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Set your watch and mental clock to your destination's time the minute you get on the plane. Try to get some sleep. When you arrive, don't try to do too much the first day. Have a good dinner, and go to bed early. By the next morning you should be fine!

Use melatonin. Search on net-jet lag.

Drink lots of water on plane. <BR>No alcohol <BR>Take two benedrys. <BR>Get Sleep <BR>First Day: <BR> Walk outside as much as you can. <BR> Have early dinner. <BR> Get a good night sleep. <BR>Smile a lot.

If you've never taken something like Benedryl, try it before your flight. If I took 2 of them they'd have to roll me off the plane on a cart! <BR>Actually, nothing works for me. I've taken dozens of overnight flights and I always feel bad the next morning. It probably doesn't help that I always drink wine but I find the flight too long and boring otherwise! So the hint about not drinking must be it!

IMO, going to Europe from the US is more a matter of sleep deprivation than anything else. If you're lucky you get a couple of hours sleep on the plane, with or without sleep medication. I do reset my watch as soon as I step on the plane. <BR>You arrive in the early morning and for a while the adrenalin keeps you going, but as soon as you sit down, you realize how sleepy you are. I too am of the "keep moving" school of thought for the first day. If my room isn't ready when I arrive (it rarely is for anyone) then <BR>we head out for breakfast or to a long walk in the neighborhood. On the first day I try to avoid large museums, boat rides, and sightseeing buses because they can lull me. An "easy" museum <BR>(a visit of no more than 60-90 minutes) <BR>often works for me though. <BR>Once we get into our room we shower and head back out again. Early dinner, early bedtime (here's where an OTC sleep aid comes in handy again, to help you sleep through the night) and the next morning I'm fine. <BR>I have more trouble when I come home. <BR>I seem to be very tired for several days after returning, despite trying to get a lot of sleep. That I do attribute to <BR>time changes and body-clock resetting.

I think I just suffer through it, and try to get out in the sunlight! <BR>Going to Europe, west to east, on an over night flight does not bother me as much as coming home. I really think it is because I arrive in Europe during the morning and can walk around in daylight. Coming home, we leave early, but don't get to the airport until dark. I don't really have a chance to reset the normal pattern. So it is days after returning home before I quit waking up at 4 AM thinking I should be somewhere. I haven't figured out a way to beat that one yet.

Same as Bob. I fly overnight and have the good fortune of being able to sleep almost anywhere. I arrive in the morning and am able to go all day. I go to bed at the normal time (I also set my watch as soon as I get on the plane). This last trip I bought a neck pillow and that helped me sleep even better and wake up without a neck cramp. Coming back gives me more of a problem. Leave early in the morning there time and arrive late evening my time making for a very long day. Usually takes a few days to get back on track. <BR>

What I have done in the past when visiting Europe and Austrailia was three days prior to departure I set all my clocks to my arrival cities time, I start waking up and going to sleep as if I were already at my destination, which normally means I go to sleep at 4PM EST and wake up at about 2-3AM, and just go on with my day. I get off work for those three days, and stick with the plan. I also get a flight that stays inside my "awake " hours. It has always worked, I am never drowsy when I arrive, and can get started right when I get there.

Melatonin -- very good. <BR>Alcohol -- very bad. <BR>Coffee and any other Diuretics -- very bad. <BR>Drink plenty of water, take vitamins if you are prone to that, get rest in the days before departure, eat before you get on the plane, comfortable clothes, slipper-socks, do some exercizes when you get off the plane, perform your "morning ritual" as you would at home at Lima (local time in your destination)time, bring a boring book & get bored for some sleep... <BR>Umm, there were about seven hundred sixty-eight other things, but I've overstayed my welcome on this topic. <BR> <BR>-Craig

In my experiences of flying from Denver to London, I have found that by the time I get to the hotel the room is usually ready. I sleep for exactly two hours--no more and no less--and while I have to force myself to get up, once I do I'm fine. A light dinner and an early night fills the bill.

I too, tend to indulge in some alcohol on the flight. I agree with Moonbeam about sleeping no more than 2 hours, go out for the evening.. Later, no trouble falling to sleep, but always wake in middle of night.. Melitonan works for some, but I now take Tylenol PM ''before going to bed at night''. At least I sleep the whole night through. Wake a little groggy, but that passes after a good breakfast, coffee or tea, and a blast of chilled air leaving the hotel in the morning.

On the outbound from DFW to Europe we have no problem, vis-a-vis the return. On the outbound to FRA,CDG,LGW we leave mid-afternoon arriving early morning. We have dinner, I have 4-6 glasses of wine, we settle back with our eyeshades, ear plugs and neck pillows and arrive ready to go (we tour on our bikes so the first chore is to assemble the bikes at the airport). The return is boring, leaving mid-morning and arriving mid-afternoon after 10 hours of flight, no anticipation except going back to work, getting off the jetway into Dallas heat. Haven't found a cure for that.

Since i have never flown in a fighter plane, I am uncertain how to avoid "combat jet lag".