Thanks Caz. We had Roger Federer and his g/friend on our flight from Dubai to Melbourne too!

I'll be following up your medicals when I'm in the office again on Monday.

Best wishes.

Many Thanks Alan

Look forward to perhaps a positive resulting email from you on Monday.

Have a great weekend - by the way just in case you wanted to know, it's pouring down here in Cambridgeshire.


Caz Beckham

When we came over we tried the staying awake as long as possible thing but had 4 days of jetlag. We just had visitors who we kept going until about 2.30pm then we let them nap for 1 1/2 hours and woke them up and took them out for a good walk and dinner until a 'normal' bedtime (around 10pm) and they were fine after the first day. There has to be someone around to make you wake up though.....

Lou
xx

I've heard it takes a day for every hour of time difference, and I've found it can take that long (in my case a week) to feel totally with it after the annual UK trip. Or maybe that's just getting over the trauma of time spent with my family...

(Ozziedoc, I can't find that melatonin/autoimmune ref in my books, but it's all over the net, and we know the net never lies )

No alcohol and plenty of water on the fight.

You may not suffer it - we never have either coming this way or going back the other way. Alcohol is daft when flying, it dehydrates you too much. Lots of water is good. Just be sensible and if you do get it, take it very easy when you arrive.

Agreed, but you still see plenty of eejits getting off their faces because it's "free". I'll have a glass of wine with dinner at most, but drink water every time they bring it round, even if I'm only marginally awake. Can't vouch for other airlines but I've noticed recently that SIA does not come round so much with booze (although you can request more) but brings round water regularly, even through the night.

The longest I do these days is 13 hours. I don't envy anyone doing the UK-Oz trip straight off; we did it once for a holiday, although the good side was we missed Christmas Day completely.

Hi .. done the UK -Oz trip many times ... as with a couple of the previous posts the best advice I can give is stay awake until as close to normal bedtime in Oz as you can ... avoid napping in the afternoon unless it's only 15/20 mins ... no more ... you feel shitty if you doze any longer.

We find eating dinner about 7/8 pm the day we arrive means we zonk out soon after, may wake up a bit early the next day ... but you feel fine ...

Re the comments about no alcohol on flights, don't agree with getting trollied but a few drinks help me sleep as I'm not a movie watcher there's bugger all else to do ... there's only so much you can read

Haven't been in BKK recently but if there are showers or even better a pool (like Singapore) avail yourself of ithem ... it's very refreshing ... as is the Singha beer if you haven't tried it before ...

Also find same works flying East to West

Hope it works out for you ... Cheers ... David

Thanks - I'll do a athens search

I used BKK's new airport for the first time this week. It's nice and shiny but Changi it ain't! Not a lot going on as far as I could see. I guess it's a work in progress. I'm not sure if there are showers outside of the lounges, but there is a Novotel on site.

Ozzidoc, would be grateful for anything you can tell me.

Hi Stu,

For every one hour of time difference it takes 1 day for the body to adjust. With a 4 year old I think your sleep will be governed by when she sleeps.

On arrival at Brisbane we have a 3 hour drive which we usually make, unpack then crawl into bed for a couple of hours just to take the edge off and then go to bed at the normal time.

It's not so bad going but returning is a nightmare, we are usually up at 3am in the UK and everyone else is asleep. Walk the dog and wait for the early morning papers at the local shop or garage to arrive to read with breakfast.

Will keep you posted - am running searches right now

OK - not that many papers, only 106. (We often have thousands.)

I use plenty of (medicinal) champagne, which helps me to rest until the next meal.

It's each to his own: some don't even *get* jet lagged. lucky souls....

We've now got a trip back booked for June/July time. Only two weeks so if we suddenly start suffering jet lag we're stuffed

We've done 4 trips to Aus before, and we've generally never suffered too much. Certainly never had any of the symptoms list here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jet_lag#Symptoms

But then I'm pretty good with sleep and can go without a nights sleeps if needs be. I can't sleep on a plane anyway and I love watching all the films. The Mrs on the other hand is terrible and needs her 10 hours 'beauty sleep' or she's stuffed. In fact she's asleep on the sofa now because we had friends round until gone midnight.

The worst I find is my bladder control! No matter how quickly I get my sleeping patterns in line, I'm still getting up in the middle of the night to take a leak, which then disrupts my sleeping pattern. I'm not sure if there's anything you can do to force your bladders body clock to chance though?