How does one survive jet lag
 

Hi,

Coming from the part of the world that I stay in I often have to take long distance flights to Europe, and jet lag hits me really bad. I am unable to recover for almost a week. I have erratic sleep patterns and when I try to fight it I feel extremely tired and drained out.

I was wondering if all you veteran travelers had figured out a way of getting around it?

I am just back after a long flight and still reeling under the after effects ):!

I really have no idea and am suffering from this myself right now after returning from South Korea three days ago. BUT I just read a story that dried cherries are the latest aid in combatting jet lag; you eat a handful for every time zone you have passed. As soon as I get up the energy, I may go and buy some!


http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/04/08...scherries.html

The best way (which I totally realize is utterly impractical for most people) is to break up the trip into shorter legs.

From Phoenix to Köln, we stopped for an overnight in New York, and it made all the difference.

Crossing the ocean, I have been most comfortable on a ship, where I had five days to reset my body clock for five time zones.

the thing I've done all my life is to get on destination time the day before. Works perfectly for me.

Before you leave, start going to bed earlier and getting up earlier. This gets your body acclimatized to your destination. I can usually get 2-4 hrs by doing this.

On the plane..sleep (if you can), Temptation is to watch movies, eat meals, have coffee,snacks, etc..Don't. Maybe have the meal after takeoff (no wine or coffee), then sleep till morning. Drink plenty of water. I usually put on a headset and program for nice background music.

On landing.. no naps. Full day, bed at normal local time. Next day, I feel almost normal.

When you arrive, don't go to bed until sunset.

Hi Ajni:
I am glad you asked because I was hoping for a new trick to try.
I may just try Mimi's idea of adjusting to destination time one day in advance. I have to work a full day the day before.maybe I can leave early hehe..

Welcome back Ekscrunchy hope you had a good trip. I am sure of all the foods linked to a jet lag cure, cherries are near the top of your list. no?

I was planning on a couple of Tylenol PM on the plane but just found out that Tylenol PM has Benedryl in it so now I am hesitant to take a couple on the plane as I have enough trouble with jet lag as it is. Maybe a little conac...I know liquor is supposed to be bad but..better than stratbucks.

ana maria

Hi, I'm not a seasoned traveler across time zones, however I did travel to Italy from the USA and upon our arrival the next day (did not sleep much on the plane since it would only have been 12 midnight when we arrived) arrived at 8AM and we were told by our guide NOT to nap or sleep until that night. By 6PM Rome time I was exhausted and still had to go to dinner. After dinner we returned to the hotel and I was in bed by 10PM the first day. The next morning I was fine and never felt jet lag the next 16 days. Returning to the USA we left at 10AM Rome time and arrived home 9PM. So that was great because I felt like it was a normal day. I think they tell you not to sleep the day of arrival until bedtime. Worked for me. P.S. Only napped on the 12 hour flight over.

It is hard to get AROUND it, but it is not hard to get OVER it quickly.

It is easier to go to sleep later than earlier. If I arrive at destination at 8am and go to sleep at 3pm because it is past my home time, I would continue to need to go to sleep at 3pm the next day and so on.

I force myself to stay up until 9pm on arrival day. By the time I wake up the next day at 6am, I am synchronized to the local time.

I agree with Greg. Stay up till 9p.m on arrival day ...

Steve

has anyone used melatonin? if so, how much and how'd it work for you?

I travel frequently..about 2 trips/month to Europe, Middle East or Far East. Tricks I have learned..know yourself! I have learned to sleep on planes and have been known to sleep on chairs in airports. I have a "lounge card" for a number of airlines BUT even if you dont, there are a number of airports that you can pay to use a lounge- Heathrow and Hong Kong for sure. If you have a couple of hours use them and sleep. If I have an important meeting, I never arrive the day of but rather the day before. Unlike others, I often arrive (ex E coast to Europe), find my hotel check in have lunch and nap. I am up by around 4pm or 5 walk for a few hours have a late dinner and go to sleep. I never usually fully adapt as my trips are usually less than a week when I am on business. As a rule of thumb, it is said that it takes 1 day per time zone to fully get over jet lag. I have tried melatonen and it seemed to help. I cant try changing my internal clock before I leave as I have very little notice of a trip and when I do, I am usually working late to get things organized at the office and at home. In summary, I think there are a lot of tricks I have learned, but I am afraid sometimes I just have to "suck it up" and deal with a little fatigue.

ekscrunchy:

”BUT I just read a story that dried cherries are the latest aid in combatting jet lag.”

My wife read that article and promptly bought me dried cherries from a health food store in anticipation of my imminent trip to Paris. Very tasty. Excellent in a salad with some chopped almonds. I may actually finish them before the trip.

Which may be wise, because I’m wondering if this rather unusual antidote to jet lag will be seen as a threat to airport screeners and confiscated. I have metal in one leg, and I already set off enough alarms when I go through the security check.

I don't believe there are any tricks that work for everyone. I think simply that some people are more prone to jet lag than others. Just like some people get motion sickness while other do not.

I can't sleep on planes and always have a difficult time with time changes. There is no watch setting trick that can fool me -lol! heck, I get confused when we set the clocks 1-hour difference for daylight savings time.

me too!

We take Ambien on long international flights - arrive refreshed without jet lag, but often starving.
M

VeeBee, melatonin is my solution. It's function is essentially resetting the body clock. When you take it you sleep for 8 hours.

Concerning the dosage, that varies from person to person. Some people will take 3mg and feel groggy. Some people will take 3mg and not sleep at all. You can read a lot about it online.

Side Effect? "Vivid Dreams". Some people's dreams are vivid enough that they decide that they would rather have jet leg. For me it just means I remember them very well!

I don't know, maybe I'm just totally hyper but jetlag doesn't bother me. When I fly west from Switzerland to Boston to visit my family, I am so excited to see everyone that I stay up until about 10:00 and then crash. Inevitably I wake up around 2:00 OR 3:00 a.m. but just start opening all my lovely eBay and Amazon purchases and start reading until dawn when I get up and have breakfast with my parents.

Then when flying east from Boston to Switzerland I often go right to the office and work after passing out boxes of Dunkin Donuts and Oreos, two things my Swiss colleagues love. Maybe I am not as productive as usual but I work until closing time, go home, have dinner and seem to adjust within a day.

thanks for melatonin input.. would love to hear more.. I travel int'l for biz a few times a yr - and use Tylenol PM - but this trip will be my family with 3 small kids and i don't think knocking myself out completely with Tylenol PM is a good solution. I've been researching online and even considering very small dose for kids ...OK, hopefully that won't get anyone in an uproar.. but has shown to be very effective in small control groups with kids. Jetlag does bother me tremendously flying to Europe and Asia.. and with kids - that could just be a nightmare in and of itself!!

Be careful about melatonin use. Check with your doctor. Can exacerbate underlying depression and/or cause nightmares!

For me, the best thing is to stay up at least until 8 or 9 on arrival day. Keep busy and outside in natural light the day you arrive too. But don't do anything you actually want to remember clearly that day!

Case in point: Last week I took my sister to Holland. She'd never dealt with jetlag before and she made it until about 6 p.m. before she decided she "had" to crash. So she did. I sat in the hotel lobby and used their internet and read until 8:00. Then I went to bed. She woke me, all rested and ready to start the day, at 11:30 p.m. the same day. She was "off" the second day we were there too, but forced herself to stay up until 10 p.m. that day to catch up. She was fine thereafter.

My problem is usually coming home. For about a week I'm up anywhere from 3 to 5 a.m. I just force myself to stay in bed until at least 6:30 a.m. and stay up at least until 9:30 p.m. I found this time though that getting out in bright sunlight has helped me adapt more quickly.

Going TO Europe is fine with me - I just go to bed the same time everyone else does in that country. I am unable to sleep on flights. However, I have terrible chronic insomnia so that first night is key - I always take a prescription sleeping pill.

But returning FROM Europe is what does me in. It takes me several days to get over it. Melatonin and Ambien make absolutely no difference to me but then I am used to strong sleeping pills.

Like someone suggested, check with your doctor.

Go to Europe on the latest flight you can. Then you can sleep at your normal sleeping time. This minimizes jet lag.

I take 2 Tylenol P.M. when they start boarding. By the time I get to my seat I am drowsy. I know you're supposed to pass on the alcohol, but I don't. I drink lots & lots of water. Plus, ever since a lost day in Rome when the flight excasperated my head cold, I make a deal with myself that if I am dragging on arrival I get to take a taxi to my first destination instead of struggling with train/bus thru the fog of jet lag.

Doesn't the label on your Tylenol bottle prohibit the simultaneous use of alcohol?

Isn't ignoring sound medical advice...stupid?

Sometimes, one Tylenol PM (Tylenol with 25 milligrams of BENADRYL) is enough. For some people, two pills creates a paradoxical response, and results in jitteriness and restlessness. Once again, discuss with your doctor, and do a trial run with any medication before you go. You can also simply use over-the-counter (generic) benadryl, like the CVS brand.

R- "stupid" is a little harsh, I'll assume you were concerned, since you're usually so helpful an I was too brief. I don't mix Tylenol P.M. & the alcohol. Some say skip alcohol the entire 1st day. I may drink something 8-10 hours later with my meal on arrival. Or, if I meet people, don't want to sleep & don't take the tylenol, I will take wine on the plane.

We are expats in the Middle EAst and fly to the USA twice a year...an 8 hour time difference...with 3 little boys! It usually takes 3 days for all of us to kick jet lag. I think the little boys are the key. They stay awake during the day, because its day, and we stay awake with them. We have had moments of people literally falling asleep in their dinner or finding someone asleep with a video game controller in their hand, but they mostly keep on going.

We have friends who use Ambien and other sleep aids. It seems to take them a week to kick jet lag.

I do think everyone is different. In regular, everyday, non-jetlag life non of us are really big sleepers. If I take a nap it is usually 15-20 min. long. During jetlag I try to limit naps to 45 min long, but have had times I've slept 3 hours and regretted it.

Seems to us the busier, more active we are the first 3 days the better. Sitting at a desk if probably the tough part!

Good luck and please post any miracle cures!!!
KatyBelle

I've been to Europe more that 2 dozen times and the KEY is to not get dehydrated. Most people get dehydrated on the plane but don't realize it. The cabin humidity is like a desert. Drink lots of water. It's imperative! I also started using Ambien about 4 or 5 trips ago and I actually get some sleep now. I also don't sleep until bed time on my arrival day and I use Ambien the first and second nights in Europe so I will stay asleep.

It seems that one of the standard replies to the how to avoid jet lag question is to avoid alcohol. I go the other way.

In addition to taking the latest flight available I have a few beverages on board. Before dinner I have a couple of vodkas. I always order pasta for dinner and a demi of wine. After dinner I order a brandy. Next thing I know I'm waking up in Amsterdam, refreshed and ready to hit the bricks. Works for me.

Thanks everyone for your responses. Will try a few things suggested by you, and will report how we fare. My wife and I are taking a trip again in June.

Hope will adjust better this time!

please beware that for some, Tylenol PM type products have the opposite effect (as mentioned by one person above) and makes people overly jittery and alert. for me that would be an absolutely nightmare on a flight. anything you are interested in, try at home, before the trip.

i swear by an anti-anxiety type prescription for flights and attempted sleep like valium or xanax. that was my own doc's recommendation.