Jetlag
 

I still end up going back to the UK at least once a month and in 4 years of doing so I really haven't found a good way to deal with jetlag. The only major discovery I found was not doing the red eye back to the UK and do the day flight. I tend to find that it takes a week or so for me to get back to normal. Even if I fly to the West Coast from NYC (that's only a 3 hour difference) I feel like crap.

Any sage travellers out there with advice or tips?

Re: Jetlag
 

Afraid I have no tips, but I'll be following this thread. I have a trip back to the UK coming soon and I dread the jetlag, which always hits me hard.

I usually feel like (British) ground is shifting under my feel for about the first 3 days... Also feel like my vision & hearing are affected for at least the first day and a half, so everything seems underwater. This all gradually fades but it's annoying.

This visit I unfortunately have to hit the ground running, and have no spare time whatsoever to rest up or acclimate.

Re: Jetlag
 

If you have the option then take a day flight!

Re: Jetlag
 

Unfortunately, the tix were purchased months ago and are overnight. I have a short stopover too. :( :blink: We always seem to get these kinds of flights, probably because they're the cheapest option....

What I usually do is give up on sleep during the flight, and end up watching as many films as I can... during the really boring ones I can nod off into a doze of an hour or two at most. Then post arrival I try not to let myself nap, but gut it through until around 18:00 or so, then crash into bed.

Have never used sleeping supplements, and don't drink alcohol. So the usual remedies are no-gos.... I don't think I could handle doing the round-trip once a month!

Re: Jetlag
 

Melatonin works for some people, although not for me.

I agree about taking a daytime flight eastbound if you can. I did a red-eye for the first time in ages a few weeks ago and it was awful.

Re: Jetlag
 

I booked a BA 8 am flight from Boston (by mistake) the last time I flew home. It was the best mistake I have ever made! The problem is that there doesn't seem to be as many options for day flights to the UK.

Re: Jetlag
 

I've taken a day flight twice, and it was a pleasant change. Once from Boston and once from JFK. Had to stay in an airport hotel to check in on time, since I don't do early mornings, but apart from that, no problem. My regular flight is from Ottawa, and there's no choice there - just one flight to London each day. Why the heck they insist on serving a dinner I can't imagine. The smell of that hot food at about midnight, I find nauseating.

And I can't watch a movie at night either, just makes my headache even worse.

Still, it's nice to get to London.. and sit on the Piccadilly Line for an hour!!

Re: Jetlag
 

During his frequent transatlantic days, hubby swore by eating dinner, taking two Tylenol PM, and settling down to sleep for a few hours. The PM apparently helps with making you a bit drowsy, and the painkiller element makes you less stiff upon waking in a weird position.

Re: Jetlag
 

Lie flat beds, they work wonders.

Re: Jetlag
 

They work wonders if you are of a height where you can actually lie flat! I fly United and on the occasions I've been upgraded to BusinessFirst I can never get comfortable. On two occasions I have been upgraded from BusinessFirst to GlobalFirst (on the 3 class 767s) where I can actually lie flat!

Re: Jetlag
 

I'm terrible at sleeping on planes, so I usually arrive without having slept for more than a couple of hours in the last 36 (trips to Oz from the East Coast). Generally, said arrival is around 9am and I make a point of keeping busy that whole day - eating when everyone else eats, staying in daylight, NOT LYING DOWN - then crash out around 9pm. Also, staying hydrated on the plane helps with the physical impact.

No jetlag for me; works both directions :starsmile:

Re: Jetlag
 

True they do, but only a small % of passengers get to have one..;)



I don't think I have ever been jetlagged.

Re: Jetlag
 

I feel for you, that trip down to Oz is brutal from the East Coast! I did it twice last September, EWR to LAX to MEL, I was in a whole new world of pain. When I flew to Australia from LHR it was nice to have a few hours in the transit hotel in SIN.

Re: Jetlag
 

As soon as I get on the plane, I put my watch to the time zone of my ultimate destination and start trying to think on that time zone. I eat lightly on a plane, drink lots of water and sleep as much as possible, regardless of whether it's a day/night flight. Even on day flights I've usually got up very early so am operating on a sleep deficit. I'm fortunate in that I find it easy to sleep virtually anywhere, and usually manage 3-4 hours on transatlantic flights, which will usually see me through the following day ok.

On red-eye flights to the UK - if I get home and it's still morning, I may allow myself a 90 minute nap. Otherwise, have a shower and keep active/busy as long as possible and stay up until 9pm/I'm so tired I'm hallucinating, whichever comes first.

Seems to work for me whether I'm up the front or the back of the plane. I can adjust to the time zone switch ok, but I can guarantee for a couple of days after arrival I will hit a metaphorical brick wall about 3pm and have to power on through work until hometime.

Re: Jetlag
 

I switched from United to Delta a few years back. United started to become bad with reliability and we missed connections. Did fly on a Delta A332 which had the old 170 degree beds (ATL-MAN) but slept ok on those.