tvhead

I find this schedule to be the best. As Aussienarelle said, when you arrive it's almost the 'natural' time to sleep. And as always: lots of water, not much alcohol. In general, I find that it is easier to adapt when traveling west, rather than east. So I find that the return trip is the more challenging.

I also recommend wearing compressing hose (up to the knee) to combat bloated legs. or worse: DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis). I managed to have a DVT on my last trip home. Had a window in Econ+ and I did not get up enough to stretch and promote circulation. As a very experienced traveler, it made me feel like an idiot.

Enjoy Singapore. Food recommendation: Song Fa. A pork rib soup speciality. There are several locations.

And I think you can still watch Crazy Rich Asians on the flight.

STS-134

Rules for managing jet lag:

1. Sleep shifting starts on the plane. If it's sleep time at your destination, you should be sleeping during those same hours on the flight. If it's awake time at your destination, stay awake during those hours on the flight.
2. No falling asleep before 11 pm at your destination (this increases the chance that you'll wake up at 3 am and it's hard to go back to sleep once this happens)
3. No getting up before 6:30 am at your destination. If you wake up and cannot go back to sleep, DO NOT turn on the lights. Just stay in bed, with the lights off. It's better to not get any sort of light during night hours.
4. No sleeping past 10 am at your destination. If necessary, set an alarm to force yourself to get up.

Going to Asia from the US west coast, I tend to wake up around 3 or 4 am during the first night. And it usually takes me a good 30-60 minutes to go back to sleep, if I can go back to sleep at all. But by day 2, my wake up and sleep times are usually synchronized with time at my destination. (4) will definitely NOT be an issue when traveling to Asia from the west coast. It MAY be an issue going the other way (eastbound) although generally I do not need an alarm, but I do not use window blackout blinds either. I generally find eastbound travel easier to adjust to (UA generally has morning arrival times at SFO and I get enough sun during the day to sync up with California time in about 24 hours). Sometimes, I will sleep and wake up at normal hours on the first night when arriving back.

jhayes_1780

who is "we"? You and a companion? Family? Maybe a little color on ages and travel experiences?

usbusinesstraveller

Kacee

I actually enjoy waking up between 3-4 am while in Asia. That's a good time for calls back to the west coast, where it's mid-afternoon. Then I can enjoy the sunrise and go for a run before it gets too hot. Then breakfast before the crowds hit the restaurant. IMO it's a great way to maximize time away.

WineCountryUA

As this thread has been a general discussion of jet lag, will move this thread to TravelBuzz where the topic is regularly discussed - just in the past year or so
Is initial Sleep Deprivation helpful to avoid jet lag?[/color]
Fasting to minimize jet lag?
Jet Lag for 1st Time Int'l flyer
Melatonin for jet lag
What's your strategy to beat jet lag? (consolidated)

WineCountryUA
UA coModerator

Saint4805

Following on from the above post, a friend has suggested taking melatonin which I understand consists of the hormone that brings about or enhances sleep as a result of being surrounded by darkness. It's not available OTC in the UK and I haven't tried it myself but my friend says it worked well for him and without any drowsy feeling after waking up.

warakorn

My experience is that the effect "Jetlag" depends a bit on what lies ahead the next day after arriving at the destination.
If it is holidays (normally you are a bit relaxed), it is easier to get sleep at the right times.
If being on a stressfull business trip, sleep is impaired by the stress -> e.g. a difficult client appointment/working from 8am the next morning, puts me under stress - and that makes it difficult for me to sleep;

MisterTanaka

84fiero

On similar trips US to Asia, I usually have no trouble sleeping at the hotel on arrival and then like others, wake up fairly early in the morning the next day. Usually if I eat a small snack and read something for a little bit, I can fall back asleep for a couple more hours. I just plan to start my activities early that first day and plan to finish by late afternoon or early evening. It helps to make sure I have a fair amount of physical activity, outdoors especially, that first day to help sleep better that 2nd night. My wake-up time then shifts to the right pretty quickly starting with the 2nd morning and so on. I don't use sleeping pills or supplements, as they make me feel worse overall - but some people do find them helpful. Of course I'm used to never sleeping well even at home (for a couple of reasons) so maybe that actually helps!

My wife doesn't typically adjust quite as quickly so it can definitely vary by person even using the same routine.

Trial and error is usually the best way to find the most ideal individual solution, unfortunately.

chipmaster

As others noted comes to be very personal approach and status of health, conditioning, sleep patterns, and stamina/will etc.

I did a biweekly for three years: Fly out Saturday AM, arrive Far East Sunday evening, work M-F 8-6, back on the airplane Friday evening, arrive US friday afternoon, work the following Sun-Th afternoon thru late evening ( 7pm-1am) but flipped to getting up 6:30-7am back home on the west coast, and then Saturday rinse and repeat back to the far east.

Always felt flying "East" back to US was much harder to adjust than going "West" I've done a few midnight deperature from west coast with arrival early AM and hit work as well, that is actually a better schedule.

For me I NEVER take more than a cat nap on the plane 1-2 hours, try to extend my Saturday-Sunday ( Far East ) with nothing but 1-3 hours sleep can't be more or bad news once you arrive. I am in a zoned space when I check in to the hotel, after a hot shower/bath crash by 9pm local time. No cheating your circadian rhythms and wake up at 1-3am, but so exhausted no problem falling back a sleep quickly. Challenge, get up at 5:30 and exercise hard, then breakfast with some good caffeine. Generally never felt too drowsy during the work day ( almost always made a FT/skype call home at lunch to the wife/family, that was a good pickup ) Must avoid stimulants by afternoon, if tired get up for a brisk walk, but usually no problem to stay awake till 8-9pm and then crash, I know people who go out late to party or break down for caffeine or a nap as a refresher, I think that just delays the switch over, as I switch ever week, I need to flip on the first day, cold turkey embrace the new zone.

Coming back to US, sleep on the plane for no more than 2-3 hours sleep right as I get settled after seating, always skip the offered inflight meal, then stay awake is a must as you arrive in the afternoon and can't have slept, then again like going over, must be disciplined about sleep and wake, IE must go to bed normal local and MUST get up no-matter how painful early in the morning local. ( Will power some don't have it, I come home it's local Saturday for first morning too easy to sleep in, key is to drag one'self up 7am and go exercise hard to wake the body up! )

Basically experience for me to flip have learned must NOT sleep or sleep minimal on the plane, so it is skipping a day of sleep, some can do it. Thus puts you in a state your body must go down, and it does. My experience I flip in a day, I know most people probably can't do this for work or vacation to think about pulling a no sleep 30-36 hours effectively. Actually do big time changes for vacation, and again will power, too easy to relax as its vacation but if you flip to new time hard, you flip fast!

On the plane lots and lots of liquid, no alcohol, even if it is FREE! If you ain't peeing every two hours you ain't drinking enough, every two hours stand and stretch and get the blood flowing thru the legs, amazed at the number of people who eat/sleep and / or don't move, but again when you see them, why is it not a surprise and also a surprise why the flipping is hard... just saying.

escog

Like a few of the previous posters, when I usually wake up a few times during the night and by 4 a.m., I find it hard going back to sleep. I used to do SFO-SIN a couple of times a year, and it was always the same for me. Around 4:00 p.m., I hit the wall and am ready for a nap. I've stopped trying to fight the 4 a.m. wake up, and just do something productive - like go to the gym or simply work. 4 a.m. is a good time to take calls from the west coast. Though, late night business dinners can be a bit rough the first few days.

Petdog

A combination of time-shifting in advance of travel, avoiding caffeine and alcohol, melatonin, hydrating, in-flight sleep to match destination, exercise/being active, and getting sunlight usually do the trick for me. YMMV.

boss315

Even though my wife poo-poos it, I use No Jet Lag homeopathic tablets on the flight. They really help with jet lag. Have used these for many, many years and have very little jet lag Melatonin also very helpful!

cayohueso

I've used this site many times with generally good results jetlagrooster.com