, you're not one of them, don't worry about it. Take a nap if it comes naturally. On the other hand, some people swear by knocking themselves out with drugs like Ambien.

2. Accept that you will suffer some jetlag in the new timezone, and incorporate it into your schedule. For example, going San Francisco -> Tokyo I would be wake up at 4am for a few days. Rather than toss and turn, sleepless in bed for an extra few hours I'd get up and start the day. I'd catch up on communication with colleagues and friends back in the US (it's early afternoon for them!) and spend time on relaxation and exercise. Then, at the end of the day, go to bed at 9pm if possible.

abmj-jr

If you are a photographer those early wake-ups will be invaluable. Get out and get your shots while the light is good and the sites uncrowded. I do that anyway, returning to the hotel for breakfast after a couple of hours walking and shooting.

emma69

I am a napper - after years of flying transatlantic I have my routine down, arrive in Europe in the morning after overnight flight (no sleep on plane), get some water into me to rehydrate, travel to my hotel / flat / other destination, usually arriving around lunchtime, then take a 2 hour nap, hot shower when I wake up, late lunch, a G&T, and then stay up until normal bed time. If I do that, then I am perfectly fine the next day!

On the Ambien or other sleep products, be aware that Japan has incredibly strict drug rules, and many 'normal' substances are banned!

Steve M

This. The most important thing is to under no circumstances go to bed early the first night when you get to Tokyo. Stay up until at least 10pm, if not a little later. If you go to bed early, say, 7pm, thinking you'll get a solid night's sleep and then a fresh start the next day, you'll end up waking up at 2-3am and be wide awake and then your schedule will be off for a week.

howtofreetravel

Sometimes when i do this my body messes with me and forces me to stay awake for 24 hours the next day

JetAirways77W

Which airline are you flying and what class of service (Economy, Business, First)?

EDIT: Based on the time you gave you must be flying Delta (DL) on an A330-300 or 777-200LR

mjcewl1284

Avoid caffeinated coffee for a minimum of 48 hrs after arriving in Tokyo.

I am not normally sensitive to caffeine but during travel, the body (at least mine) gets very sensitive to caffeine.