I am a well seasoned traveler (over 25 countries)
I have tried many different strategies for dealing with jet lag and nothing works for me.
I mostly suffer flying to the East unlike most people - especially on the overnight flights to Europe from New York.
I will be travelling to Ireland in May for a quick trip of 6 nights and I am anticipating the usual 4 days of feeling lousy.
I think most of the discomfort is due to sleeping just an hour or two on the overnight flight.

Has anyone had good success with a plan?

The problem is that flights to the British Isles from the eastern US are very short, and by the time they finish the meal service, you only have a few hours left. I don't know that this is entirely jet lag. It may just be exhaustion.

Anyway, here are some tips that should help with both. I don't really suffer from jet lag, but I've traveled a lot, including numerous trips from New York to China, and I've picked up some ideas along the way.

Try to get the latest flight possible, so that you don't face an 18-hour day with no sleep when you get to Ireland. Take a good nap before leaving for the airport. Eat before boarding. Put on your eye mask, insert ear plugs (or a headset with white noise playing), pull your blanket up over your head, and tell the hostess you don't want anything until breakfast.

Try to get partly on your new time before you leave. Starting several weeks in advance, go to bed two hours earlier and get up two hours earlier. Try to eat your meals earlier, too, even if it's only an hour earlier. If it's possible, once you're in Ireland, start getting up an hour later than you usually do at home, and go to bed an hour later, and eat later. If it's not a business trip, you can make it two hours, and then you'll only have an hour of jet lag to deal with.

Stay hydrated, stick to a healthy diet, and don't run yourself ragged while you're away.

They say you should go very light on the alcohol. I drink almost no alcohol, and I've never really had jet lag, but that doesn't prove anything.

Some people swear by melatonin, but I haven't tried it. At least it wouldn't hurt you.

I think most people have more trouble returning home, whichever direction that happens to be. It just happens that North America is west of Europe. We live in Italy, and both of us have more trouble going east. I think it's because the travel adrenaline has worn off.

I start getting up a week before at 6 and going to bed earlier. I eat before getting on plane, take 1/2 an ambien, put on eye mask, blanket, ear plugs and wake up when I want, not when they turn the lights on. I don't stop till late at night, no nap, take a shower and hit the ground.
I love going in May. I sleep with the blinds and curtains open and the sun wakes me up. That helps your body clock. This winter trip was harder because it didn't get light till 8:30 and we wasted a lot of morning time. We were staying up late and wanting to sleep late but needed the day hours to tour. Good luck, I love Ireland in May.

While that may be true, jet lag is demonstrably worse on average when traveling to the east because jet lag is related to resetting one's biological clock. When heading east, one is subtracting time from one's day -- and that's harder to manage than adding time to one's day, as when traveling to the west.

My daughter travels frequently for work and swears by the Valkee Human Charger, available on Amazon.

I haven’t tried it, but taking a red eye to Europe from California and then staying up until 11 local time seems to work for me. Then I get out into the daylight the next morning as soon as possible. Returning home (heading West) always seems harder, but I think that is because we are exhausted from our travel style of filling every waking minute with activity.

No nothing works for me. I get horrible jet lag.

I have learned to simply build a couple days into the beginning of an overseas trip, solo in a city center, to just wander around for a few days until I can adjust somewhat. And I do nap and sleep, or not, as my body requires those first few days.

I’m like you- I get awful jet lag. Going east, anyway. I’m fine coming home.

some things that help, may not apply or you may already do them:

upon arrival, I brush my teeth, wash my face, change clothes.

I find a spa or pool, go for a soak or swim. A lot of the time, half of the problem is that flying wrecks my back. Everything hurts.

my first night booked is in a very central hotel, with a nice big bed and ensuite bath. (I am a budget traveller, but I’ve learned I can’t make sacrifices on that first day or so) I check in, set myself up for the next morning, and then head out for a quick bite and to walk around until I can’t stay awake. Head back to room, drink a bottle of water with some ibuprofen and collapse.

I leave the blinds open so the sun will kickstart my internal clock.



I eat a good breakfast that first day, carry my water bottle.


Anyway- the biggest things are- comfy hotel, keep moving, stay hydrated. NO complicated connections that first day. Nothing cerebral either. I have to wander around or swim or something. Museums are out, long meals are out. Like suze, though, I tend to build in a few extra days. The only time I don’t is when I’ve been somewhere before and I know I’ll get my bearings quickly. Even then though, I’d do your first two nights in a nice hotel that is easy to reach, simply because you know jet lag tends to knock you out and you want to enjoy the rest of your trip

The best I've ever done was in Madrid (from Baltimore). Arrived early, went to one museum, then at noon took a nap and was ready at 8 or 9 pm for dinner in Madrid. After that, my body was in agreement with Madrid time. Mostly, listen to your body.

Coming back is usually more difficult for me. I can't do math for about a week.

I’m no expert, but I used to do shift management training for night workers and have ready a lot on the subject of sleep. Here’s the takeaways:
--Research shows it usually takes one day to adjust your body clock one hour, so 7 times zones, one week to fully adjust .
--There are biological differences that make it easier or harder for some people to adjust. (Sounds like you are one of those harder-to-adjust people) ).
--Although you may feel you are fully adjusted to the new time zone chances are you are still having difficulty with reaction times, cognitive function and quality of sleep. Drivers beware.
--Eat lightly if at all within a few hours of going to bed. Digestion raises your internal body temperature which in turn interferes with proper sleep.

That being said, after 12 annual trips across 12 times zones to Australia I find I am less bothered by jet lag than I used to be. Perhaps it is because I don’t worry about it anymore, just go about my activities and manage as best I can. I don’t drive in Australia, and am retired so on my return home I have flexibility in scheduling sleep and demanding activities.

We avoid jet lag by flying to London from Boston or NY in the daytime. For example, leave Boston at 7;30 am, arrive London 7;30 pm, have dinner, go to bed. Continue on your journey the next morning after spending night at LHR, or continue on to another European destination after landing at LHR. We also save money as we fly Premium Economy instead of Business Class which we do on overnight long haul flights.

If someone found a true "cure" for jet lag they would be an extremely wealthy person and none of us would ever suffer again (kinda like weight loss!).

How to Trick Your Body Clock and Beat Jet Lag | Qantas Travel Insider

Avoiding alcohol and caffeine can help a bit.

Or a lot of alcohol can help a bit.

>>Arrived early, went to one museum, then at noon took a nap and was ready at 8 or 9 pm for dinner <<

This works well for me. I've tried powering it out and staying up until bedtime, but it was pure misery. I found that taking an Ambien at bedtime, local time, helps me adjust, both arriving at the destination and when I get home. I find it more difficult with the east to west adjustment.

suze~a glass or two of wine always helps me!!