hunterafri

My wife and I are flying from Florida to Atlanta to Paris to Bangkok. I leave on Friday at 11AM and arrive BKK on Sunday at 4:35PM. Would like some thoughts on how we will feel that evening or even the next morning. Thanks, Vic

sandi

In all likelihood, not too good. But people respond differently to these long legs and many time zone changes. If you normally cannot sleep on the plane I would suggest you ask your physician for a sleeping aid and try to get sleep on the long legs (ATL/CDG and CDG/BKK). But since you're arriving late afternoon and should be at your hotel by dinner time (after 3-days, wow!), you might want to have dinner at your hotel, then hit the pillow. Or just hit the pillow. And sleeping aids might be needed for the first few nights. Good Luck!

Guenmai

Like a zombie. Happy Travels!

Kathie

Do a search on this board for jet leg and you'll find a large number of suggestions on how to cope.

Mthomp77

Vic,

What class are you traveling in and what airline? West to east is always the most difficult in terms of getting over jet lag, regardless of method(s) used to counteract it.

anna_k

My best advice is to ask your doctor for some sleeping pills, Ambien and Sonata have worked wonders for me.

hunterafri

We are flying first class and Business-Elite on Delta from Florida to Paris and then Business Class on Air France from Paris to Bangkok.

Best Regards, Vic

Kathie

You'll do better when you arrive because flying in business or first will really make a difference. Nonetheless, the time change is a day for night change and you'll feel the impact of that.

Sleeping pills such as Sonata or Ambien or, alternatively, melatonin will help with jet leg if you use them to sleep at night once you arrive. While some people do take sleepers on the plane, they significantly increase your risk of DVT (deep vein thrombosis) and of confusional episodes. Both Ambien and Sonata are associated with amnestic symptoms (typically, you take the pill, and may have a period of time that you remember nothing, even if you've been required to change planes or whatever). So you are safer in many ways to use these only once you've reached your destination.

Ericka

I agree with Kathie in that I wouldn't recommend taking anything until you are in your bed in Bagkok. (Melatonin seems to be the most natural/gentle.) Especially if you arriving at 4:35pm. If you force yourself to sleep on the plane, you will just further reinforce your body clock to US time and it will be more difficult to adjust once you're there.

stockexchanger

I think I am the only person on the board who has tried this, but we used Provigil, a new drug that is indicated for narcolepsy but used by fighter pilots in the military and recommended for jet lag. We took it to stay awake...it did not feel speedy at all. In fact it didn't feel like we took anything....we just didn't feel tired. I can honestly say that with a 12 hour time difference, I felt a little sleepy during the day on day 3 but aside from that no jet lag at all. Fell asleep riding in a few cabs on that day and that was it. Highly recommend. My husband is a physician and wanted us to try it, I was hesitant but so glad we did. Honestly didn't miss a single day with no side effects. Also we got back on Sunday night at 7 p.m. and went back to work the next a.m. (and took Provigil) and never missed a beat. I know people are skeptical of drugs for jet lag (understandably) but I highly recommend it. And yes, you can fall asleep whenever you want to, it doesn't keep you from sleeping when it is time although you should have ambien or something for the first night or two in case.

TracyB

How about if you don't take any pills..They aren't good for you no matter which way you look at it..You will eventually get over jet lag..It is part of the travel experience!!
Good luck!
I am leaving for India next week, and I am not looking forward to our long flight..Edmonton to Vancouver to HKG to DELHI..We have given ourselves an extra day in Delhi to rest before we start our 15 day tour...

georgiegirl

Don't take anything. Traveling in first/business class, you will not be very tired. You might not be able to eat dinner the first evening. Go to bed. You will get up real early. The first few nights you will be sleepy early in the evening. Stay busy and you will be fine. Your worse problem will be when you get back to Florida. It usually takes me about a week to get over the jat lag coming back from BKK. Have fun and enjoy my homeland.

rhkkmk

i suspect you are flying coach? if so you may not know yourself by the time you get to your hotel....i think it is safe to say that you will be almost disorientated....plus when that heat hits you it puts a whole different spin on things....we fly westward so we have the pacific to fly over and we take a sleeping pill...you might do the same between paris and bkk...ask you doctor for something...

i try to stay up for a while and have a lite meal....i then try to get a regular nites sleep but i am up very early....we plan then to stay around the pool in the morning and then maybe go out for a short trip on the river (we always stay on the river) to river city shopping ctr for an hour or so...then back to the hotel for a moderate dinner--low fat and simple...then a good nites sleep and then we are ready for vacation....this has worked for us on 6 asia trips...

others disagree but this is our experience...

Neil_Oz

I would say, definitely don't hit the sack as soon as you arrive - have dinner and go to bed not before, say 10 pm. Worked for us. I too have reservations about pills. Jetlag is not the end of the world.

gard

Hi

It is only natural to feel tired after such a long flight and I don't believe that there are any pills that can cure this. But the general advice is stay away from alcohol and caffein and drink lots of water. When you arrive stay awake as long as you can to try to get into the new time zone. When I went to Thailand the last time we arrived like 6 am and it was VERY hard to stay awake all day Well, if you want some tips on Thailand and Bangkok please feel free to visit my homepage gardkarlsen.com. I have posted trip reports with pictures from our trips to this wonderful country.

Regards
Gard
Stavanger, Norway