Jet lag, any tips?
 

Any suggestions on how to deal with jet lag? What about prevention, or is that not possible? I have an upcoming trip to Italy and I'm concerned, especially due to a medical condition I have.

I researched some of the posts regarding jet lag, but most are without any real suggestions on how to cope with the effects, or eliminate them completely.

Thanks for your help.

Happy trails,
Aranda

Hello aranda, well I would say get organzied, take care of financial matters (calling your credit card companies, bank atm card companies) in advance to advise that you will be in Europe for those certain dates. Anything you can do in advance should be taken care of.

Figure out what you will be packing. Be packed and all organized two days before your trip.

That way you should elimiate a lot of last minute stress which IMO can add to jetlag.

Try to get proper rest and sleep and healthy food before the flight, taking care of yourself is a good thing to do always but especially before a trip.

I would also talk to your doctor since you have a medical condition, perhaps your doctor will have some good advice.

And don't overplan your intinerary for your trip. Give yourself "downtime" while on your trip. And personally I would not schedule anything for the day you arrive or the day after. That will give you time to recover from the flight.

Best wishes to you that you have a healthy and fun trip!

If you're flying from the east coast, look at one of the daytime flights that leave NY, BOS or WAS around 8-9 AM, arrive in London at 8-9 PM. Many people find that helps enormously in minimizing jetlag.

Otherwise, the body adapts to around one hour of time change per day, so 6-9 hrs time difference requires around a week. That said, many people get over jetlag quicker.

You can try to pre-condition yourself by going to bed an hour earlier every night and getting up an hour earlier the next morning, again for a week or so. If you're able to sleep this way, then you can trick your body to some degree. Have to admit this is hopeless in my case, but it works for several relatives.

You can also google "SAD" (Seasonal Affective Disorder) and see what the boffins are suggesting. Bright lights etc. may help.

I think you dn't find any posts on how to "eliminate them completely" because there aren't any!! I mean this most kindly, but jet lag is jet lag, there's no way around it. It hits some people worse than it does others. And effects some people more going to Europe and others more on their return home.

To ease the situation, I allow 3-4 days in my first city with no plans and just kick back and let my body adjust, sleeping and eating when I feel the need as I adjust to local time and get over the plane ride.

I also have a prescription from my doctor for sleep that I use the first few nights to try to get my body onto the local time. That helps the most.

My health was poorly both years I traveled to Italy from the U.S.A(surgery and other health problems). I walked to the bathroom every hour or so to stretch me legs. I drank water and took an allergy pill to keep my sinus's clear and my muscles loose. This helped a great deal. It will be o.k. When you get to Italy do not go to the hotel and rest. Wait until about 6 or 7 PM then go to sleep. This helps a great deal. If you go to sleep right away when you get to Italy then you will have problems. You need to let your body adjust. Have a wonderful time.

I don't get much sleep on planes, so for me, it's like pulling an all-nighter.Whenever we fly over to Europe, we take naps throughout the day we arrive, alternating with getting up and going for a walk around the neighbour and getting a bite to eat. As soon as we arrive at our hotel, we have a shower, then hit the sack. It really does wonders.

> What about prevention

The only prevention is to not travel.

The body clock system (there's more than one clock, though they are largely synchonised off a master clock) is quite complex and there's no way to trick it into sudden adjustments.

You can minimise some of the effects by following the advice offered above, but what works for one individual may have no efficacy at all for another. So,in general you just have to go with the actual flow in your situation.

Cheers,

Bill

I thoroughly disagree with the advice not to take a nap. I take a nap. When my body is screaming for sleep, I sleep. I don't force myself to stay up.

Overnight flights to Italy are tough because you arrive so early, you can't get into a hotel room, but you can usually get in by noon. I usually sleep for about 2 to 4 hours.

You may find that when you arrive, the excitement of being abroad kicks in and you'd rather be out walking about and seeing things.

Just play it by ear.

Get as much sleep as you can (that is, don't go for long periods without it). Start sleeping and eating in accordance with the time zone at your destination as soon as you get on the plane. Don't go to sleep before 9 PM at your destination on your first day if you can possibly avoid it. If you get up in the middle of the night, try to go back to sleep.

Even if you get a burst of energy upon arrival, you may still feel disoriented the first day. A lot of my visitors say that they find Paris unremarkable on their first day, and then the next day it seems wonderful. The reason is first-day jet lag; even if it doesn't make you sleepy, it can make you feel odd without realizing it.

Many years ago I read a story about a NASA study where they spent millions of taxpayers money researching the best cure for jet lag, which then they didn't publish. The reason? They found the best cure for jet lag was to have sex when you arrive at your destination, and preferably with a local person. If you think about this, it does help to relax the body and "plug" you into the local time zone ;-)

For me if I travel and don't have a loved one waiting with arms open to jump into, a hot bath is a reasonable substitute and oh so good if you can find a good (therapeutic) massage to unlock all the kinks of being cramped into to small a place and the stress of getting there.

Also I like to nap a bit on the plane, so I am not immediately sleep deprived when I arrive, there are some good mild sedtaives on the market if you are not lucky to travel first or business class,and then force myself to stay awake all day on the other side, resist the temptation to doze, so you can go to better on the new time cycle (and even better if you have a companion!)

Hi

This is a questions that pops up quite often in different travel forums. I think that we just have to realize that when we move our body across time zones it can effect the body. I guess the jet lag also have different effects on different people. They say that the best way to handle it is to drink lots of water and juice when you fly (and stay away from alcohol and coffee), get some sleep on the plane and when you arrive you should have an easy program the first day and try to get into the local rhythm as fast as possible. But I agree with suze...it is hard to avoid jet lag and I think we just have to accept that. But I hope that you will have an excellent trip to Italy :d

Regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com - trip reports and pictures

I find melatonin works for me.The current recommendation is for pilots having sleep disturbance to take a benzodiazepine such as temazepam. A combination of treatment including light, melatonin and diazepams may be needed.You can buy it in the US (not in Europe) but it may be changing to prescription-only soon.Google it for more info.

My husband will be elated when he hears of your advice, Challi! Do you think it will matter that we arrive early in the am and won't have a room yet??
We usually just take a nice long walk and like AnthonyGA says, never go to sleep before 9pm. That seems to work best.

OK, here's my recipe.
Stareting about a week before my trip, I will go to sleep and hour earlier, and get up an hour earlier. As I get closer to departure date, it will be 3 or 4 hours of shifting. When I'm on the plane, hydration but no alcohol, no meal (except for breakfast before landing) and skip movies. The temptation is to think "I'm paying for all of this, I'm going to take full advantage". I put on headset, tune in to musinc channel, an kick back. When I land, do a regular day, walking mostly, tour buses/trains can be a killer :). Dinner at regular time, maybe go to bed early that night. Going to bed during the day may make you feel better, but you are only putting off the process of getting your body acclimatized by doing this.

L84sky-that is what the airport lounge is for.

Other than that, I have no special regimen before I leave. No alcohol or coffee on the flight but keep well hydrated. Avoid the temptation of the movie and sleep if you can. When I arrive I go directly on local time as far as meals, sleep etc. and avoid any long drives for safety's sake since I am sure that my reflexes and attention are not up to par until I get a good nights sleep. It works for me. My first day jet lag is usually minimal and from the second day on, I'm good to go.

I once read that it is a good idea to set your watch to “their time” before you even get on the plane. That has helped me. A friend who travels constantly for work swears by staying up as long as possible and then sleeping as long as possible on the first day. That helps me. Napping would never help me. This time I’m not going to drink any alcohol on my first day. If I keep saying that, it might be true!

Hi, aranda!

Two measures that have helped to some extent against the jet lag that always makes me wretched:

>Benadryl--This antihistamine made me drowsy enough to sleep on one transatlantic flight, and caused no sedative hangover. For me, it also caused significant dehydration, but then I was limiting fluid consumption (because of a medical condition). For someone making sure to drink plenty of water, Benadryl might be a really good solution.

>Melatonin--This relaxed me greatly on a flight last year, and I drifted easily to sleep. Unfortunately, other circumstances (monumentally bratty kids) intervened, and I didn't rest for long. But on a quiet flight, it could be wonderful.

I tried both OTC meds at home, well before the flights.

A nap on arrival does ultimately aggravate jet lag for me, but sometimes I just cannot resist it.

Next time, we may try a daytime flight, to see if that helps (helps me, that is--my husband doesn't get serious jet lag).

Good luck, and have a wonderful time in Italy!

Once again 'proof' that jet lag is an individual thing. I take a nap when I feel the need, to me that's just listening to what your body is asking for. I don't set my watch forward when I get on the plane, that really twists me. I think it's probably made worse for people who fly an overnight flight and can't sleep on the plane at all (me).

All the above advice is great, and what may work for one person may not work for another.

But here is what works for me, and I have traveled to Asia a few times where the time change is 14 hours. I barely experience jet lag, or only for the first day.

I get plenty of rest leading up to the flight. When I am on the flight, I only drink water or fruit juice. No coffee or tea, nor any alcohol. I try to get a few hours of sleep on the plane. I try not to watch the movie. i set my watch to the local time as soon as I am on the plane.

When I land, if it is during the day, I keep myself awake. No naps. I find if I do I can't sleep at night. I eat when the locals eat, and I sleep when they sleep. So i try to keep myself up until no earlier than 8pm, or else I'll be up at 4am. I know it sounds difficult, but when I am in a new country or city the excitement take over for a few hours anyway. Usually the next day I wake up feeling refreshed and ready to go!

Good luck and enjoy your trip. I am heading to Italy myself in September and hopefully this works again for me.

Your replies have been so informative and I have learned many approaches to the jet lag problem, I'll have to experiment as to what will work best for me.

Having Lupus I frequently feel like I have jet lag anyway, my concern was that when "real" jet lag hit I could be totally down for the count. However the suggestions everyone has shared has given me various solutions to try. Now at least I feel I have some control.

Knowing that I may be out of it for a while, or possibly the whole time, we decided on Positano, Italy so I could just kick back and check out the views, if nothing else. However I remain positive and I'm planning day trips and activities.

The information you all have shared is appreicated and will no doubt make all the difference. Way cool.

Happy trails,
Aranda

Drink lots of water. Dehydration exacerbates the effects of jet lag,in my experience.

Sleep. I live in London and can't tell you how ridiculous it is to see badly dressed and catatonic American tourists dragging around. I travel constantly and coming from the US to UK, I land, shower and sleep for a couple of hours.
If you phone ahead and speak to the duty manager (and stay in a decent hotel) they can almost always accommodate your early check-in.
Even if you do sleep on the flight, you'll be sleep starved -- there aren't enough hours to get properly rested. When I HAVE to work upon landing I often try to connect through Chicago so that my tranatlantic flight is longer so that I can squeeze in enough sleep before hitting London.

I, too, agree with the suggestion of drinking lots of water particularly on the day of travel and on the plane. I nap for about an hour (only) the afternoon of arrival. These two things have helped me. (I wish, but am unable to sleep on planes.)

Jet Lag sufferer, there is hope.
#1. Get a copy of "Overcoming Jet Lag" by C. Ehret & Lynne W. Scallan.
#2. Follow their instructions for travel to and from your travel time zone.

In short:
*Cut out all caffeine for 4 days prior. Coffee, tea, chocolate, meds w/ aminophylline.

*Eat in a feast-fast-feast-fast pattern during those 4 days.

* Black Coffee reintro'd day of travel at 6PM. Bring it with you as you board, bec. you won't get any until close to 8PM due to the boarding process.

* Set your watch to destination time and make your body believe it is that time.

*Go beddie-bye at 6PM on the plane, skip the airline food offerings, perhaps take herbal sleep preparation and SLEEP. Even if for 4-5 hours. That's enough to reset the body clock. Put window shades down, wear eye covers and ear plugs & put a Do Not Disturb sign on your seat.

* Eat breakfast as you land; drink coffee.

* Get as much sunshine on your face and eyes as possible on the AM of arrival.

* The usual prohibition about alcohol applies and get proper water hydration.

When following this regime, as outlined in the book,I don't feel sleepy until bedtime, which is usually a bit earlier, on destination time.

Jet lag can ruin your vacation and affect existing health problems. It's worth the exercise to be able to truly enjoy each day that you have to spend in another land without the bother of fatigue, etc.

Good luck, traveler.

Good tips, but unfortunately some of us can't sleep on a plane. Not ever.

The best solution for me is, upon arrival, get outside and walk, get on a sleep and eating schedule for the new time zone, and no nap.

I have found that if I fail in any of these steps that I cannot get off jetlag for sometimes up to 6 days. When I've followed these steps I have experienced little or no jetlag.

Enjoy your travels!

Well, so much for staying hydrated. I hope they are a little more giving with the water inflight now!

I just got back from a trip to Russia via london (just hours before the uncovered terror plot was announced and the delays started at Heathrow- phew) and can tell you that over the years I have tried almost everything to avoid Jet Lag with no effect. I always ache the first day or two, sometimes wondering if it is worth it. But, as soon as it passes, usually by the third day, I know absolutely that the discomfort was worth it! My teenage son is no different, so age is not a factor. It just is part of traveling and has to be taken with a grain of salt.

You will see people from all over the world looking rumpled and shot wherever you travel abroad and you will instantly know that they have just arrived and are jet lagged. In a few days they will bounce back and be themselves again. Hotels often look as if they are full of the walking wounded. People standing and staring at breakfast buffets as if they don't know what to do with them are just jet lagged. Their brains aren'y quite working yet.

Personally, I simply can not sleep on a plane, doesn't matter what class I am in. I do know that day flights going east are better, as they get you where you are going about dark when you are naturally ready to go to bed on local time and more prepared to get up in the new time zone. Leaving the US at night and arriving in europe early in the AM local time is the most difficult. It simply plays havoc with your body's clock - I just went through it, trust me on this one. But, sometimes there is no option. I grabbed my night flight (6:45 pm) at the last minute and was grateful to have gotten it in the height of the summer. Returning to US time is easier, both my son and I are adjusting quickly. We woke early yesterday, were tired - we had done an enormous amount on our trip - and went to bed at our normal time. Today is following that pattern, we just feel a bit more rested. Jet lag is part of travelling. It's not fun, but it passes. The rewards of seeing our big wonderful world are so enormous that feeling tired and achy for a few days is a small price to pay.

I just got back from a trip to Russia via London (just hours before the uncovered terror plot was announced and the delays started at Heathrow- phew) and can tell you that over the years I have tried almost everything to avoid Jet Lag with no effect. I always ache the first day or two after I get to europe, sometimes wondering if it is worth it. But, as soon as it passes, usually by the third day, I know absolutely that it was! My teenage son is no different, so age is not a factor. It just is part of traveling and has to be taken with a grain of salt.

You will see people from all over the world looking rumpled and shot wherever you travel abroad and you will instantly know that they have just arrived and are jet lagged. In a few days they will bounce back and be themselves again. Hotels of every star ranking often look as if they are full of the walking wounded. Their staffs understand what jet lag does to travelers and as a result are very patient and helpful.

Personally, I simply can not sleep on a plane. It doesn't matter what class I am in, what pillows I try, if I had avoided caffine for a week or how I tried to adjust my body clock before leaving by going to bed earlier. I do know that day flights going east to europe are better. Travelling is tiring in itself, but day flights have the advantage of getting you where you are going about dark so you can go to bed right away on local time and be ready to get up the next morning in the new time zone.

Leaving the US at night and arriving in europe early in the AM local time is the most difficult. Over the years, I have tried both napping on arrival (not good for me) and also staying up until night fall. Either way it simply plays havoc with your body's clock. I just went through it again, trust me on this one. However, sometimes there is no option. I grabbed my night flight (6:45 pm) at the last minute and was grateful to have gotten it in the height of the summer. Returning to US time is definitely easier. Both my son and I are adjusting quickly. We woke early yesterday, were tired - we had done an enormous amount on our trip - and went to bed at our normal time. Today is following that pattern, we just feel a bit more rested. Jet lag is part of travelling. It's not fun, but it passes. The rewards of seeing our big wonderful world are so enormous that feeling tired and achy for a few days is a small price to pay.

There is no way to completely eliminate it, only reduce it. For me, going west has more effect than going east.

What works for me:
If arriving in the AM, get some "sleep" before you land. After landing, see the sights at a leasurly pace, stay in the light, get to bed at a reasonable hour.
If arriving in the PM, do not sleep on the plane. If you do, you can not sleep that night. Relax some before even trying to get to bed.

As far as naps, it depends on you. I find a short nap around 5:30 helps, but some people can't nap.

As stated above, allow time to relax during the day.

I have the same experience as JSLee-much worse for me going west than east. I fly from the west coast of US, and even when we went to Istanbul, I was fine when I got there. Can't sleep on the plane, but I am so excited when I get somewhere new it doesn't matter.

But it all catches up with me when I get home. I feel groggy and out of it for up to 2 weeks after travel. I'm usually okay for 3-4 days when I get back, because I am still excited about what I did, telling people about it, getting pictures printed, etc. But after that wears off, I am a zombie. I found the thing that helps the most is healthy eating and exercise. And getting 9-10 hours of sleep until I readjust.
Good luck. aranda. The one nice thing about Italy is the abundance of good strong coffee. I had a double espresso on my way to sightsee every day. A wonderfully jolting way to start the day.

I had no jet lag on my last trans-Atlantic flight either way, DTW>AMS>DTW. Before going over I was stressed and tired. My plane departed at 20:30. I had a few warm up vodkas and then wine with my pasta dinner. Next it was off to dreamland for about 4 hours of sleep. The plane landed at 09:40 which was 03:40 back here in Michigan. I was fresh. On the first day I stayed up until midnight and then had a 12 hour sleep. No jet lag.

Conclusions:
1. Partially deprive yourself of sleep the night before your flight.
2. Travel during your normal sleep time.
3. Relax with carb loading and adequate alcoholic beverages of choice on the plane. They're still free and they're safer than the water.

Direct flights from the West Coast are very nice because they often leave in the evening, fly all night, and then arrive in the late afternoon or evening at the destination. Plenty of time to sleep, and only a few hours to stay awake at the destination should one be unable to sleep on the way over.

If you have a flight leaving the US in the PM and arriving in Italy in the AM, consider taking Ambien. It doesn't help you to stay asleep, but does help you to relax enough to fall asleep. And you won't wake up feeling druggy. I took it on a recent flight from NYC to Paris and slept almost the entire flight.

My question on jet lag generated many responses with excellent information. Many thanks! I hope these responses will benefit others who may have jet lag concerns as well.

So, does the homeopathic remedy for travel fatigue No-Jet-Lag work or not? I noticed ads but not a mention about it from anyone. Has anybody actually tried this, and did it work?

Deep peace,

Aranda

I took No Jet Lag as directed (every 2 hrs?) during the flight over. I also stayed very well hydrated, drinking lots of water. We left the US from Cincinatti at around 7 pm. We arrived in Rome 10:30 a.m.

We took a pre-arranged limo ride to the hotel. I had written prior to the trip to ask for an early check in, and that worked out fine (in other cities when arriving early, we left our bags w/the front desk and went for a walk).

I had advise to wait until 10 pm to go to sleep, and we did walk to the Vatican, took a one hour nap (alarm set) and took an evening walk and late dinner near Piazza Navona. The next morning was an early train to Florence, and we were a bit tired that second day, but not bad. The third day, we were good to go. I think the idea of staying awake until 10 pm was a very good one. Don't plan too heavy an itinerary for the first day, maybe 2.

Coming home, however, left me very tired for at least a week, perhaps 2. I think I had been running on adrenaline for 3 weeks, in addition to the time change difference. I also took the No Jet Lag on the way home.

I did have a glass of wine at the Cincinatti airport prior to the flight, and nothing on the flight.

I had wine on the flight home.

I don't know if this was a factor or not.

Homeopathic remedies can have a positive placebo effect if you believe strongly enough.

Get a prescription for ambien or equal from your doctor. Take however much is needed for you to sleep 5 hours on the flight overseas. For me that is 15mg to knock me out in a coach seat.

Do not go to bed that first night until 10 pm, and take another dose of pills to ensure you sleep soundly and do not wake up prematurely.

That does it for me, no more jet lag.

Rinse and repeat on the inbound trip.

I agree with many of the ideas mentioned here. If I take a nap on arrival before 9:00 PM, I am wasted for days.

Two other ideas not mentioned here, first - I set my watch to the arrival time zone as soon as the plane takes off. This lets my mind adjust a little longer into the new time.

Second - never close the curtains completely in your bedroom for the first few nights. The sunrise will help you adjust into the new time zone. You can darken the room, just let in a little light around the edge of the curtain.