rudy4610

Hi there everyone I live in CA and will be going to Germany but worry that jet lag may effect my first couple of day there thus limiting my activities so wanted to see if anyone had any tips?

So here is the break down

flight leaves LAX at 8pm ish , 10 hour flight, lands in France for 1.5 hour layover, get back on the plane for another 1.5 hour flight to my German destination. I arrive to germany is around 8pm ish.

ajGoes

You shouldn't worry. Jet lag will affect you for several days; you just have to plan to get through it as effectively as you can. One thing you should not do is to drive when you arrive in Germany. American visitors to Europe often assume that cars are as essential there as they are here. They aren't. Plan to use public transportation at least for your first couple of days.

Remember that driving while fatigued is very much like driving drunk.

manneca

I'd try to get a bit of sleep (maybe 4 hours max) after eating dinner on the flight and then stay up as much as possible after that. My idea would be to be able to fall asleep when I get to my hotel in Germany. I don't know how much sleep you get at night; I'd try for a few hours short of normal so you'll be sleepy when you do arrive.

The next day, go outside and stay as long and as much as possible in the sunshine. Get as much exercise as possible. Try to adjust to the time, resist as much as possible sleep during the day. Keep doing that.

My experience is leaving from the east coast which is a shorter flight (5 hours or so to the British Isles). Not much time to sleep. Arriving at hotel mid morning and trying desperately to stay awake until the room is ready.

I also take melatonin when I go to bed for the first few days. Rule of thumb for jet lag is 1 day for each hour of time change. Going east is harder for me than going west.

And yes, it will probably affect your first few days. I went to South Africa and had meetings inside for the first several days and I kept falling asleep. So do get outside in the sunshine.

Redhead

I, personally, have done this several times without any real jet lag. I sleep as much as possible on the flight from LA-Paris. I'll even take a Tylenol PM. I am then awake for the last hour of the flight (breakfast), get a coffee during layover, awake for flight to Germany and awake until about 10-11pm in Germany, then another Tylenol PM for a normal night's sleep in Germnay and 100% on the new time zone.

Avoid alcohol like the plague the day before and during the flight. Drink lots of water, wear comfy clothes, and enjoy.

I think going east is pretty easy with this process

DragonSoul

Check out the app Entrain... although it does has me down for "find light" and "stay away from light" at exactly the same time for my next trip (perhaps the time difference being only a few hours confused it).

Lost

I do the opposite and stay awake on the overnight flight. Your flight times are good. On your day of departure sleep in as much as possible. Eat dinner during your layover in France. When you get to Germany it's pretty much bedtime so just go straight to the hotel and to bed. I do this on every TATL from PHX and I'm ready to go the next day.

If you sleep on the overnight flight then you'll be wide awake your first night after you arrive. Then the first couple days you'll want to sleep during the day and want to be awake at night.

I notice my jet lag is much, much worse on the return so if possible have a buffer day between your flight home and returning to work.

ajGoes

This is a good point. The excitement of being in Europe for the first time will give you a major boost on the outbound trip. Don't expect to function normally for the first few days, but you may adjust your sleeping schedule much faster than you'd think possible.

The return is a different matter. Now you're coming back to your everyday routines; you'll have to work more consciously on readapting to your usual schedule.

Artpen100

1. Take a melatonin before getting on the plane.Hydrate.Sleep as much on the overnight flight as you can.Nothing is better than having a lie-flat seat in business class, so look for a cheap or mileage upgrade.2. When you land at your final destination, take a shower, put on your walking shoes and push yourself as far as you can go till 8-10pm in the evening before you crash.Do not take a nap.Mentally put yourself on local time.Take melatonin nightly.3. Unlike the others, I find return to the US gives much less jet lag. I typically land in the afternoon, evening, and go to bed by 10, and start the next day regularly.Not saying jetlag is then nonexistent, just lighter.

Proudelitist

It will impact you. It cannot be eliminated but it can be mitigated.

Melatonin is an OTC supplement. It is a natural human sleep hormone, and it's production is thrown off by the response of you pituitary gland to daylight being out of sync with the usual cycle. Taking melatonin will make up for the gap and get you sleepy when you need to be.

When you get to Europe, you may be tempted to nap. Don't! Push through until a normal local bedtime.

Eat on a local schedule. You will be hungry at odd times. Eat your meals according to the local clock, not when you are hungry.

Take it easy for the first 2 days. By day 4 it will usually be gone.

Palal

Be sure to go to sleep the first AND SECOND night on local time. You'll be fine after.

Annalisa12

8pm is a good bed time.

gfunkdave

A popular approach is to adopt the eating schedule of your destination 24 hours before you leave. So eat breakfast around midnight the night before you leave, then wake up at 6am the day you leave for lunch, then eat dinner around 2pm - and nothing until you eat on the plane. They'll serve dinner but it will be "breakfast". Friends of mine do this and swear by it.

I usually arrive at my destination and take a nap when I check in if I can check in in the morning, then stay up until bedtime in the new local timezone. If I can't check in, I power through with coffee and keeping busy until I can eat some dinner and go to sleep. The next day I'm usually fine.

When I went to India, we left at night, I slept on the plane (in F, so admittedly it was easy). We arrived the next day at night time. I got to the hotel, took an Ambien and a melatonin, and slept til the next morning. No jet lag at all.

aquamarinesteph

Jet lag affects me differently on different flights. Go figure. Anyway, I'd try to sleep on the plane after you eat. If you can't sleep, don't stress over the fact.

When you arrive at your destination at 8pm-ish, make sure that you had something to eat and some water to drink before you fall into your bed. Make sure you set your alarm. Assume you may feel a little fuzzy headed for a day or two. Public transport is your friend.

Have a great trip!!!

ft101

You just won't know until you try it as everyone reacts differently. I sleep when I want. I drink alcohol at any time I can. I don't use any apps. I never take any meds to help me out. The only thing above that I do is try to get on destination time, although for me it's on the flight. I seldom get any jetlag.


Ever changed at CDG? The OP will be lucky to make his next flight in 1.5 hours, let alone find time to eat.

travellingwineO

There is pretty good evidence that several things impact jetlag:
1) alchohol- avoiding it helps
2) caffeine- avoiding it helps
3) sun exposure once you reach your new time zone
4) melatonin- bigger doses are NOT better. Paradoxically, there is good evidence that 1mg is the optimal dose for combatting jetlag. Most melatonin is sold as 3mg tabs

What has worked for me is sleeping on the flight over, staying awake until 8pm or later, despite the terrible fatigue. I have found Ambien extremely helpful to force sleep on the plane and to aid in getting to sleep (and staying asleep) for the first night or two at the new time zone. I use it both at the start of the trip and on my return home. Staying hydrated before and during your flight is also important.