Jetlag tips
 

I've been traveling back and forth between the UK and New York for the last 3 years, sometimes 3-4 times a month. Problem is I suffer terribly from jetlag and was wondering if anyone has some good tips on recovery from it?

I am also too tall to lie flat in business class so that's not a good option for me. First class on United works but it feels like I am sleeping in a coffin, or what I imagine it feels like sleeping in a coffin!

I found that taking the day flight back to the UK (arriving around 9pm GMT) works very well for me but if I don't get the first night of sleep right then I'm screwed for a week. I have also tried Melatonin but I seem to be immune to that now.

Any tips would be appreciated!

Re: Jetlag tips
 

My problem with jetlag is always/only flying east. I take a redeye, and usually fly economy, so sleep isn't easy but I grab as much shut-eye as I can - more than two hours if I am lucky. :( Then I force myself to stay awake all day when I arrive in the UK, and get an early-ish night, say 9.30-10pm, and I am usually right as rain the next morning. If I go on business, which I haven't in ten years, I fly on Saturday evening, so Sunday is my "rough" day and I am ready for work in Monday morning.

Flying west I just stay up until around my usual bedtime and I'm fine the next morning. :)

It seems to me that taking a morning flight you're losing awake hours, and therefore trying to go to sleep five hours too early when you arrive in the UK, and generally that doesn't work well. If you fly in the evening/overnight and stay awake all day when you arrive in the UK, sure it's rough on the plane, and the next morning/day, but your body is ready for sleep by the evening (UK time).

Re: Jetlag tips
 

When I fly over to the US I stay up until the proper time and take a melatonin to try get my body clock on schedule.

I only recently found out that it is controlled in the UK and requires prescription

Re: Jetlag tips
 

I generally deal with it by soaking in the bath tub for a while, downing a couple of beers and then hitting the sack for a few hours even if it's daytime in the new time zone.

Always works for me anyway

Re: Jetlag tips
 

I'm glad that it works for you, but generally the advice is to get on to your new schedule ASAP, and sleeping at "off" times in your new yime zone is only likely to delay getting back on to a regular schedule.

Re: Jetlag tips
 

Three hour power snooze in the early afternoon and I'm up and about, able to function until about 9-10 PM then dog tired and back to bed until 7:AM then more or less acclimatized. I always eat a decent sized meal before turning in for the night. I started doing that after waking up at 2 AM and feeling like it was time for supper since my belly was still on Pacific Standard Time. My UK relatives didn't appreciate me clumping around and raiding the fridge at that ungodly hour either