Jet Lag advice??
 

This will be our first trip to England from the States. Our flight leaves at 6 pm and we arrive there at 6 am. What would you suggest we do upon arriving that first day? How horribly tired will we feel? Any and all advice is greatly appreciated! Thank you!

Get as much sunlight as possible early in the first day.

Ellen, <BR>You will probably feel a little disoriented and tired but excited at being in another country! I'd suggest a fairly easy day, go straight to your hotel, have a shower and breakfast then do a double-decker red bus sightseeing tour where you can just sit and stare at the sights. You will be tired, but this will give you your bearings on where things are and you can go back and re-visit things properly in the next few days. After that maybe have a walk,an early dinner and an early night. <BR>I'd recommend not going to bed when you first arrive as your body needs time to re-align itself to the new timezone in the UK. <BR>When my husband and I travel overseas we are usually wide awake at 3am for a couple of nights which is a pain, but we read maps and guidebooks and plan the day ahead! <BR>Kay

Even if you are able to sleep some during the flight, you will feel tired when you arrive, but also exhilirated by your new experience. Use the exhiliration to sight see and stay awake as long as you can the first day. A bit of straining the first day will hasten rotation to the new time, in my experience,

Short-acting sleeping pills have saved me from misery. I'm one of those who can't sleep when I'm too tired, and I lie awake for hours on both sides of the Atlantic and take days to get over jet lag. No problems since I started taking Halcion. Ambian is another. They only last about 6 hours, so you don't wake feeling groggy, but they get you through the wee hours when you tend to lie awake. Only take them 3 nights (I take a half dose). With a truly good night's sleep, you feel sooo, much better, and it's easier to adjust. I know some will probably recommend against prescription sleeping pills, but if I don't take them, I end up sick. My husband takes Tylenol p.m., which works for him. My kids take benedryl, but it can make some kids hyper.

I agree with the medicine boost. Except we take Benadryl the first night to help us sleep, then have Advils available for the inevitable groggy headache the next day. Not from the Benadryl, but from not enough sleep.

I am also going the sleeping pill route. My Dr gave me a prescription for Ambian yesterday. He suggested I try it before we go to see if I need 1/2 or a whole pill. <BR> <BR>I am never able to sleep on planes and know that I will be a wreck for days if I don;t sleep the way over. <BR> <BR>Suzy

I probably shouldn't even comment as i never get jet lagged, but my poor husband suffers greatly. Mainly because he won't listen to me! No matter how little sleep I've had on the plane, I go out into the sun , however little there might be, as soon as we reach our hotel. Take a nice walk, look at the sights, etc. I can almost guarantee your hotel room will not be available till after 1 PM , so leave your baggage at the reception, freshen up as best you can in the Ladies, and get outdors. The bus tour sounds fine if you've never been to London before. You can scope out the places you want to go back to later and get the lay of the land. have a nice lunch and by then your room should be ready. Unpack, shower, a short nap , and early dinner and you should be set forthe next day. <BR>I finally got MH to do this on the last trip instead of falling asleep in the lobby and he couldn't believe how much better he felt. <BR> <BR>Now if someone has a cure for jet lag on the reurn trip I'll take any advice given as that is when I get it. don't know if it's jet lag or i can't face allthat dirty laundry!! <BR> <BR>One more note , if you do go the Ambien, halcion route Please do not drink any alcohol on the plane or while waiting for your flight, the combo is potentially lethal!

Dear Ellen <BR> <BR>I have read the postings above and I am a little concerned at the need for medications to help one with jet lag. WE have traveled to Great Britain and we are leaving for Germany in two days.I have done some pretty extensive research on jet lag and the ways to best address it. And it works. <BR>1) If at all possible try to readjust your sleeping patterns a few days before you leave ie. going to bed earlier and gradually adjusting your internal time clock (circadian rhythmn)closer to the time of your country of destination. <BR>2) Don't put unnecessary chemicals in your body (meds). They can leave you drowsy and worse you do not know how your body is going to react to these meds (sleeping pills) unless you have used them before. <BR>3) Go to your local health food store if you want something to help you relax and sleep on the plane and get some 1 mg Melatonin pills. These are a natural occurring hormone in the body that helps you relax and sleep and it helps to reset the internal time clock and allow the bodies system a more smooth transition to the time change. <BR>4)Get your self an eye mask and ear plugs (this will help you to phase out the people and things that could be distracting to your ability to sleep on the plane). <BR>5) Don't drink alcohol or caffine on your flight. Drink plenty of water (bring your own if necessary). Alcohol will only raise your body temperature and make you feel bad. Caffine products will make it harder to rest because of its stimulation effects on the nervous system. <BR>6) Wash your face with water, to refresh your self as needed. <BR>7) Get up and walk around while awake to help promote circulation (buy some mild pressure stockings if your feet and legs swell) wear them on your long flights. <BR>8) Eat plenty of fruits and veggies. In general "be good to yourself". <BR>9)Remove your contacts. The air on these long flights are very drying to the eyes. <BR>10) If all goes well try to sleep on the plane. When you arrive in England the next day stay up until its bedtime in your new time zone. If this does not work respond to what your body tells you to do (take a small nap and rest if needed). <BR>If your hotel is in the general location to some interesting sights walk there and get your circulation going. And above all have a good, safe time in England. <BR> <BR>Peace, Robbie <BR>

I too have read all postings and agree with JODY. This is exactly what my husband and I did first day in Paris. After 8:00 dinner we went to bed at midnight or so and awoke at 6:30 for a 7:30 train to Dijon. Our jet lag was hardly noticable and within 2 days not evident at all. First day hardest where you must fight your body to stay up, but getting to sleep close to your normal time helps set your new pattern. Have a nice trip!

I find "Travel Pillow" really help me to have good sleep when flying coach. Good sleep does reduce the effect of Jet Lag. I never eat airline food(or any solid food) when fly eastbond,only drink plenty of juice and water. Half an hour before landing,I will have some fresh fruit(brough in carry-on) to fresh me up. I could almost hit the ground running.

So far, the best way to avoid jet lag I've found is: <BR> <BR>1) Take a mild sleeping pill on the eastbound trip. Try to get as much sleep as possible on your way there. <BR> <BR>2) Do go to your hotel to freshen up, but resist the temptation of taking a nap. In my case, at least, it is not a regular 30 minute light nap that makes you feel better... it is immediate deep sleep. The times I've tried it, I wake up feeling very tired and disoriented, and then have a very hard time trying to sleep at night. <BR> <BR>3) The later you go to bed the first day, the better (but have a light dinner). You'll have an easier time falling asleep and you'll be tired enough to sleep for at least your normal hours.

advice about sleeping pill called halcion- there is no question that it works but some people are very susectable to this drug and can be gorked for 12-24 hrs on a normal dose. advise take 1 or 2 test doses at home before using this drug on a trip

My wife and I drink a lot of water on the plane, try to nap by listening to our CD players, and then take a 2-3 hour nap once we arrive. There is nothing worse than sightseeing when you are exhausted. I know this is contrary to what others are saying but it always works for us! We feel much better, and then follow a regular routine. <BR>Fred

Having lived in a military community, full of people who do a lot of traveling over one "pond" or the other, I've found there are three types of people. The first are those who never have jet lag. (I was married to one of those; he could never understand mine.) <BR> <BR>The second are those who get jet lag when they go from west to east, i.e., from America to Europe. <BR> <BR>The third are those who get jet lag when they go from east to west, like from Europe to America. These seem to be in the majority. <BR> <BR>I'm in the last category and don't have much problem going to Europe. (One of the lesser reasons it is my favorite area to visit, maybe?) I've found that if I take a nap on the plane, I'll still be a little tired my first day, but am able to stay up till a reasonable hour, add sunlight and a fairly easy day, and then I'm OK the rest of my trip. And this works for most people. Coming home is another story! (Jody, I sympathize with you; know exactly how you feel--and no, it's not the laundry). I can only get through it by forcing myself to stay awake till normal bedtime (I find exercise or taking a walk helps keep me awake). This shortens the recovery time to 2-3 days, vs. a week. I have found that sleeping pills just make me groggy and I don't enjoy ANYTHING. <BR> <BR>But an earlier post on this topic recommended a product called Jetlag, available at airports. I'm going to try it on my next trip. Surprised nobody has recommended it already on this thread. Has anybody out there tried it? Does it really work?

Hi Ellen, I agree completely with Ellen - one of those hop-on/hop-off double decker bus tours is the perfect way to spend your first day in London after the long flight over. I also arrived at 6am all the way from Australia, went & dropped my luggage off at the hotel, had a strong coffee & something to eat & then just hopped on for the entire circuit of the bus tour - it was a great way to get oriented & to plan the rest of my stay & also relax. I may be just fortunate not to get jet lag but what works for me is plenty of water & no alcohol on flights & then staying up till night time at your destination rather than napping which I personally think compunds the problem. Have fun!

I'd skip the meds. Whatever you do just dont sleep your way through that first day. Stay awake and until its good and dark.

Hi Ellen <BR>VERY IMPORTANT - I travel from UK to South Africa and Australia and have NEVER had jet lag problems. <BR>You must get some sleeping pills for your flight - you can buy Herbal sleeping pills from any herbalist store/health store. <BR>When you arrive, get to your hotel, unpack, shower and freshen up, then head off to a coffee shop or cafe and get yourself a HUGE glass of freshly squeezed juice and then top up with an expresso. <BR>DO NOT - repeat, DO NOT go to sleep until normal time of UK, that is, do not go to sleep until approx, 9pm or after UK time. <BR>Don't think about what time it is in the US, just carry on UK time. <BR>Likewise when you arrive back in US, DO NOT go to sleep until evening time.

We left US at 7:00pm arrived in London 7:00am. Checked into hotel, showered, relaxed for a hal hour or so and went walking about 11:00am. A tour bus would also probably do the trick. We have been to London before so we just explored the neighborhood, did a little shopping, found atm's, checked out pubs and restaurants etc. Took a ride on the tube to reaquaint ourselves with the system, had dinner about 7:00pm and were in bed about 9-9:30p. Had no further adjustments to make. We like to walk and maybe the "fresh air" helped us from being too sleepy.

US to Europe: <BR> <BR>Do not, under any circumstances, sleep the first day. If you are a person who takes naps, then maybe a few hours in the morning. No more. Otherwise you delay your body's adaptation to the time zone. I made the mistake of lying down once and slept for 7 hours, was late to dinner, and my whole trip was ruined. <BR> <BR>The shower helps (if you get in your room). And water on the plane. <BR> <BR>I enjoy walking a lot the first day to take my mind off the tiredness. YMMV. <BR> <BR>

One of my favorite things to do on arrival is to ask the manager of the hotel/b&b/hostel for the name of a good hair salon and then go get my hair washed and cut -- you end up clean, papmpered, refreshed, relaxed, and feeling soooo much better than when you first stumble, groggy and sticky, from the plane.

Thank you, one and all, for your feedback and advice! I'm really looking forward to our trip now -- and am certain we'll be able to handle the time transition......I won't even CALL it jet lag! lol Thanks, again!

I disagree with the "don't go to sleep" advice. I regularly travel to Europe. I find I am really tired by 4 pm their time and take a short nap, making sure I tell my hotel to give me a wakeup call at 6 pm. I then get dressed, have dinner close by and go to bed early. When I wake up the second day my body clock seems to be right on European time. The trick is to "take a nap" not snooze for 7 hours.

Don't barf in Westminster Abbey! <BR>Actually, the nice deacon took my wife to a private restroom before she was sick, so she was OK. No embarrassment... they let her lie down for a few minutes on the bench/pew, too. <BR>Thank You, Westminsterites.

I just arrived home from an eleven day trip to London. We also took a 6pm flight and arrived in London at 6am. I followed the advice to take a tour bus ride, We took the "Big Bus" tours-great experience. We could hop off when we wanted. We had breakfast with coffee, and managed to last a whole (ok,somewhat abbreviated) day. We did have several episodes of nodding off on the boat ride from Tower pier to Westminster pier(which is part of the bus tour!) We had an early dinner, and called it a day. We were right on London time the next day!

we perfer to not sleep during the day. whatever time you arrive, insert yourself into the local timeframe and carry on. even if you go to bed a little early the first nite, get up reasonably early the next day and go. it only takes us 1 day to acclimate to the new atmosphere

We are going to Italy in June with Trafalgar Tours. We booked our airfare through them and paid for it before we actually had papers in hand as to the schedule, so it cannot be changed. We are leaving Cleveland on Saturday at 1 p.m. in the afternoon, arriving in Detroit with a 4-hour layover, flying on to Amsterdam with a 2-hour layover and then on to Rome where we will have to wait for the 3 p.m. Trafalgar transfer (this will be Sunday afternoon ... 26 hours later!) Any suggestions on our sleeping patterns?

topping

We are firm believers in "no jet lag" pills. On a company business trip to the Orient from the east coast, my husband and a co-worker were the only ones out of a group of 25 that took the no jet lag. They took a short nap upon arrival went to bed at about 10 PM the first night. They awaoke at 5:30 AM and they were the only two that showed up for the 8AM meeting. Everyone else dragged around for days, and there was lots of social stuff-not a lot of work.<BR><BR>We now all take it in our family. my sister and her family travel extensively, and they love the product too. <BR><BR>You must follow the directios and take while you are traveling. You can let no more than 4 hours pass without taking one. We set alarms so we do not sleep mess up the pattern.<BR><BR>on our last trip my daughter would not take them because she does not like to take medicine. We have pictures of her sleeeping all over London. the rest of us were just having a great time.<BR><BR>Gppd luck<BR><BR>PS they even help with the back end of the trip. You're still tired, but you do not feel like it's the middle of the night when its broad daylight.<BR><BR>

As a frequent traveler from NY to UK, I disagree with those who recommend sleeping pills for your flight. No matter how you slice it, the jaunt across the pond is relatively short so you won't get much sleep anyway; sleeping aids will only make you more groggy on arrival. <BR>When you get to your hotel, you will no doubt be feeling a bit draggy. Take a shower to revive and perhaps tea or coffee for an added jolt. Then get out into the fresh air!!! A nice lunch, followed by an afternoon of sight-seeing via hop-on/hop-off bus will recharge your batteries. I promise you, the excitement of seeing the very sights you traveled here for will greatly offset sleep deprivation.<BR>Your main goal is to STAY AWAKE until it's a 'resonable' bedtime (for me, no earlier than 9 p.m.) One good sleep cycle is generally all you need to re-set your body clock to the new time zone.

You'll be excited the first day so just get out and see some things. Don't stay up too terribly late the first night and just sleep until you wake up refreshed the next day (no matter how late in the morning that might be). It might cut off some time on your second day, but I always find it's worth it because I'm refreshed and feeling great for the remainder of the trip.<BR>

I've been to Europe numerous times, and the only thing that's worked for me is to take a 2-hour nap as soon as I get there (so far, every hotel has been able to take me in at 9 AM for no extra charge), then get up, shower, and head out for lunch. If I'm still tired late in the day, and want to go out at night, I take a second 2-hour nap. By the next day, I'm totally fine! <BR><BR>There was one time I arrived in Vienna at 2 PM because of delays...it screwed up everything. I was so wired from trying to stay awake on the layover that I couldn't nap, nor could I sleep that night or for the next 5 nights! <BR><BR>If only I could sleep on a plane...I envy people who can. Last year I went from NY to Thailand, a 24-hour ordeal, and didn't sleep a wink on the plane in either direction! Luckily we arrived there at night, so I could go right to sleep once I got there.