Yorkieabroad

When you get to the other end, as others have said, get on the new local time ASAP. If /when you start to feel tired but it's too early for bedtime, and especially if it is still light, get outside for a walk, jog, Pulaski a tree...anything to wake you up. Apparently the exposure to sunlight when your body is expecting dark helps to reset the body clock.

Ozzidoc

In 2012 I flew LHR-SAN 10 times. Fewer in 2013 - maybe six times.

I find the jetlag to be a killer. The first night I go to bed at my normal time - because that's what time it was by the time I am in the house and have checked my mail etc.

I'll then usually be awake at 12am/1am onwards. The next night I'll fall asleep on my feet at 6 or 7pm, awake at 1/2am.

And repeat for 3-4 more nights, with the times for both getting later by an hour each day.

This is with melatonin and daytime sunshine.

Friday I'm flying LHR-SAN, one way and first class....along with a multitude of reasons I can no longer physically cope with the jetlag at both ends.

aardvark

Same as the others. I moved out here to OC 2 or so weeks ago and had no problem adjusting. Jet lag was the least of my concerns, haha! Although, I was already on an American schedule because of all the paperwork and communication an 8hour difference causes anyway.

Bink

As others have mentioned, try and stay up. When I was coming over 10-12 times/yr I used to always try and go out the first night so I didn't just sit around and fall asleep early. I found if I could stay up until 10.30-11 ish that did the trick and I settled right into the time zone.

Going East however is just getting harder for me (young kid adds to this!) so if anyone has tips for US to UK I'm all ears!!

Ash14297

Thanks everyone for your comments! Looks like the consensus is to stay away when I get there and change my watch when I board the plane!

I'll be leaving LHR at around 11:30am arriving into LAX around 3pm.

Cardienscarf

If you can plan to have some things you have to do and be somewhere for after you arrive and for a couple of days, it makes you stay awake and be aware of the time.

Cardienscarf

I like to take a day time flight, arriving at Heathrow late evening. I found that flying to Chicago, spending the night there, catching a 9 am ish flight to LHR getting in at about 10:30 pm works well. By the time I get home, it's 12:30 - 1 am and I go to bed. I don't get nearly the jet lag I do if I take a night flight, sometimes none at all. Seems to depend on the time of year and how much daylight there is.

hutchiebug

I suffer badly from jetlag - can never sleep on the plane I set my watch to my destination's time when we take off and try not to worry about it. For me it takes several days to catch up.

Good luck with your move, how exciting!

Stoutbanana

My last flight MAN - SAN I stayed up he night before, drove to the hire car drop off (risky) and boarded the mid morning flight to LA. Having a first class seat helped and after the meal I set my watch for CA time and went to sleep until just before landing.
I stayed up until 11pm and slept right through to 7am and I was perfectly adjusted to the new time in a day.

Ulsterman in Texas

As others have said, flying West is easier than flying East, I have never flown to LAX but when I arrived in Dallas or Nashville before it was normally well into the evening so I just grabbed something to eat and stayed up until my normal bad time, I normally like to go to the Airport super early (I'm paranoid about missing flights) so I basically left my house in the middle of the night to get to the airport so I stayed up. Flying East is a killer though.

simongb

When you arrive at your destination, stay awake as long as you can. Make yourself go to bed a the normal time where you are and stay in bed until the next morning. This should make jet lag better. No matter what, you'll experience some jet lag, but you can do things to make it better.

Hotscot

Aardvark

How you getting on? Give us an update.