Battling Jet Lag for Four Day Visit to Bangkok
May 11th, 2009, 08:36 PM
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Battling Jet Lag for Four Day Visit to Bangkok
Hi everyone,
I am traveling next Thursday the 21st to Bangkok, and staying until the 28th. I, however, just realized recently that I will only have four full days in Bangkok (BKK), due to the International Date Line.
I understand from other forums that if people are arriving in Bangkok in the morning, they just sleep on the plane, so then they can wake up and be as alert as they are every morning. That makes total sense, however it is not my situation. I am arriving at BKK at 11:00 at night.
Here's my departure info:
Leaving San Diego at 10:21 am, arriving at San Fran at 11:56am (1 hr. 35 min.). Then leave San Fran at 1:15pm, and arrive to Seoul the next day at 5:25 pm (12 hr 10 minute flight), then leave Seoul at 6:20pm and finally arrive to BKK at 11:05pm (5 hr. 45 min flight).
My ultimate goal is not having jet lag during the mere four day visit in Bangkok for which I paid more than a thousand dollars. I also want to be able to sleep for a whole night when I get to BKK so I can wake up bright-eyed the next morning and on the Thai sleep schedule.
So, when do I sleep when I'm flying over there? I LOVE sleeping on planes; its' easy for me, and makes time go by faster. Unfortunately, I'm thinking it's probably not the best idea to sleep for most of the time because then I will be awake in BKK when I'm supposed to be sleeping.
What with three flights, can you please tell me, in your opinion, when you think I should sleep and when I should be awake during the flight so as to be tired when I arrive in BKK? I obviously can't stay awake the whole time. Tylenol PM for a few hours? No-Jet-Lag pill? Other suggestions?
If you could reply asap, that would be awesome so I can stop stressing about this.
Thank you so much!
Laura
I am traveling next Thursday the 21st to Bangkok, and staying until the 28th. I, however, just realized recently that I will only have four full days in Bangkok (BKK), due to the International Date Line.
I understand from other forums that if people are arriving in Bangkok in the morning, they just sleep on the plane, so then they can wake up and be as alert as they are every morning. That makes total sense, however it is not my situation. I am arriving at BKK at 11:00 at night.
Here's my departure info:
Leaving San Diego at 10:21 am, arriving at San Fran at 11:56am (1 hr. 35 min.). Then leave San Fran at 1:15pm, and arrive to Seoul the next day at 5:25 pm (12 hr 10 minute flight), then leave Seoul at 6:20pm and finally arrive to BKK at 11:05pm (5 hr. 45 min flight).
My ultimate goal is not having jet lag during the mere four day visit in Bangkok for which I paid more than a thousand dollars. I also want to be able to sleep for a whole night when I get to BKK so I can wake up bright-eyed the next morning and on the Thai sleep schedule.
So, when do I sleep when I'm flying over there? I LOVE sleeping on planes; its' easy for me, and makes time go by faster. Unfortunately, I'm thinking it's probably not the best idea to sleep for most of the time because then I will be awake in BKK when I'm supposed to be sleeping.
What with three flights, can you please tell me, in your opinion, when you think I should sleep and when I should be awake during the flight so as to be tired when I arrive in BKK? I obviously can't stay awake the whole time. Tylenol PM for a few hours? No-Jet-Lag pill? Other suggestions?
If you could reply asap, that would be awesome so I can stop stressing about this.
Thank you so much!
Laura
May 11th, 2009, 09:48 PM
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Alternate your sleeping times where you live to bangkok time one week before your trip so you are acclimated before your arrive. The long commuting trip will take a lot out of you so hydrate yourself during the flight and sleep as much as you can without any stimulants.
Aloha!
Aloha!
May 11th, 2009, 09:56 PM
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Good idea hawaiiantraveler, but since I am 12 hours behind Bangkok, that would be close to impossible to alternate my sleeping times a week ahead of time. I have a full-time job every day M-F, so I can't be sleeping during that.
May 11th, 2009, 10:18 PM
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Yesterday I flew from Tbilisi (departure time: 4:05 AM) to Prague (3 hr, 50 min),lay over 1 hour 5 minutes, Prague to Amsterdam (1 hr, 40 minutes), lay over 1 hr, 50 minutes Amsterdam to Portland, OR (10 hrs 20 minutes), and then stayed up for the next 9 hours so I could catch up with the time zone change. At 55 years old, and having a full time job to go to this morning, I can assure you - flying east to west will be the easy part. I had only stayed 1 week, and the hard part was getting over there, and hitting the ground running. Flying west to east is much more difficult; so borrow your friends ambien, and take the smallest portion possible to get yourself restful on your longest leg of the flight. And then run with everything you've got while your there.
May 11th, 2009, 10:50 PM
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For reasons that passeth my understanding, I find sitting on a plane to be tiring if not exhausting. So my guess is that with that amount of flight time, and those layovers, you actually will be quite tired by the time you arrive at your Bangkok hotel, which will be sometime after midnight, which will probably help you. Actually, arriving in the evening is to be preferred to arriving in the morning, as people arriving in the morning have to get through an entire day already exhausted from a flight and also try to stay awake at a time which is the middle of the night according to their own body clock. You won’t have that issue. You can use the tiredness which air travel will impose on you to get to sleep. While the ideal time to arrive is perhaps in the late afternoon or early evening so that you could have a few hours of activity, you can perhaps mimic this on the Seoul-Bangkok flight. When you arrive in Bangkok, a hot shower will help with relaxation, as will 2 Tylenol PMs taken when you arrive at the hotel and have taken the shower.
As for the flight, you can actually do a little bit of resetting your body clock as you have a daylight flight into Seoul and can use the daylight to start adjusting. A window seat may be helpful for this. I would certainly sleep for at least half of the San Fran –Seoul flight. This means putting on eyeshades if necessary, but definitely going to sleep as soon as you take off, because you want to get up and stay up on the other end of the flight. I would skip the first (and probably second) meal service. (Having a carbo loaded meal in San Fran before you depart will probably help you get to sleep and keep you from waking up for the meals.) Then after a good sleep (6-7 hours, a bit more if you can do it), I would get up, open the window shade and stay awake for the rest of the flight, letting the daylight help to reset your body clock. If you have any time on the layover, also go to windows for daylight and/or get outside. Walk around and get some exercise. Then for the Seoul-Bangkok portion, stay active and awake by having dinner, reading, watching a movie. Resist any temptation to nap. You want to save the actual sleep for when you arrive at your hotel.
But all in all, I personally would not try to worry too much about it, as fretting will only interfere with relaxing and resting. If you do have jet lag, then work around it by walking the streets of Bangkok at 2 am which can still be interesting. During the day have a massage or take a swim in a pool to revive you.
As for the flight, you can actually do a little bit of resetting your body clock as you have a daylight flight into Seoul and can use the daylight to start adjusting. A window seat may be helpful for this. I would certainly sleep for at least half of the San Fran –Seoul flight. This means putting on eyeshades if necessary, but definitely going to sleep as soon as you take off, because you want to get up and stay up on the other end of the flight. I would skip the first (and probably second) meal service. (Having a carbo loaded meal in San Fran before you depart will probably help you get to sleep and keep you from waking up for the meals.) Then after a good sleep (6-7 hours, a bit more if you can do it), I would get up, open the window shade and stay awake for the rest of the flight, letting the daylight help to reset your body clock. If you have any time on the layover, also go to windows for daylight and/or get outside. Walk around and get some exercise. Then for the Seoul-Bangkok portion, stay active and awake by having dinner, reading, watching a movie. Resist any temptation to nap. You want to save the actual sleep for when you arrive at your hotel.
But all in all, I personally would not try to worry too much about it, as fretting will only interfere with relaxing and resting. If you do have jet lag, then work around it by walking the streets of Bangkok at 2 am which can still be interesting. During the day have a massage or take a swim in a pool to revive you.
May 11th, 2009, 11:16 PM
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My advice is--and this is 3 years running for us (and on a similar itinerary...LAX to BKK)--just fall asleep naturally. If you're flying on a midday flight to Asia, I always find it's best to not sleep as much as you can the night before. If you can manage to not sleep at all, even better. This way, you'll be exhausted by the time you get on your flight from SFO. Sleep as much as you can right off the bat. Chances are, you'll sleep a good 8 hours at least if you can sleep on planes as you say you can (a sleeping pill certainly doesn't hurt as well.)
You'll likely wake up with a good few hours til Korea...and then you have another 5 or 6 hours from there to Bankgok. By the time you arrive, you'll definitely be tired again. If not, save the sleeping pill for when you arrive in Thailand.
I've done this 3 years running and I'm always adjusted to the time difference by the 2nd day.
As Mango said, you're really in for hell when you come back. It's never easy readjusting coming back East.
You'll likely wake up with a good few hours til Korea...and then you have another 5 or 6 hours from there to Bankgok. By the time you arrive, you'll definitely be tired again. If not, save the sleeping pill for when you arrive in Thailand.
I've done this 3 years running and I'm always adjusted to the time difference by the 2nd day.
As Mango said, you're really in for hell when you come back. It's never easy readjusting coming back East.
May 12th, 2009, 05:47 AM
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I always get to Bangkok about midnight, and I find I'm tired at the end of the first full day in Bangkok, but otherwise do fine.
Do sleep as much as you can on the plane. Sleep on a plane is never as restful as sleep in your own bed, so I doubt that you'll throw yourself off too much by sleeping when you can on a flight. Once you get to bangkok and get to your hotel, do all of the "rituals" that help you sleep at home. I always take a warm bath or shower, then go to bed. If I'm not falling asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow, I might read briefly.
If you are on a high floor of a hotel, open your curtains before going to bed. The morning light will help you wake up naturally and will help re-set your body clock. Get outside early in the morning so you get some direct sunlight, at least half an hour or so. Don't nap during the day, and it's fine to go to bed early the first night (I'd say not before 7 pm).
No sleeping pills on the plane - that's a bad idea for a number of reasons I won't go into here. If you are a melatonin responded, you could take along melatonin to take before bed for your first few nights. If you can sleep without a sleeping pill once you get there, do. Something like tylenol pm or benedryl (both have the same active ingredient) will make you feel slowed down and not as alert the next day. In general, I recommend against prescription sleepers, and you should never take a prescriptions sleeper for the first time in an unfamiliar environment. If you have used a particular prescription sleeper without problems in the past and feel better taking it along, fine. Use it if you need to.
I can tell you what I do with this schedule. I never sleep on the plane until the second leg of the flight which for me is Narita to Bangkok. I'm always still tired when I arrive in Bangkok.
When I arrive home, my plane gets in around 8 am my time. I try to sleep as much as I can on the plane, which for me is not much (as I left Bangkok at 6 am). I spend the day unpacking, opening mail, all those thing you have to do when you get home, and try to stay awake until at least 7 pm. I usually sleep pretty well that first night, perhaps waking up a couple of times, and I feel pretty good the next morning. Since Bangkok is an almost day for night switch for me, I have little difference adjusting flying east or west.
Don't stress about it - you'll do fine.
Do sleep as much as you can on the plane. Sleep on a plane is never as restful as sleep in your own bed, so I doubt that you'll throw yourself off too much by sleeping when you can on a flight. Once you get to bangkok and get to your hotel, do all of the "rituals" that help you sleep at home. I always take a warm bath or shower, then go to bed. If I'm not falling asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow, I might read briefly.
If you are on a high floor of a hotel, open your curtains before going to bed. The morning light will help you wake up naturally and will help re-set your body clock. Get outside early in the morning so you get some direct sunlight, at least half an hour or so. Don't nap during the day, and it's fine to go to bed early the first night (I'd say not before 7 pm).
No sleeping pills on the plane - that's a bad idea for a number of reasons I won't go into here. If you are a melatonin responded, you could take along melatonin to take before bed for your first few nights. If you can sleep without a sleeping pill once you get there, do. Something like tylenol pm or benedryl (both have the same active ingredient) will make you feel slowed down and not as alert the next day. In general, I recommend against prescription sleepers, and you should never take a prescriptions sleeper for the first time in an unfamiliar environment. If you have used a particular prescription sleeper without problems in the past and feel better taking it along, fine. Use it if you need to.
I can tell you what I do with this schedule. I never sleep on the plane until the second leg of the flight which for me is Narita to Bangkok. I'm always still tired when I arrive in Bangkok.
When I arrive home, my plane gets in around 8 am my time. I try to sleep as much as I can on the plane, which for me is not much (as I left Bangkok at 6 am). I spend the day unpacking, opening mail, all those thing you have to do when you get home, and try to stay awake until at least 7 pm. I usually sleep pretty well that first night, perhaps waking up a couple of times, and I feel pretty good the next morning. Since Bangkok is an almost day for night switch for me, I have little difference adjusting flying east or west.
Don't stress about it - you'll do fine.
May 12th, 2009, 05:55 AM
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here is what we do and our flying schedule is similar to the one you report.
we eat carefully and take no drinks other than water. If possible we have a big meal before we leave or have it at the airport. We plan to sleep on the trans pacific leg. We take sleeping pills to knock us out and that allows us to arrive a bit more refreshed. The last leg of the flight is a killer...its long and boring.
you will get to your hotel about 1AM....walk around a bit once you get there.... then you sleep only for a few hours and wake up early. most can't help this. eat a decent breakfast, but low on fat if possible. plan a very lite day that first day---very important....force yourself to stay awake as late as possible that nite. Day 3 is usually the one where the lague hits we find, so plan accordingly.
don't underestimate the lague on the return flight segment. many find that after returning home it is worse.
we eat carefully and take no drinks other than water. If possible we have a big meal before we leave or have it at the airport. We plan to sleep on the trans pacific leg. We take sleeping pills to knock us out and that allows us to arrive a bit more refreshed. The last leg of the flight is a killer...its long and boring.
you will get to your hotel about 1AM....walk around a bit once you get there.... then you sleep only for a few hours and wake up early. most can't help this. eat a decent breakfast, but low on fat if possible. plan a very lite day that first day---very important....force yourself to stay awake as late as possible that nite. Day 3 is usually the one where the lague hits we find, so plan accordingly.
don't underestimate the lague on the return flight segment. many find that after returning home it is worse.
May 12th, 2009, 06:36 AM
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Bob, I agree that the jet lag is worse when returning home from Bangkok. I arrive back in Chicago around 2pm and then have to drive/ride for 3 hours to get to my house from there. If I'm riding, I can snooze. If I'm driving, I have to try to stay alert!!!
I, too, get in about 11pm in Bangkok, but then I seem to get my second wind and walk over to visit my friend Maeng at the Pickled Liver bar on soi 11. She feeds me some delicious garlic shrimp (a light portion) and then I go to sleep. I usually wake up very early that first morning, maybe having only had about 2-3 hours of sleep, if that. The older I get, the longer my body clock takes to adjust!
Carol
I, too, get in about 11pm in Bangkok, but then I seem to get my second wind and walk over to visit my friend Maeng at the Pickled Liver bar on soi 11. She feeds me some delicious garlic shrimp (a light portion) and then I go to sleep. I usually wake up very early that first morning, maybe having only had about 2-3 hours of sleep, if that. The older I get, the longer my body clock takes to adjust!
Carol
May 12th, 2009, 08:08 PM
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I live in LA and always use the same method as filmwill for Asia and Australia (also works for flights home from Europe):
- Stay up all night the night before you leave. If you're disorganized like me, you'll be packing/working/running to the drugstore anyway.
- Sleep on first flight(s)- in your case, the flights to SFO & most of your flight to Seoul
- Drink coffee in Seoul - stay awake for second flight (We also arrived in BKK at 11 PM, all fell asleep at 1 AM and woke up early ready for sightseeing.)
- Take sleeping pill, if needed, when you arrive at your hotel.
Above all - don't worry...You can have fun in BKK no matter when you're awake. I find that jet lag doesn't really bother me on vacation because I can nap, wake up early, stay up late, etc. It's mostly when I travel for work that it becomes an issue.
- Stay up all night the night before you leave. If you're disorganized like me, you'll be packing/working/running to the drugstore anyway.
- Sleep on first flight(s)- in your case, the flights to SFO & most of your flight to Seoul
- Drink coffee in Seoul - stay awake for second flight (We also arrived in BKK at 11 PM, all fell asleep at 1 AM and woke up early ready for sightseeing.)
- Take sleeping pill, if needed, when you arrive at your hotel.
Above all - don't worry...You can have fun in BKK no matter when you're awake. I find that jet lag doesn't really bother me on vacation because I can nap, wake up early, stay up late, etc. It's mostly when I travel for work that it becomes an issue.
May 12th, 2009, 09:08 PM
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When I fly back to Thailand my arrival time is around midnight.
After I get to my hotel in Bangkok I sort my gear out a little and clean up. Then I immediately go back out and have a couple drinks for an hour or two. Then around 2-3 in the morning I go back to the hotel for some sleep. I am too jumpy from the flight and time changes to go to sleep immediately anyway.
When in Bangkok I stay on Sukhumvit Road (Near Nana Skytrain stop.) I find a nearby sidewalk cafe and have a beer or two and just relax a bit. This takes some of the tension out of me. You will be surprised how much activity takes place even at that time of night.
That first morning that I am in Thailand I get up before 8 a.m. to get my personal clock on Thai time as soon as possible. Eat a good breakfast and head on out and see Bangkok.
Before I leave for my trip I try to adjust my time in the U.S. to Thai time. On the plane I read until I can't keep my eyes open and then I zonk out for a while. I get up and move around often when flying to prevent blood clots. Have a blindfold and ear plugs. Also, a neck pillow blow up thing might make the ride a little more comfortable. Make sure you choose your seats ahead of time so you can avoid some of the lousier seats on the plane. Some seats in economy don't recline too much if there is an emergency window behind you or even sometimes a wall.
Man, you have a short holiday for such a long ride!
Have fun.
After I get to my hotel in Bangkok I sort my gear out a little and clean up. Then I immediately go back out and have a couple drinks for an hour or two. Then around 2-3 in the morning I go back to the hotel for some sleep. I am too jumpy from the flight and time changes to go to sleep immediately anyway.
When in Bangkok I stay on Sukhumvit Road (Near Nana Skytrain stop.) I find a nearby sidewalk cafe and have a beer or two and just relax a bit. This takes some of the tension out of me. You will be surprised how much activity takes place even at that time of night.
That first morning that I am in Thailand I get up before 8 a.m. to get my personal clock on Thai time as soon as possible. Eat a good breakfast and head on out and see Bangkok.
Before I leave for my trip I try to adjust my time in the U.S. to Thai time. On the plane I read until I can't keep my eyes open and then I zonk out for a while. I get up and move around often when flying to prevent blood clots. Have a blindfold and ear plugs. Also, a neck pillow blow up thing might make the ride a little more comfortable. Make sure you choose your seats ahead of time so you can avoid some of the lousier seats on the plane. Some seats in economy don't recline too much if there is an emergency window behind you or even sometimes a wall.
Man, you have a short holiday for such a long ride!
Have fun.
May 19th, 2009, 01:31 AM
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Personally I love getting to Thailand from the USA, and I don't mind the jet-lag at all.
This because most of Bangkok is just as alive at night as it is during the day, plus the temperatures are better!
So rather than fight it, I would enjoy the nightlife (which by the way includes markets and temples that get started well before dawn!)
This because most of Bangkok is just as alive at night as it is during the day, plus the temperatures are better!
So rather than fight it, I would enjoy the nightlife (which by the way includes markets and temples that get started well before dawn!)
