When we went to Sydney at the beginning of the month, our two children didn't sleep until about the last hour of the flight (it was awful!). We arrived at 7pm, were in the airport hotel by 9 and all bathed, in clean pj's and tucking in to a room service dinner by 9.30pm. We went to bed at about 10.30pm and woke at 6.30 as normal. No jet-lag really except our baby wanted her dinner at 3am or something for a couple of nights. I just fobbed her off with milk for a couple of days and she was right as rain.

On the way back the children and hubby slept. We landed at 7am-ish and had to drive about 2 1/2 hours from Heathrow home, so the kids slept in the car. Then when we got home I kept them awake until bed-time. Hubby and I did end up going to bed at 8.20pm though and when we woke up in the morning, even though I was doing morning things, it felt like it was the evening. Very strange!

I choose to believe that! Sheer and unadulterated bloody knackeredness on the other hand I definitely think is the issue

Having suffered extreme jetlag all my working life I had it out with her! But she was obviously one of the 30% of the population who apparently don't suffer any jetlag effect, and couldn't even imagine what it involves.

Have a baby. Some friends have just arrived from the UK with a 7-month-old in tow. They never know whether they're coming or going at the best of times as a result of the nipper (now bedecked in Collingwood gear like a full on bogan - we're assimilated - yeah!) so jet lag's the least of their concerns.

I think it's something to do with the amount of oxygen they give you on the flight. None of us have ever suffered any tiredness, let alone jet lag. However coming back this last time with Royal Brunei the oxygen levels were really low - ended up with a migraine from hell. We all suffered for about a week feeling totally out of sync with the world.

For me I think it's a combination of time difference and not sleeping well on a plane, but jet lag is real. We recently went to the UK with only a 2 hour stop in Singapore, arrived in MAN about 6am and tried to stay up. I went so dizzy I thought I was going to fall over - hard to explain to a friend showing off her new baby and wondering why I appeared to be losing interest rapidly but I was seeing flashing lights. Had to give in to sleep about 8pm.

Coming back, even with a couple of nights in Singapore, I have been nocturnal for a week. Still having to force myself to go to bed around midnight.

With hindsight (and it's a long time since I had a serious career) I think, if you have to get on with life, it's better in the long run. We landed back in SYD at 6am and The Geek had an 8.30am meeting at work, so had to get on with it. He fell asleep at the dentist's and in a concall the next day but overall he does much better than me. He sleeps better on planes and is ten years younger, which I guess helps too.

How anyone can say jetlag is not real is living in another world. Likewise, everyone gets jetlag, but everyone;s body is different and thus handles it in a different way.

There are no right or wrong answers - I've travelled the world over the past 15 years and one thing I do know is that if you do something right on one flight, doing the same thing on the next identical flight gives a different result. But it is harder for me coming Aus to UK than the other way - and this is the general feeling amongst travellers.

Best thing anyone can do, and my golden tip for the long haul UK - Aus and V/versa is, if going via Singapore although other airports have it, is to grab a shower in the airport. Costs about $5 and makes you feel a new person.

Or fly first class, or even flat bed business - that takes away loads of the tiredness, but it will still be there, since your sleep patterns are being interupted which is what jet lag, ultimately, is.

You're right about the showers, Andy. This year was our first trip all the way from Oz to the UK - apart from a hol before we were even expats - and we had a shower at Manchester Airport hotel as we were about 8 hours early for our own hotel - cost about six quid and was worth every penny (as was the bacon butty straight after it). It made us feel half-human for a drive across the Pennines to meet friends.

We also did the same at Changi after an early arrival as well as a late departure a couple of days later (Plaza Premium Lounge, about S$10 incl taxes).

They (the mysterious "they") say it takes a day to get over each hour time difference and IME that's about right.

You're absolutely right - two identical trips will be different. A lot depends on whether you can make up the sleep deficit. You will still feel "out of it" if you've got a few hours zizz but it does relieve some of the worst aspects.

I participated in a RAE Farnborough project a few years ago where they were trying to evaluate exactly what the differences were in brain ECGs. I was jetlagged up to my eyeballs but the flights assessed were London to Jo'Burg and return - they never got back with the results, as promised!

I'd argue that. Me and mine had never and I mean never (until this last flight back in July) suffered tiredness, dizzyness or any other symptom of jet lag. I'd never deny people get it but some people don't. As I said the only reason we suffered anything this time was the lack of oxygen pumped through the cabin.

There's no oxygen "pumped through the cabin" on any aircraft!

It's ambient outside air compressed and then cooled that you breath. The rate of change of cabin air is the only variable.

It was an expression However, the oxygen levels are constantly monitored and altered depending on the pressurisation. They also, regularly alter the levels depending on night/day flights. The amount of oxygen in the air is often lowered for night flights which 'encourages' sleep amongst passengers.

The oxygen levels is one part of the reason why DVT occurs through blood thickening and why many people who have recently had surgery are not allowed to fly.

I don't know where you get this information but it ain't correct <g>.

Have to say I agree with Wol - and I still defy anyway to honestly say they can fly halfway across the world (in economy) and turn up and be as fresh as if they had stayed at home - sorry, but I find it incredibly hard to believe, and having worked in Formula One and other global sports, I've yet to meet an inexperienced or experienced traveller who has not experienced it frequently. Strange...

Arrhhhg - my thoughts. When I returned from Melbourne the first time in 2002 with totty in tow, even though she had live din London before, we arrived at Heathrow and could not get to the house we rented in Surrey until 0900. Where do I take her - good old Little Chef. She hated the place but a good old English breakfast turned me right around that morning.

She still hates the places but me, they're great in moderation.

Also heard the 'day per hour' recovery and it would probably seem to be fairly true depending on your health etc, except for those few people that never suffer