Kylie

We are flying from Australia to LA soon and I was wondering when we should put our watches to LA time. We leave at 2.15pm here and get there at 1.30pm on the same day. Should we change our time as soon as we get on the plane or stay on our time till we get there? And should we try to get lots of sleep on the plane or stay awake - what's the secret to overcoming jetlag?

Pete

I have done the flight LA to Sydney many times and each time I vow it to be the last, But as I live in the US, and my family lives in Perth, I am kinda commited to it. I can give you my two cents worth. <BR>Always sleep on the plane - it is the best way to pass time. If you can pass away 8 of the 14 hours then you are doing well. The seats are difficult to sleep in, and the sleep is not a relaxing deep sleep

Pete

Sorry, my last post was posted before I was quite ready. <BR>I like to eat and drink slowly, passes another hour or two. I usually watch the TV shows, news, sitcoms etc. The movies if they are any good. I also like to bring a tiny CD player and a few CD's as the plane's music tends to be of poor sound quality. <BR>As for my watch, usually I leave it on departure time, then I know how long I have been in the air. As you approach LA, the pilot will usually tell you what the local time is and then I will change my watch. <BR>The other tactics to avoiding jetlag upon arrival are to get out in to the sunshine, and to stay awake, don't nap, until it is night time in your destination city. <BR>Only one more thing to add. When leaving Sydney on that flight - you will take off in daytime, fly in to night time, then land in daytime. Sleep on the plane during the night, then as you approach LA, the plane will fly into sunlight and people will start to wake up, breakfast will come out and then you will be almost at your destination. Welcome to the States

lynn

Hi - <BR> <BR>Agree with above on sleeping as much as possible. We fly to Hong Kong and always try to sleep many hours and eat slowly like above. It helps pass the time. <BR> <BR>As for the watch, I disagree with above. I always set my watch to the destination time as soon as I get on board. I believe it helps because you are not obsessing about what time it is at home. You will be better off if you don't even think about what time it is at home. Just worry about where you are. <BR> <BR>I do agree with staying awake at your destination until it is time to sleep there. Your body clock will be a bit messed up but you will do worse damage by taking a 5 hour nap in the middle of the day. <BR> <BR

Paul Rabe

The U.S. Army, figuring that troops sent to Europe during a hypothetical war there might be needed in battle within hours of landing there, contracted with Argonne Laboratory on a way to minimize jet lag. The ways they came up seem to work, but even they admit they're not sure if it's because they really have found the cause or if the user simply THINKS it will work. <BR> <BR>They recommend (1) adjusting your sleep habits (and thus your watch) the MINUTE you step on the plane, (2) LOTS of sleep on the plane, (3) and lots of fluids during a flight, but NOT ONE DROP of alcohol. <BR> <BR>Theire main recommendation is based on the idea that jet lag is caused by your eating habits being out of sync with daylight hours. They assume that your body resets its internal clock to "new day" when you wake up and have breakfast. Thus, the solution is to eat almost nothing the day of the flight UNTIL you wake up at your destination's "morning," then maintain a normal eating and sleeping routine no matter what (i.e, do NOT nap your first day; indeed, walking in the sun is the BEST thing to do). You avoid the obvious hunger of fasting for almost 36 hours by stuffing yourself the day before you leave. <BR> <BR>More info can be found at <BR>www.cnnfn.com/fntraveler/9805/13/biztravel

richard j. vicek

good afternoon, Kylie <BR>Would agree with the above suggestions, <BR>much sleep, lots of fluids, non., alch.. <BR>Take the watch and place it in your <BR>carry on bag overhead, you will know <BR>what time it when you arrive, then re- <BR>set your watch. Minutes, yes and hours <BR>move very slowly when watched... <BR>Richard of Hickory Hills,Il

lisa

I agree that you should definitely change your watch to the destination time as soon as you board. Also, I am surprised no one has mentioned melatonin. I have found it really helps my body clock adjust. Try to find the kind that dissolves sublingually (under your tongue) -- it is absorbed very quickly that way, and if you take it before bed each night for a few days once you arrive it acts as a natural sleep aid and really helps with jetlag. For more, here are Dr. Andrew Weil's recommendations from his website (www.drweil.com): <BR> <BR>"Water, water, water. Drink plenty of <BR> it. Take a couple of 1-liter bottles of water <BR> with you and keep yourself well hydrated <BR> throughout the flight. I would avoid <BR> caffeine, and alcohol as well. Eat lightly <BR> during the flight and avoid those <BR> high-salt, high-fat entrees the airlines <BR> tend to serve. Food is harder to digest at <BR> high altitudes. Sugar isn't helpful either, <BR> because it sends your blood sugar on a <BR> roller-coaster ride. <BR> <BR> "I have an acquaintance who travels <BR> regularly to China and Japan. Her tips: <BR> Dress comfortably - bring along a pair of <BR> sweats to change into during the flight if <BR> you don't want to show up at the airport in your PJs. As soon as <BR> the plane takes off, change out of your shoes and into a pair of <BR> thin slippers. Bring along some juicy fruit to complement your <BR> water supply. Try earplugs to shut out the noise. <BR> <BR> "Your legs and feet are not going to like all that sitting. Get up and <BR> stretch now and then, stimulating your circulation. <BR> <BR> "You can help your body get adjusted to a new time zone more <BR> easily by using cues such as light, food, conversation, and <BR> exercise as you travel. Change your watch to the new time zone <BR> right after you board, then live accordingly. During the daylight <BR> hours, turn on the overhead light and read or talk to your <BR> neighbor. Get up and move around. Eat your dinner when it's 6 <BR> p.m. where you're going. Then shut your window shade and <BR> sleep during the dark hours there. <BR> <BR> "When you arrive, get out in the light and walk around. Expose <BR> yourself to as much natural daylight as you can. <BR> <BR> "Your body can adjust its own clock by only about two hours a <BR> day. So you will need to give it some help to reset to a new time <BR> zone. Both light and a hormone called melatonin can be very <BR> helpful, with light seen as the most powerful influence on internal <BR> timing. Both of these normally help keep your body on schedule. <BR> "Light provides a time-of-day cue during the day, and melatonin <BR> is believed to operate as a signal during the night. An article in <BR> the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that <BR> when you need to shift your clock earlier - as when traveling <BR> eastward through multiple time zones - you should use light in <BR> the early morning and melatonin in the early evening. When <BR> shifting later - or traveling westward - use melatonin in the early <BR> morning and light in the late afternoon or evening. <BR> <BR> "In general, I have found that, after arriving at my destination, <BR> taking 1 milligram of melatonin sublingually at bedtime for only <BR> one or two nights significantly reduces jet lag, regardless of the <BR> direction of travel." <BR> <BR> Dr. Andrew Weil <BR> <BR>Who is Andrew Weil, M.D.? Here is his bio from his website: <BR> <BR> "Dr. Andrew Weil is a leader in the integration of Western <BR> medicine and the exploding field of alternative medicine. A <BR> graduate of Harvard Medical School, he teaches at the <BR> University of Arizona in Tucson, specializing in alternative <BR> medicine, mind/body interactions and medical botany. He is the <BR> founder of the Program in Integrative Medicine at the University <BR> of Arizona Health Sciences Center in Tucson, where he is <BR> training a new generation of physicians. Dr. Weil is the author <BR> of seven books: "The Natural Mind" (1972), "The Marriage of the <BR> Sun and the Moon" (1980), "From Chocolate to Morphine" (with <BR> Winifred Rosen, 1983), "Health and Healing" (1984), "Natural <BR> Health, Natural Medicine" (1990), "Spontaneous Healing" (1995) <BR> and his most recent best-seller, "8 Weeks to Optimum Health." <BR> <BR>