I just wish I knew then what I know now and I wouldn't have booked at night flight to Italy. Thanks to the intelligent and experienced travelers that frequent this site I learned much not only about jet lag, but traveling in general.

Grazie.

Aranda

Aranda--We're going to Rome, and to Positano too, on our next trip (not till May 07, though). Other than London-bound flights, I've been unable to find daytime transantlantic ones from the eastern US, and for Italy, we prefer direct flights when possible.

For our next trip, I plan to try melatonin again (it almost worked last time, as described above), and intend to try Michel P's suggestion about incremental shifts in bedtime beforehand.

You say your lupus makes you feel jet-lagged before ever getting on a plane, and I understand that. I don't have lupus, but rather MS, and my energy level is not a fifth of what it used to be. On top of that, sleep deprivation used to be just annoying, and now it's truly miserable.

But with the trip you describe, you should be able to rest, even if your sleep takes time to straighten out, and you can enjoy the beauty while you do.

Have a great trip!