Best way to deal with jet lag
#21
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I use melatonin, but not in the way others do. My understanding is that melatonin resets your body clock, so I don't take it on the plane-I take it the first night at bedtime upon arrival. So yes, I'll be sleepy that first day, since I can't sleep on planes, but I have ZERO jet lag after that first day because my body clock has been set to local time.
#22
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Carmen: Actually we live in Medford so first have to fly from Medford to Portland, but that is the PDX flight I listed. I am promising myself that we will pack early so as to avoid staying up late to do it - best laid plans!
#23
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Nobody is mentioning the product called NoJetLag, which is available on drugstore.com and also on the website nojetlag.com. I read about it on another website and have bought some. People seemed to swear by it. I am hoping it works.
#25
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If anyone out there has tried that herbal NOJETLAG remedy mentioned by ARTSFAN, please share your thoughts.
I have seen it available in stores but wanted to hear about others' experiences first.
Thank you.
I have seen it available in stores but wanted to hear about others' experiences first.
Thank you.
#27
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I have used No Jet Lag on my last two trips to Europe, and it certainly seems to help. What it does is alleviate the disoriented, drowsy feeling you get the first day. It appears to be a harmless concoction of herbs, and tastes like a sugar pill, so maybe it's just a placebo affect, but I'm sold on it!
I wonder how the No Jet Lag would interact with melatonin?
Upon arrival at my hotel I crash for about an hour and take a cat nap - my wife feels better if she doesn't however.
I wonder how the No Jet Lag would interact with melatonin?
Upon arrival at my hotel I crash for about an hour and take a cat nap - my wife feels better if she doesn't however.
#28
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I have used NO Jet Lag and it works great ! I used it on my 2nd trip from Atl - Tokyo and what a drastic difference ! Wish I had known before ! I was able to nap on the plane and felt great upon arrival. They are available at most natural foods store... the people there will be able to give you more info. The store here sells tons of them to businessmen that travel internationally. You can check out their web site as well "nojetlag.com".
#29
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I live in Seattle and to me this is the only down-side to living here--the time it takes to get to Europe.
I have used No Jet-Lag and it works for me, but I also take 5 mg. ambien on the plane to sleep.
I also avoid alcohol on the plane and drink LOTS of water (which I bring on the plane after all I've been reading about airline water) and order low-fat/low cholestral meals (to avoid the sodium in the regular meals).
Have a great trip and let us know how it goes for you and your family.
I have used No Jet-Lag and it works for me, but I also take 5 mg. ambien on the plane to sleep.
I also avoid alcohol on the plane and drink LOTS of water (which I bring on the plane after all I've been reading about airline water) and order low-fat/low cholestral meals (to avoid the sodium in the regular meals).
Have a great trip and let us know how it goes for you and your family.
#30
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Since the thread is still active...
how does one experiment with different remedies? I'd love to try out the remedies a few times, to see which work for me. Has anyone 'practiced' from home?
My biggest problem seems to be nights 1, 2 and 3 once in Europe. I can go and go all day, but lie awake at night, and then am a bear in the morning...
I have been to Europe three times - 1. in HS, too young to know the difference.
2. Honeymoon, I think all the drinking & late nights up to the flight allowed me to sleep on the plane, but I had a terrible time days 2 and 3 in Italy.
3. Ireland - again, had no problems on landing and staying up day 1, but nights 1, 2 and 3 I could not get on schedule and paid the price in the mornings.
how does one experiment with different remedies? I'd love to try out the remedies a few times, to see which work for me. Has anyone 'practiced' from home?
My biggest problem seems to be nights 1, 2 and 3 once in Europe. I can go and go all day, but lie awake at night, and then am a bear in the morning...
I have been to Europe three times - 1. in HS, too young to know the difference.
2. Honeymoon, I think all the drinking & late nights up to the flight allowed me to sleep on the plane, but I had a terrible time days 2 and 3 in Italy.
3. Ireland - again, had no problems on landing and staying up day 1, but nights 1, 2 and 3 I could not get on schedule and paid the price in the mornings.
#31
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We always use No Jet Lag on our return flights from USA/Canada to UK (no need on the way out excitement carries us through!) and find it really works for us. We have used it on about 5 occassions over the past three years and now reccommend it to everyone.
#32
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We, too, have used NoJetLag (a New Zealand product, also available through Magellan's) on several long flights. It works well for me, although my husband finds it less effective. I think you have to follow the directions precisely for it to be most effective; you need to take it quite often (every hour or so?) throughout your flight, except when you're sleeping. A good pillow or cushion for the plane is also essential!
#33
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As others have said... once on the plane, set your clock to the destination time. That is what time it is... do try to sleep on the plane. I find even light sleep or napping helps a lot. (Common and good advice is to avoid alchol, but I find ONE glass of wine helps). The important part, is when you land use the local time and don't beat yourself over the head with time of when you left. I always use the first couple of hours to check out the area around my hotel, grab a coffee (if its morning.. ie befor 10:00 AM and add details to my next day(s) plans and search for a place for dinner that evening (early on this one). I go to bed early, (shortly after dinner) and plan to wake early the next day. The objective is 10 hours of sleep. I usually don't have a problem.. and jet lag is gone. The important part.. forget about about what time it is at home and get yourself into the local time schedule whille you are on the plane.
#34
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Jet lag isn't about lack of sleep, nor is it about sleeping patterns.
Jet lag is about time zones.
There are biochemicle processes that occur within certain cells in your body which take 24 hours to complete from beginning to end with a 1 hour variance for adjustment.
This biological process are what make you feel like you should be awake or asleep. The process is supposed to start at first light. This is a reference point from which the process can adjust itself by no more than 1 hour per day.
If you are taking a long haul flight between London and Brisbane, there is a 10 hour time difference. To completely get over the jet lag will therefore take 10 days. However, when the bioclock is only out by a few hours you won't notice it anywhere near as much so in reality, you'll be ok after 6 or 7 days.
There are drugs you can get to help get over jetlag. You'd have to take them during the 7 dat period in the above example.
Many people tend to compare jet lag to shift work. These are two very different things.
Jet lag is about time zones.
There are biochemicle processes that occur within certain cells in your body which take 24 hours to complete from beginning to end with a 1 hour variance for adjustment.
This biological process are what make you feel like you should be awake or asleep. The process is supposed to start at first light. This is a reference point from which the process can adjust itself by no more than 1 hour per day.
If you are taking a long haul flight between London and Brisbane, there is a 10 hour time difference. To completely get over the jet lag will therefore take 10 days. However, when the bioclock is only out by a few hours you won't notice it anywhere near as much so in reality, you'll be ok after 6 or 7 days.
There are drugs you can get to help get over jetlag. You'd have to take them during the 7 dat period in the above example.
Many people tend to compare jet lag to shift work. These are two very different things.
#35
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I have used melatonin and Ambien and neither did anything for me. I also can't sleep on planes, even when I'm flying in business class. When I fly longhaul on business to attend a conference, I always arrive a day or two early so I can rest and recover (when I fly from Germany to Chicago, for example, my favorite way to spend the first night is eat a light room service dinner at 5:30 pm, change into PJs by 7 pm, watch TV in bed, and zonk out by 9--the next day I feel great).
I remember those long flights from PDX to Europe. What worked best for my husband and I was to walk around in the fresh air for an hour or so after checking into the hotel, do no major tourist activities the first day, eat lightly the first night (salads, soup, nothing heavy and only a little wine but lots of water with dinner) and simply go to bed early (9 pm at the latest) and get a full night's sleep.
My brother in law travels frequently on business to far flung destinations (rural China, northern Norway, Africa) and he asked his physician what the best cure for jet lag was. The answer: sleep.
I remember those long flights from PDX to Europe. What worked best for my husband and I was to walk around in the fresh air for an hour or so after checking into the hotel, do no major tourist activities the first day, eat lightly the first night (salads, soup, nothing heavy and only a little wine but lots of water with dinner) and simply go to bed early (9 pm at the latest) and get a full night's sleep.
My brother in law travels frequently on business to far flung destinations (rural China, northern Norway, Africa) and he asked his physician what the best cure for jet lag was. The answer: sleep.
#36
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Message: While I've never really had much practical experience with this, scientific studies have shown that the best possible way to get rid of jet lag the fastest is to expose yourself to as much sunlight as possible. So I suppose what that means is, go ahead and do all the outdoor activitiers that you were planning on the first day itself, and avoid being indoors, say in a museum, or theatre.
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