I'll be travelling to Europe for the 1st time this fall, specifically Italy and I'm concerned about the impacts of Jet Lag. All you veteran travellers out there, can you provide some guidance? Thanks.

This subject has come up several times in the last two years. I suggest you do a search on that subject and see what turns up. I know many, many postings have dealt with that subject. <BR> <BR>There are so many different opinions that I could not summarize them here fully. But, the consensus of opinion is that you should avoid alcohol and caffeine. Some people suggest trying melatonin. Others suggest prescription drugs such as amitryptaline (sp??). <BR>(That drug requires a prescription!!) <BR> <BR>My personal experience has been this: <BR>I sleep poorly on the flight over because the seats are so cramped. Once I have arrived, I get outside and into the sunlight. Exposure to light seems to help reset the internal clock. <BR>There has been some medical research that describes the beneficial aspects of sun light exposure. <BR>The first night after you arrive, get to bed at an early but relatively normal time. <BR> <BR>I think there must be some truth to the sun light aspect of jet lag. I suffer more from jet lag after the trip home than I do going over. Coming back, I have left in the afternoon from Paris or Amsterdam and arrived in Atlanta about sundown or shortly thereafter. <BR>I was not out in the sun at all except possibly in the morning before departure. Invariably, I was more jet lagged after the homeward flight than I was after I arrived in Europe. <BR>

Bob, that's interesting because coming from the UK, I (and most people I know) find it worse the other way round, on the return leg from the US to London. Maybe it's just the thought that the holiday is over and you've got to go back to work. <BR> <BR>But what Bob says is sensible. Avoid alcohol on the flight and try to adjust to local time as quickly as possible. Don't be tempted to go to bed as soon as you get there.

I cannot account for the fact that after the return home I feel out of it for several days. It is not a problem of returning to work; in fact, it is the opposite. I am retired. <BR> <BR>On our 3 most recent trips home from Europe, we have made an early start and arrived after dark. I think that must have something to do with it. <BR> <BR>I agree that the trip over finds me ready to go. The adrenaline is pumping, and I am eager to see the sights. <BR> <BR>When returning home, I have not experienced an arrival well before sun down. So I have no basis for a comparison. <BR> <BR>But the fact remains that I adjust quickly after arriving in Europe and I adjust slowly after returning home. <BR>

I think you're right, I think adrenaline must have something to do with it. Perhaps when you're coming home, the tiredness just catches up with you as the adrenaline subsides. <BR> <BR>When I arrive in the States from the UK, although it's been a really long day, I can at least go straight to bed and get up after a full night's sleep the next day ready to go. <BR> <BR>Whereas when I come home, say, on an overnight flight from NY to London, I find I've lost 5 hours sleep on the flight over (added to the fact that I find it hard to sleep on the plane as it is), and still have a whole day to get through before I can sleep again. I tried going straight into work once. I'm surprised I wasn't fired for sleeping on the job.

The only time I didn't have a problem with jet lag was when we flew to London from Chicago - left in the late morning (around 9 or 10) and got to Heathrow around 11PM. We were tired from the flight and went right to bed. Slept a good 6 or 7 hours and started out fresh in the morning. It was really great. <BR> <BR>The fact is, after a long flight at any time of day, I am bushed. I need sleep. My husband and son also found sleeping that first night no problem at all. I really dread arriving in the morning like we just did on our recent trip to Paris. By the end of the first day you are almost sick with exhaustion - no fun. <BR> <BR>Unfortunately, I think American or British Airways are the only airlines offering flights that arrive at night. If not, please let me know.

This whole question of jet lag and upsetting the body's internal clock is a very interesting subject. <BR>When I fly to the west coast from Atlanta, I am not bothered by jet lag. <BR>That is one reason I was so surprised when I felt "in a funk" after our '99 return trip. I thought an east to west flight would not bother me. <BR> <BR>After flying back from the west coast to Atlanta, I normally feel some jet lag effects. In general, west to east flights within North America bother me, but flying east to west does not. The reverse is true when flying to and from Europe. In both cases it is the coming home journey that produced the "funky" feelings. Some of the reaction must be attributable to the fact that the trip is over and the elation no longer carries me.

DJ, it also makes a difference where you depart from in N. America. From the west coast to Italy is a 9 hr. change, as opposed to 6 from the east coast. The old rule of thumb is that your clock requires around one day per hour change before you're completely "re-set," but we've seldom found it that long. <BR>One thing that you can do in advance of your trip which seems to work for us is altering your meal schedule for a few days before you leave in order to trick your digestive system into thinking you're in a different time zone. Drink lots (that's lots) of water on the flight over, and keep track of when "your" 3 AM is in the local time zone. Stay away from steering wheels and sharp objects for an hour or so on either side of that time, because your brain's connections to the rest of your bod will be funky at that time for several days.

Hi, <BR>well I think you should follow these rules: <BR>Don't drink alcohol <BR> <BR>Drink a lot of water <BR> <BR>Walk around as much as possible <BR> <BR>Strech your legs as often as possible <BR> <BR>Move your feet as often as possible <BR> <BR>Don't eat too much <BR> <BR>Enjoy your flight <BR> <BR>Do a lot of talking or reading <BR> <BR>Don't go to bed in Italy when you are tired; go to bed with the Italians <BR> <BR>Have a nice trip

Hello DJ, I think arriving at a decent time around 7 or 8 in the evening(instead of 7 or 8 in the morning) after an early departure, would help me acclimate better. I would love to be able to just crash after arrival, instead of trying to reset my body clock. I wish the airlines would offer a few MORE flights like that! Judy

Jane, there is a Virgin Atlantic flight <BR>from either JFK or EWR (Newark) that <BR>arrives in London at about 10 pm. <BR> <BR>Having taken it recently, I suffered <BR>no jet lag whatsoever. <BR> <BR>Cheers, <BR> <BR>Gerry K