jetlag
 

Question for any FA and frequent flyers.

How do you deal with jetlag on long trips: to India, Australia or China?

I will be in Beijing for a week and want to maximize my time there (and not sleep through it, or be always tired)

Any tips?

I would recommend that this goes in a different forum, as it has nothing to do with United.

when i go to/from europe i sleep on the flight from usa-europe and when i get up, its morning there. Back, I stay up, go to bed USA time and when I get up im used to usa

My last 4 trips to Manila and back, I took 3 melatonin pills when I was about to sleep on the plane and then slept for several hours on the plane. Then, each night for about 3-5 days after, I took 2 or 3 more pills before I slept. I haven't had jetlag on any of the trips.

It does. United has many more long-houl destinations in Asia, Australia, India than other US airlines. So I figured that United passengers would know more about it than others...

Try to stay awake for the last ~10 hours of your flight to Asia. That way, you'll have an easier time falling asleep the night you arrive. Melatonin also helps. Also, try to keep a regular schedule and don't fall prey to naps (they can be killer!).

Nope, but this is not UA specific. Almost every airline board on this site has longhaul destinations, and I don't see how it matters whether the airlines is American or not.

When I fly over the Pacific from YVR, I sleep on the long haul flights. Helps me readjust to the new day I'll confront ahead of me. I learned this after I didn't do it on the flight to Tokyo from YVR and found myself having difficulty adjusting to the time in Tokyo.

I found this to work well for me when I flew to Australia in January.

Sanosuke!

This is akin to favorite cold remedies, I know, but here's my secret formula-

Flying with the sun (Europe to US)? Stay awake the whole flight, work, watch movies, etc. When you hit the ground, maybe a short nap, eat dinner, hit the hay at their night-time, take a tylenol PM and maybe a glass of merlot (I know, toxic combo, but I sleep. Go ahead, start the toxicity thread here...).

Flying against the sun (US to Europe)? Sleep. Same formula, quick inflight dinner, or grab something prior so you can don the eyeshades, earplugs, neck pillow and start sleeping ASAP. Same chemical formula- Tylenol PM and a glass of Merlot. When you reach your destination, act the timezone; coffee, breakfast, etc. Work that day, maybe an afternoon nap (set that alarm man, or it's death for that night). Get out and walk or run and get as much sunshine and fresh air as possible, dinner, stay up til 9 or 10, then hit the hay; tylenol PM and Merlot (syrah?).

Going south, I just try to sleep on the overnight flights down and back. That seems to work pretty well.

Anyway, I shift into the other timezone using chemical additives such as caffeine and bendryl and exercise and daylight. Seems to work pretty well for me.

Finally, I learned last year after a typical "intensity in 10 cities" six day tour of Europe (live in Budokan?) vs. a 10 city 14 day tour of Asia that lower intensity travel is less harsh on the bodyclock. It took me two weeks to recover from that idiotic Euro tour whereas the Asia tour took one week to recover. :rolleyes:

Finally, debates of biblical proportions will break out regarding your sleep drug of choice. I have friends who are Ambien zealots, or melatonin freaks, or Tylenol-PM fanatics. Whateve, pick one and use it in moderation and it shaves several days off the recovery time. :o

My strategy is to stay awake as necessary on arrival and go to sleep at the normal local time. A good night's sleep and I'm all set. Walking around like a sleep-deprived zombie isn't always fun, but I do that across weekends in my regular time-zone anyways.

Having been a regular b/w US-India/Europe/Africa for several years, I used to try to fight jetlag using sleep strategies described above. Lately, my travelling colleagues tell me Ambien is THE way to go. Will try it out next time I travel (in 3 weeks) and post an update.

As someone who on the most comfortable inflight bed is lucky to snooze for brief periods, I do exactly what you do. The only exception is if I get to Europe very early and my room is ready at 730 or 800a, I'll take a 2 hour nap.

I use melatonin, and it does seem to help. Going to sleep at a normal time at your destination is also important. I set my watch to the destination time as soon as I can, and try not to think about what time it is in the time zone I've left.

We fly to SYD and AKL alot- our experience is to get as much sleep on the plane as you can after dinner and then stay up upon arrival- don't nap! Keep going as long as you can that first day to try to get your body on local time- It usually works pretty well and we're on loca time thenext day- Although, as we get a bit older we find it a bit harder...