Jet Lag - What works?
 

Jet Lag- What works?? Traveling to Germany and Austria from U&gt;S&gt;. <BR>The first two days are usually a loss.. <BR>What would help??

Barb, <BR>No alcohol, but plenty of liquids during the flight. Take frequent strolls down the aisle. About a week prior to your trip, if at all possible, start to rework your daily routines to coincide with European time. After arrival which will probably be early to mid morning keep active, that is awake, until normal European bed time. You should recover in one day. Do a text search here, too. There's been a ton of advice on overcoming jet lag.

The current Conde Nast Traveller has a good article on proven ways to combat jet lag.

melatonin really works.Take it in the semi dark 24 hours before you want to sleep in the Europe.You will feel a little woozy after 15 mins, you may doze a little, the point is it resets your body clock.Take another before bed in Europe to make sure. <BR>Not for sale in Europe, you can buy it in blister packs in most US airports.

LIGHT. Lots of light re-establishes your body clock to a new time period. When it is supposed to be daytime in your new setting, get lots of light--natural light is of course better than artificial, but the latter is better than none at all. Research has shown that light shown in weird places--even on the backs of your knees!--can help reset your body clock. It works for me, and also, try NEVER to think of what time it is back home. Concentrate on putting your mind in the time zone you are in, and stay in that one, until of course you have to change time zones again. For me, melatonin only makes my mind race, and ten per cent of the population is the same. <BR>When I go to Europe I manage to make only my first day of landing there a bad (that is, slow and draggy)one. After that I am all set...although I have a great deal of difficulty sleeping on planes. Good luck, Barb.

Barb, <BR> <BR>All of the prvious advice is excellent. I tried melatonin for the first time on a LONG flight (LA to Damascus) and had little to no jet lag, and I usually suffer from it the whole trip. I took one on the flight and a half of tablet for about three nights afterwards. It helps you sleep, but does not knock you out like a sleeping pill ( which I have tried and have not liked).I would give it a trial run at home before you try it on your trip to see how you react. It worked for me. <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>

So far (knock on wood) we have done well by waiting to go to sleep until 9 or 10 pm European time on the first day (instead of napping earlier during the day). We try to get out an walk a lot during that first day, also. We tend to sleep well the first night. Sleeping the subsequent nights may be a little choppy, but not bad. Our days have been ok, though. Focus that travel adreniline (sp?)! <BR>

Sleep on the plane; we found melatonin tea that works great (actually tastes good, too); any of the -PM pills. <BR> <BR>Lots of liquids (juice, water, decaf tea or coffee, nocaf sodas like Sprite); I usually have wine with dinner, so I do have a glass of wine with my meal, but no killing a six-pack; sleepmask, earplugs, vitamin C lozenges (or any hard candy to soothe a tickle), booties. <BR> <BR>When you land, go very slowly. You're tired and a bit out of it, so don't try to run off the plane, rush to the baggage carousel (assuming you've had a brain cramp and decided to check luggage), rush through immigration, tear around looking for an ATM...find a bathroom, freshen up, find a place to have a coffee and a roll, organize your money and passport, add/subtract outerwear, then head for your transportation into the city. <BR> <BR>Don't take a nap; go sightseeing (openbus tour, river cruise, etc.) outside and take it slow and easy; eat a good lunch and dinner; hit the hay around 9:00pm (melatonin or -PM first) and have a good night's sleep. <BR> <BR>Fresh as a daisy the next morning... <BR>

I am one of those oddities who needs to take a nap on arrival in Europe. Just 2-3 hours and then up for the rest of the day and bedtime about 11pm local time. It just goes to show you that everybody is different. Works for me. I also take a sleeping pill (Ambien--short acting) on the plane because otherwise I wouldn't close an eye. I think that our longer flights from California are better because they allow all passengers to settle and then allow all to nap for a while before arrival. The worst flight I've ever had was NYC to Shannon--hardly a chance to rest before sunrise!

Barb, <BR> <BR>All of the above works well. Also in addition to sleeping on the plane (the ear plugs and mask really work) I also try to stay up until about 10 pm the first night. A little trick that helps me on any trip is to take multi vitamins with a glass of juice first thing each morning. This isn't part of my normal routine as I eat a balanced diet, however the extra little boost of vitamins seems to really help me. I use this anytime I sleep away from home.

I try to leave the US as late as possible, for instance 9:30 pm ( from Atlanta to Paris)instead of 4:00pm . That way as soon as I eat dinner on the plane, I am really ready to go to sleep. Then we get to sleep later on the plane since we don't land in Paris until 11:50am.I take a nap for 2 hours,then I sightsee and then go to sleep at 10 or 11 pm. I like arriving in Paris or wherever at 11 or 12 instead of in the early morning because you can get right in your hotel room instead of having to wander around feeling exhausted until you can get in your room, usually after 12 pm. I also like having a shorter first day since I know I will be tired. I usually don't feel much jet lag after the first day.I have learned to take a short nap if I really feel exhausted.It works wonders.

any new suggestions for fighting and preventing jet lag from US to Italy leaving east coast at 6 pm arriving Rome at 8:00 am.????

A word of "caution" when taking an Rx for sleep (i.e., Ambien, Sonata) -- do not take pill until flight is in the air (in the event you have to deplane, etc.) -- you wouldn't want to be "sleeping" then have to wake without at least four hours of sleep! You may not want to be seated in an aisle seat. <BR> <BR>Also, a neck pillow if you're not seated in first-class or window seat. <BR> <BR>Both Ambien and Sonata will not make you groggy if you have at least four hours of sleep. You might want to try the medication a few days before flying. <BR> <BR>Another "caution" is to alert the flight attendant that you are about to take a sleep med -- s/he won't try and wake you to serve you dinner one hour after departure :) -- or in the event of an emergency, s/he will know you're under... <BR> <BR>Hope this helps. <BR> <BR> <BR>

seems to me that different things work for different people but this is what works for me. <BR> <BR>i take two tylenol pm after dinner on the plane. i usually have one wine with dinner. also, try to drink as much water as possible, which i do normally anyway. anyway, the tylenol pm gets me at least 3 or 4 hours of sleep. doesn't make me feel hung over the next day either (other people have told me they do feel hung over the next day--like i said, everyone is different). <BR> <BR>i immediately go to hotel and leave my things. if i can't get in room i use a restroom to freshen up and then hit the streets and keep moving. <BR> <BR>generally i go to bed kind of early that first night---say 8PM. but sometimes not. just depends on how active i can stay. <BR> <BR>i know people who take a nap but i don't think that would work for me. i've never tried it however.

One word of caution with APAP (Tylenol)... do not drink alcohol, please...may cause liver toxicity

Get some good rest on the plane on an overnight flight to Europe. Benadryl (diphenhydramine) usually works for me. It is the same thing that is in tylenol pm without the tylenol. Diphenhydramine serves 3 purposes in my medicine kit: <BR>1-sleep inducer <BR>2-motion sickness (regular dramamine-dimenhydrinate- is metabolized to diphenhydramine in your body) <BR>3-allergies (just in case you get the sniffles overseas) <BR>There you have it-my travel secret.

I agree with the previous poster. Benadryl (diphenhydramine) has been recommended to me by several doctors as a non-habit forming sleep aid. I usually buy it, generic brand, at a Family Dollar, Dollar General, or some other discount family store. I get it for $1/box compared to the $3-4/box charged for Benadryl at Wal-Mart or any other drug store. Hope this helps.