Has anyone tried or had success with these pills that you can get at REI etc.?

I have used pills called No Jet-Lag on both my trips to Africa. They are from New Zealand, are homeopathic and work amazingly well. Our return flight to Vancouver was very long, yet we felt wonderful when we got home.

One thing I try my best to do - when I arrive, try to stay awake until bedtime on day 1. It does the job ......... you may wake up early the first two or three days, but, will automatically settle down.

Thesedays there is a tendency to pop pills for every single reason ...... and I'm not sure if that is such a great idea????

I agree with Hari. I'm a "no pills" person, although I have been known to take a "simply sleep" every once in a while. But I do that at home sometimes, not just for travel.

So that I don't experience jet lag, I start changing my clock a few days ahead of time. I set my watch to my destination and change my sleeping habits. I short myself on sleep so I'm tired by the time I get on the international flight, making it easier to fall asleep when I need to. I do not necessarily eat/drink when they serve meals, but rather, when the time is appropriate for my destination.

I might be a little cranky the day or two before I leave, but I usually have so much to do that I don't have time to sleep anyway. If I'm tired enough, and keep myself awake until it's bedtime in my destination, them I'm o.k when I arrive.

The problem I have with staying awake until day 1 flying east is that it forces you to stay awake for the entire flight.
Staying awake for a 17 hr. flight to me seems like torture.

check this thread on the Europe board:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35132032
and do a search for jet lag pills on the Europe board - there's a lot of info there. However, it's not really conclusive....

we do the same as hari: stay awake until bedtime. acting against that rule makes one carrying the jet lag further in to the following days.

we also swallow meds only when desperately needed but certainly not for something minor like preventing jet lag.

div

I meant stay awake on day 1 - i.e., the day 1 after arrival at destination city - wherever in the world you go to.

I do everything as normal until I leave home, and sleep as normal if a night flight.......