I need some suggestions for my husband.

We are travelling from the East Coast to Edinburgh, on a 8 PM (more or less) flight arriving around 7 AM, in coach. First / Business class is not an option for us this trip.

My husband has back troubles. Most coach seats - most chairs in general - are barely tolerable for him for any length of time, and he is convinced that he will not be able to get any sleep on the flight over. As a result, he's going to be really wiped out when we get to Edinburgh, where he will be responsible for driving several hours to where we are staying. (I know this from experience with several other overseas trips, but he hasn't had to drive immediately on those trips).

So, what are your best techniques for reducing jet lag? I'm not sure that he'd consent to using anything to help him sleep (Ambien, etc.) since he rarely takes any kind of medicine under any circumstance. One of the things we are considering is to have him start changing over to EDI time before we go. Would that really help?

Well, you will no doubt get a lot of replies on this, but here is a start.

The best thing to do would be check into a hotel and get some sleep, especially since you will be arriving at the beginning of rush hour and driving on the wrong side of the road. Second, could you take a train or even hire a car and driver to get you to your destination, where you would then rent a car? We often do that when arriving at Heathrow after an overnight flight. But failing these:

Change to Edinburgh time as soon as you can the day you fly. Eat on Edinburgh time, sleep as much as you can on Edinburgh time. Do not watch videos or listen to music on the plane. Wear a mask to keep light out of your eyes. If you can't sleep, meditate. When you arrive, get as much sun as possible, not always easy in Scotland. Be careful driving.

Hi GoAway, I second the suggestion to get a hotel in Edinburgh for the first night. Jetlag, no sleep, rush hour and driving on the opposite side of the road is an accident waiting to happen. I would be well worth the money IMO. We always got a hotel for the first night when we arrived in Italy before my late husband picked up the rental car. Guess having been in the insurance business for so long I am aware of all the contributing factors that can cause horrendous accidents.

I used melatoin to help me sleep recently. It's natural. Be sure to change your watch on the plane.

If he has back troubles, is he seeing a doctor? Any advices there?

Is there anything on the market usable for back support? Neck support?

Will a window seat be the best to lean on a pillow to try to sleep?

Painkillers, if he's taking any, help with sleep too. Or sleeping pills. But this must be confirmed by a doctor.

Is it too late to re-arrange the trip? Off the plane to a hotel room to catch on the sleep, and only after that to drive?

Your husband's immediate problem won't be jetlag: it'll be lack of sleep. And, quite simply, he must not drive after being awake all night - a criminal offence in the UK.

It really doesn't matter how heroic he feels like being about this: it's illegal and irresponsible and if he wants to do, I suggest he doesn't do it in my country.

So you/he have four choices:
- you drive
- get a train or taxi
- check into a hotel
- ensure he gets a proper night's sleep. Quite possible in transatlantic economy, but it sounds like you think it won't happen. And I've never found melatonin helps me sleep on the plane: it just helps me adjust better after the flight.

But if he's not getting a proper night's sleep, the one non-negotiable in all this is that he simply must not drive.

Why not spend a day/night in Edinburgh and leave the next day.

I fly to Europe everyweek for work and am only there for less than 24 hours. My routine is taking a shower upon arrival and then sleeping 2-3 hours. Don't get into the deep REM sleep which usually occurs after 3-4 hours.Then I make myself get up and get out in the sunshine with a cup of coffee to wake me up. I usually stay up till 11pm or midnight with this routine.Seriously, one has to sleep a little when you have flown over the pond at night. As my flying partners always say,"one doesn't make good decisions without some type of sleep"!

The best thing I've discovered to minimize jetlag traveling from N. America to Europe - especially if traveling in economy - is to take <b>morning</b> flights from NY or Boston (also one from Chicago.) You get up early to get to the airport, fly during daylight, and land at dinnertime, get a hotel near Heathrow and continue to Edin. the next morning. Sleeping in a bed is way, way better than &quot;sleeping&quot; (ha ha ) in coach airline seats. We find it cuts our jetlag in half or better. Give it a try if you can.

My chiropractor recommended that I slip a book down at the base of my spine when I'm in an airline seat - does help with some of my back problems. Also, I found with a blow-up neck pillow I was able to really get some sleep on a trans-Atlantic flight; felt weird at first (and what ever you do don't inflate it fully to start!) but worked great.

Get your husband a prescription for Ambien (perhaps half dose since the flight is so short), have him take it immediately upon entering the plane and hope the sleep gods are with you.

If you do Ambien or other prescription sleeping pill, try it out at home first. A significant number of people do not like the feeling it gives them - some have a kind of mild amnesia after unless they have 6-8 hours to sleep. Something like Benadryl might work - milder, not a hypnotic, much shorter half life in body. Same advice though - try it out at home.

personally I think Jetlag is overblown and it's just in your mind.