TRSW

I suffer from severe sleep apnea (use a BiPap) and was wondering if any fellow sufferers have any advice on how to deal with not being able to use your machine on the plane? My travel time from Seattle to Venice is 20 hours, and will need to get some sleep at some point. I arrive at 10am Venice time.

This will be my first trip to Italy. So should I just suck it up, get some poor sleep, and survive the first day on pure adrenaline? Any tips and advice are greatly appreciated.

Thanks - Tom

delor

Tom
This is a problem that only your doctor can remedy.

LoveItaly

Hi Tom, are you sure that you will be travelling 20 hours. I ask that as I know that you will be flying from Seattle and when I fly to Venice I fly from San Francisco.

Even with delays (except for the one flight when I was stuck at the Amsterdam airport due to the Air Controllers in Italy going on an eight hour strike) the longest I am travelling is from 4:00 pm (the time the flight leaves SFO) and arriving in Venice no later than 4:00pm the next day in Venice. However, there is a 9
hour difference in our US west coast time versus the time in Italy so when it is 4:00pm in Italy it is only 7:00am US west coast time. Which means 15 hours not 20 hours of flight time. Now I know that 15 hours is long but if you think about it most of us are awake for 15 hours at at time. Of course flying across the Atlantic takes more energy (getting to the airport, security lines etc.) then our normal day to day routine.

Again, Tom, when you state that your travel time from Seattle to Venice is 20 hours did you subtract the 9 hours difference in time?

Another thought. I have a dear friend who was born in Italy and came to CA when she and I were 14 years of age. She has the same problem that you do and needs to use the BiPap also. She does not have a problem flying from SFO to Rome.

Also, normally, I never am able to sleep on the flight from SFO to Italy (and I do love my sleep) and I do manage alright.

I would think you will be fine, I sure hope so! I wish you a beautiful time in Italy as you know. I do believe that in that this is your first flight to Italy you will be pleasantly surprised how well you survive the flight. I send you my best wishes.

Peteralan

And are you sure you cannot use it on the plane? Or is it that you feel a little embarrased to do so?

TRSW

delor - I talked with my doctor. He told me to not recline the seat and rest my head against the window. He said my body will be rather stiff and(kiddingly, I think) to buy 10 sets of earplugs for the passengers sitting near me!

LoveItaly, long time no hear.Yes, I did factor the 9 hour time difference. And as I get older, my math skills start to suffer. It is really only a little less than 18 & 1/2 hours. I leave at 7:40 am Seattle time. I have a 4 hour layover at JFK. Then I arrive at 10 am Venice time (1 am Seattle) So with having to catch the shuttle to SeaTac it is really closer to 21-22 hours. Do you have any suggestions on how to handle the jetlag? Should I take a nap after checking in? Or just a long hot shower and go til I drop? Does your friend have any suggestions?

Thanks - Tom

PS To LoveItaly,Tiff and Matt03 - I caved and bought a digatal camera for th trip. Oh the SHAME!!!

TRSW

Peteralan,

I am flying on Delta and they have no powerports to plug in to. I would rather look like a "freak" for some good, quality sleep, than being very fatiuged and walking around Venice like a zombie.

Tom

LoveItaly

Hi Tom, I was posting to you and suddenly Fodor's deleted my post. Don't know what that is all about.

Anyway, a digatel camera. I will get one eventually but the next film I will buy will be the B&W film you and Tiff and Matt03 told me about.

Tom, about jetlag. We are all so different. But here is my experiences (and also my friend that has the same sleep apnea that you do). This is not typical but I do not really get jet lag flying west to east. I get it flying east to west. Which means when I return home to the west coast it takes me a couple of days to feel normal (whatever that means, LOL).

When I arrive in Italy this is what I have always done. I take a hot shower and change clothes of course. I go outside and walk around. I have a cup or two of espresso. Oh, and on the plane I change my watch 9 hours ahead to the time in Italy and consequently "think" in that time zone if that makes sense.

I have found, after a couple of trips when I laid down to take a nap and woke up hours later that taking a nap does not work for me. But my late husband would take a 30 minute nap, making sure he set his alarm clock.

I don't eat very much on the flight. I do have a couple of glasses of wine.
When getting close to Italy the airline always serves coffee and I do drink that.

My friend does the exact same thing. She found that taking a long nap after arriving in Italy meant that she hardly slept that night (my problem also) and consequently had jet lag and felt terrible for several days.

While at JFK, do walk around Tom, excersise really does help! Drink lots of water also. That helps also.

I sure wish I would be in Venice when you were there. It would be fun to share a dinner together. I will be thinking of you. And please don't worry, you will be fine. The night of your arrival you will be able to use your machine and you will have a great sleep. Do NOT plan anything early the morning after you arrive in Venice. Sleep as late as you need to. After that you should feel back to normal.

Hugs to you, and best wishes for a beautiful time in Italy.

TRSW

LoveItaly,

Thanks for the tips. And I will be sure to drink a glass or to of wine for you while I am there.

Tom

ira

Hi Tom,

>So should I just suck it up, get some poor sleep, and survive the first day on pure adrenaline? <

That's what we do. we just keep going, albeit slowly, until bedtime. Just don't make any major purchases or operate heavy machinery.

Since this will be your first time in Venice, you will find plenty to keep you awake until bedtime.

Have a nice visit.

TRSW

Thanks ira :0

Tiff

Hi Tom,

I was thinking of you the other day when I typed a reply to a post stating how fast the time does indeed go by from the point of planning and booking to the actual departure date. October is right around the corner for you!

The digital, the digital, ha. It is pathetic, I know, for us old fashioned photographers, to loathe them so, but we do, ha. We are having battery issues right now with ours. We don’t know if it's the camera or the batteries or what! Ha. It is burning through batteries at a rapid rate. We have tried rechargeables, and regular ones, I don't know, I 'm afraid I have little patience for such things. :-?

I am surprised that Delta doesn't have some way to accommodate you and your BiPap. Have you spoken with them directly?

Good tips above, you are going to have such a glorious time. I can't wait to read your trip report, take good notes, k!

I am so exicted for you, Tiff \/

TRSW

Tiff,

Yes, I did speak to Delta. The only way to accommodate me would be to fly in bussiness class. And I dont have that kind of money. At least I have it in writing from them that the BiPap wont count against my carry-on total.

And yes, the time is really flying by now. I cant wait. Just 51 more days to go!!! And dont worry, I will take good notes.

Tom

crefloors

OK I confess, I snore, yes I do. Therefore there is no way in h--- I'm sleeping on an airplane, jaw agape, sawing those darn logs. So, for obviosly a different reason, I do similar to LoveItaly..I just don't sleep. My head nods over now and then and yea I'm really tired but I know I will sleep and I'm so excitied anyway, that the adreniline kicks in and keeps me going. So, you'll make it through. The one thing I do is go down to the Bay Area the night before so I can get a good nights sleep and my flights have all left in the late afternoon so I can get as good a nights sleep as possible the night before and had a relaxing day before having to hit the airport. I can stay at my brother's fortunately so I don't have the extra expense but I'd pay it if need be. So, if you can't use your equipment, hopefully you can get a good nights sleep the night before you leave and then tough it out if you have to. Remeber, you WILL get to Italy and you WILL sleep. NOT sleeping does help me get on to Europe time very quickly. It's hard flying from the west coast but it could be worse..Australia?..Yikes!!!!! So hang in there and have a fabulous trip..oh Venice..so wonderful.

TRSW

crefloors,

Luckily my vacation from work starts 3 days before I leave for Venice. So I will be well rested before I leave. Plus I have 5 days off before I have to go back to work when I get home.

Thank you to everybody for the tips and well wishes.

Tom

artlover

DH has sleep apnea (uses a CPap) and we live in Seattle. He takes No Jet Lag and it helps (can get it at most health food stores), but also, this is one of the reasons we try to fly into places like London or Amsterdam, which are direct flights from Seattle, and stay a few days before going on. Last time we stayed in Amsterdam both in and out of Italy and Spain and this seemed to help. Can you do this? I remember the first time we flew into Malaga from Seattle--OMG--we were so jonked! So, if you can change you ticket and rest a few days before going on to Venice, I'd say, go for it. To me, this is the only negative about living in Seattle.

Good luck.

cls2paris

hi - This might help - I will top a thread for you which is about bringing a c-pap machine on the trip but scroll through it and someone mentions a small portable sleep apnea machine. (Sorry I don't know how to capture the url for a thread).