Sleep aid for a long flight

[richard_smith237]

14 minutes ago, Hummin said:

When you have that kind of money, you have other worries and problems, than just sleep in a airplane. If not making money on the plane, better flying 1. class wherever you need to go, and trust me, Thailand wouldnt be one of those places anymore 😄

 

Really ???  Beckham, Zuckerberg, Musk... (amongst Many others) have all visited Thailand... 

 

Musk was even known to troll people on this forum under the moniker Bob Smith and sold his knockoff 36mm Rolex Datejust ref 16200 to an unsuspecting sex pest  

[Hummin]

7 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Really ???  Beckham, Zuckerberg, Musk... (amongst Many others) have all visited Thailand... 

 

Musk was even known to troll people on this forum under the moniker Bob Smith and sold his knockoff 36mm Rolex Datejust ref 16200 to an unsuspecting sex pest  

maybe I should said anymore 😉 Of course I will still visit in the future since my wife is from Thailand, but if I had that kind of money, I wouldnt been moving to Thailand, neither marry a thai. I always had a gf from the place I lived, and same for Thailand when I first moved here. 

 

And if I had that kind of money, I would had been busy making more money elsewhere, simple as that. 

 

Edit note, I would had lived in Switzerland, if I was that wealthy or in Norway, depending on my current situation and which businesses I would be involved in

[richard_smith237]

8 minutes ago, Hummin said:

maybe I should said anymore 😉 Of course I will still visit in the future since my wife is from Thailand, but if I had that kind of money, I wouldnt been moving to Thailand, neither marry a thai. I always had a gf from the place I lived, and same for Thailand when I first moved here. 

 

And if I had that kind of money, I would had been busy making more money elsewhere, simple as that. 

 

Edit note, I would had lived in Switzerland, if I was that wealthy or in Norway, depending on my current situation and which businesses I would be involved in

 

Interesting point...   I always considered that if I had FU money...   where would I be.

 

I'm here now, so I'd probably stay here - but I'd probably also travel more than I already do.

 

My son is already in an Excellent school here - and I think its as good as top schools in the UK, so I might not change that - but Uni of course would be else where.

 

The world would then be a lot smaller because hopping on an over night First Class flight would be no trouble whatsoever...    We'd have houses in the area's we preferred.

 

I'd want to remain active in a business that isn't stressful....   I wouldn't want to just 'settle' into retirement doing nothing...  I already like the work I do and would be happy to continue for as long as I physically can, perhaps stepping back a little....   and of course making the travel less arduous (my job used tave buisness class flights everywhere - now that has been chipped away at which makes the travel side of it a chore rather than something semi-enjoyable).

 

 

So - with $billions would I stay here ??.... I think I just might - I already know plenty of Thai's with that soft of money, they have homes in Japan, London etc...  travel a lot - but this is still their home... and even though I am still considered an Alien here - its my home, is my Wife's home and its my Son's home and it always will be.

 

 

[Hummin]

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Interesting point...   I always considered that if I had FU money...   where would I be.

 

I'm here now, so I'd probably stay here - but I'd probably also travel more than I already do.

 

My son is already in an Excellent school here - and I think its as good as top schools in the UK, so I might not change that - but Uni of course would be else where.

 

The world would then be a lot smaller because hopping on an over night First Class flight would be no trouble whatsoever...    We'd have houses in the area's we preferred.

 

I'd want to remain active in a business that isn't stressful....   I wouldn't want to just 'settle' into retirement doing nothing...  I already like the work I do and would be happy to continue for as long as I physically can, perhaps stepping back a little....   and of course making the travel less arduous (my job used tave buisness class flights everywhere - now that has been chipped away at which makes the travel side of it a chore rather than something semi-enjoyable).

 

 

So - with $billions would I stay here ??.... I think I just might - I already know plenty of Thai's with that soft of money, they have homes in Japan, London etc...  travel a lot - but this is still their home... and even though I am still considered an Alien here - its my home, is my Wife's home and its my Son's home and it always will be.

 

 

I have  friend who recently relocated to Singapore,  because of potential tax here. 

[SideOut]

On 11/21/2024 at 9:04 AM, richard_smith237 said:

 

On a recent flight I sat next to a Thai flight attendant who was 'dead-heading'....   She managed to wrap herself up, face mask, eye mask, hoodie, neck pillow... then didn't move for 5 hours - just slept through. Obviously well practiced at sleeping on planes. 

 

The best sleep I get on flights is when I'm exhausted and take an 'aid' (as earlier discussed).. I will have been up since about 5am... and I'm catching a 10pm flight, I speak to the FA, no food etc - wake up with a coffee as late as possible.

As soon as the seatbelt seat is off, seats flat - I'm usually already well on my way to falling asleep by then.

 

BUT... when not travelling for work, with family in Eco, like you I just don't sleep, I find it incredibly difficult so wherever possible, I don't try - I take day flights and use a quick layover to sleep (on the way to or from the UK)

i.e. fly in the morning: BKK to Dubai - we're chilling in a pool by mid afternoon, have a dinner, early to bed, then back at the airport in the morning (<24 hr layover bags through to final destination), no need to check-in (already have boarding passes) - head straight to gate, grab a coffee and breakfast on the way.

 

IMO - IF unable to sleep well on flights, breaking up the flight with a layover is the best option and it also helps with jet-lag.

 

 

That's a great idea for traveling to Europe. I'll definitely consider that for my next trip. Out of curiosity, can you book that as a single flight itinerary, or do you need to book two separate flights? Assuming single itinerary, since you mention already being checked in. 

[richard_smith237]

On 11/21/2024 at 1:50 AM, Rampant Rabbit said:

On 11/20/2024 at 9:35 PM, richard_smith237 said:

 

Topics about sleeping on a flight - not watching TV or bragging about flying business or First.

wind yer neck in as thats exactly what I thought when u responded with your business  class quote about lie flat beds being hard

 

Nope... I was being flippant in direct response to the same flippancy expressed by others with their 'ego trip remarks'... "just fly business" - which is obviously not the answer for someone who's only willing to pay Eco flights and looking for sleep aids.

 

So in response to your 'winder yer neck in' comment - I'd retort... 'wind yer ego in'.. 

 

But, if that wasn't enough info from my comment... part of the comment which you replied to but ignored in your haste to let everyone know you 'turn left'... 

 

On 11/20/2024 at 7:16 PM, richard_smith237 said:

 

Or...  get realistic - not everyone flys business class, so your of cuff remark is pathetic and serves no purpose.

 

 

[richard_smith237]

On 11/24/2024 at 10:24 AM, SideOut said:

That's a great idea for traveling to Europe. I'll definitely consider that for my next trip. Out of curiosity, can you book that as a single flight itinerary, or do you need to book two separate flights? Assuming single itinerary, since you mention already being checked in. 

 

Different Airline Sites manage this option in a different way. 

 

Emirates do this are part of the regular booking - you can select the flight at each stage.

If the flight 'window' you want falls outside of the flights offered on the Website you can chose 'mulit-city' - which then gives you an option to fly with a greater lay over. 

If have found that with Emirates - on our regular booking you can chose a stopover of up to about 35 hours.

Note: Any layover longer than 24 hours requires you to collect your baggage (at the point of layover).

 

Turkish Operate in a Similar Manner - but do this a little better, they offer layovers under a 'visit Istanbul' scheme and include a free hotel... But the free hotel is only included on one of the legs and for one night.

The last trip we took a layover (<24 hrs) and had an included hotel...  arrived in IST - went to the hotel, had a walk around, had a nice meal, slept and then back to the Airport (transport as included but a bit of a faff)

On the return we took a stop over (>24 hrs) - 3 days and made more of a trip of it.

One of the reasons this was a good idea (with Turkisk) was their flights being a lot cheaper when using a 'Layover / Stopover' option.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SideOut]

10 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Different Airline Sites manage this option in a different way. 

 

Emirates do this are part of the regular booking - you can select the flight at each stage.

If the flight 'window' you want falls outside of the flights offered on the Website you can chose 'mulit-city' - which then gives you an option to fly with a greater lay over. 

If have found that with Emirates - on our regular booking you can chose a stopover of up to about 35 hours.

Note: Any layover longer than 24 hours requires you to collect your baggage (at the point of layover).

 

Turkish Operate in a Similar Manner - but do this a little better, they offer layovers under a 'visit Istanbul' scheme and include a free hotel... But the free hotel is only included on one of the legs and for one night.

The last trip we took a layover (<24 hrs) and had an included hotel...  arrived in IST - went to the hotel, had a walk around, had a nice meal, slept and then back to the Airport (transport as included but a bit of a faff)

On the return we took a stop over (>24 hrs) - 3 days and made more of a trip of it.

One of the reasons this was a good idea (with Turkisk) was their flights being a lot cheaper when using a 'Layover / Stopover' option.

 

 

 

 

 

 

That's great to know. Thanks for the detailed reply.

[fleur3]

On 11/20/2024 at 5:41 PM, Hummin said:

You do not get zonked our, but an God idea to take 5mg first and if you wake up, drink some water, 5 mg more, another needed restroom visit, and back to sleep

No problem when something happens. They will wake you up .you are not off the world only sleeping 

[Hummin]

1 minute ago, fleur3 said:

No problem when something happens. They will wake you up .you are not off the world only sleeping 

I think you qouted the wrong person, try the one I qouted

[jcmj]

I haven’t been able to get dormicum in about three years. I think they stopped getting them in the hospital. I don’t really use use Xanax , but you can get mirtazapine or trazadone at the pharmacy. Long flights suck. I get it. 

[CygnusX1]

On 11/21/2024 at 10:06 AM, Irish made said:

Antihistamines are very effective for sending you to sleep, but I find they make my mouth very dry, and leave me hungover the next day. 

I have to take an antihistamine travel sickness pill on long bus trips on winding roads, and find them so effective at inducing sleep that I fall asleep when I absolutely don’t want to, such as on a super scenic trip along the Croatian coastline. Also agree on the dry mouth and hangover.

 

I never use these pills on aircraft, as I don’t get airsick, and I almost never manage to get any sleep on long haul flights. I prefer it that way, as I find that if I get extremely tired, I can then go to bed at the right time for my destination, and have a very long sleep, after which I have zero jet lag.

[HermesHermes]

Lemborexant ('Dayvigo') is not cheap but is effective - for me anyway. Available by Rx only. I take half the prescribed dose or I will be groggy for an hour when I wake up 9 hours later.

[Kinok Farang]

On 11/20/2024 at 4:58 PM, Hummin said:

5 valium 5mg have been great for me, I get them at Bangkok hospital for 2k included dr fee, only two each flight, and one for the jetleg when I arrive back home if not straight of offshore. 

 

I know this was not what you asked for, but thats one of the few "legal" ways of doing it, with something that actually works. 

 

My recipee my experience, and should not be taken as an advise. One redvine for the food, and one cognac after, one bottle of water, two valium, do your needed restroom duties,  and sleep 

Bangkok hospital Pattaya are notorious for over-pricing and you have just proved that.

[Kinok Farang]

On 11/22/2024 at 2:29 PM, BigStar said:

 

Amitriptyline is effective and very cheap. It does tend to leave you lethargic the next day. It's also pretty strong. I would have to split it, 3 mg would be quite sufficient. 400 mg of ibuprofen I also find excessive. 200's fine. Ultracet (or Duocetz, from public hsps) is good, might could just go with that and skip the "Ami," as Thais call it, and the ibuprofen.

 

I used to take 10mg of Amitriptyline but soon found out they would knock a rhino out.A third of pill(3mg) gives me a great nights sleep and at 35 baht for 10 has got to be the best value in Thailand.

[Hummin]

21 minutes ago, Kinok Farang said:

Bangkok hospital Pattaya are notorious for over-pricing and you have just proved that.

I got the real thing I couldn't get anywhere else with legal prescription 

[TimBKK]

 

Email from Dr. Andrew Huberman about mitigating jet lag - bit off topic but hopefully of interest:
 

Jet lag is a significant physical and mental challenge. It is caused by rapid travel into different time zones, which disrupts the body's circadian rhythm (internal clock), causing a misalignment between your internal clock and the day/night cycle. The degree of disruption depends on the individual and the number of time zones you cross. Jet lag causes fatigue and mood fluctuations. It worsens with age. This newsletter explains how to quickly align with a new time zone to mitigate some of jet lag's effects.

Before You Travel East

Eastward travel is typically more challenging for the body to adapt to. Why? Most people find it easier to stay awake later than to fall asleep earlier. In the former, there’s more time to get the necessary light signals at the right times compared to the latter. 

 

If you can, prepare for your trip and partially adjust your circadian rhythm before your eastward travel by using light, exercise and caffeine:

• Get Early Light Exposure: When traveling east (say you’re flying from California to New York) you need to shift to waking up earlier than you normally would. Starting two days before you leave, try waking up 30 to 45 minutes prior to your usual wake-up time and view bright sunlight or bright artificial light as soon as you wake up.
• Drink Caffeine Early: This will help promote alertness early in the day and make it much easier to shift to your new time zone when you fly east.
• Getting Moving: Within 60 minutes of your new, earlier wake-up time, get some physical movement — even just some light jogging if you can’t do a full workout.

These three levers: light, caffeine and exercise will help adjust your circadian clock fast. 

Before You Travel West

As mentioned earlier, westward travel tends to be easier for most people. That said, it can still help to adjust your circadian rhythm before your travel by using light, exercise and caffeine. In this case, however, you’ll want to shift everything to 30 to 45 minutes later in the day as opposed to earlier. A slightly later wake-up time, a slightly later caffeine intake in the morning and day (but still avoid caffeine in the eight to 10 hours prior to bedtime) and a slightly later workout — even just by 45 minutes, will all combine to help. 
 

You’ll also want to make sure that you get bright light exposure to your eyes from artificial lights in the one to two hours after sunset. Remember, you’re trying to prepare to stay up later as you soon fly westward. 

When You Arrive at Your New Destination (Regardless if You Flew East or West)

Eat Like a Local

Eating is a strong mechanism for entraining (setting) your circadian clock. Adopting the local meal schedule when you arrive — eating breakfast, lunch and dinner more or less at the same times as the locals, even if you’re not hungry — will help you shift to the new time zone. 

 

Personally, I hate to eat when I’m not hungry (and love to eat when I am!), so I opt out of this protocol since it has me eating in my (subjective) middle of the night. That said, eating on the local schedule is known to work. If it works for you, go for it — you’ll shift faster. The earlier you can get on the local meal schedule, the better.

 

Many find it effective to fast for a period of 14 to 16 hours before the local breakfast time to best adopt the new eating schedule. 

Time Your Light Exposure Correctly by Knowing Your Temperature Minimum

This is the power tool to shift your circadian clock fast, but it involves learning about your “temperature minimum” first. 

 

Your temperature minimum is your lowest body temperature in each 24-hour cycle. You don’t need to measure your body temperature to know it, as it occurs approximately two hours before your usual wake-up time. If you typically wake up at 7 a.m., your temperature minimum is very likely to be between 4:30 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. Know your temperature minimum by knowing your typical wake-up time, irrespective of whether you use an alarm clock. Again, this is a time, not a temperature. 

 

Here's the key: If you get bright light exposure to your eyes in the one to two hours after your temperature minimum, you will adjust your circadian clock such that it will make you want to go to sleep earlier in the subsequent nights and wake up earlier in the subsequent mornings. Perfect for traveling east.

 

Conversely, if you get bright light exposure to your eyes in the one to two hours before your temperature minimum, you will shift your circadian clock such that it will make you want to go to sleep later and wake up later in the subsequent nights. Perfect for traveling west.

 

Here's the second key issue: We are referring to the time of your temperature minimum before you leave! This is vital to understand. Get it right and you’ll shift fast across time zones. Get it wrong and it can be a mess. 

 

Why? Well, think about this. Imagine you fly from San Francisco to London (+8 hours). You land in the morning London time and the sun is out. Huberman said get morning sunlight in your eyes, right? Yes, but for the first two to three days in London before you adjust your clock, viewing that London morning sunlight is the same to your brain’s clock as getting a giant blast of light in your eyes at midnight San Francisco time. 

 

So, guess what? You just made your body want to go to bed much later and wake up later. You got it backward. Many people sleep well their first night after flying east, wake up, see sunlight and the second night is a mess. They can’t sleep!

 

It would be better to wear dark sunglasses during the two to three hours before your temperature minimum for the first two days in London. However, be sure to get sunlight in your eyes during the afternoon London time, which is one to two hours after your temperature minimum.

 

Here, I am just using London as an example. You must figure it out based on your own travel. I know it sounds complicated, but if you know the time of your temperature minimum back home, and what is shared above, and you’ll nail this protocol easily. 

Use Artificial Light & Red Lens Glasses

Of course, it’s often very cloudy, or you may land at night, and we can’t control the sunrise and sunset times — though if you can, please contact me. What you can do, however, is travel with a portable bright light device (you’ll want one with 5,000-10,000 lux brightness) to use to shift your clock. Remember that even when it is cloudy, sunlight through cloud cover is almost always far brighter than artificial lighting. Get outside and get that sunlight at the correct times and you’ll shift fast. Then, you can return to your standard “view sunlight in the (local) morning and (local) afternoon” to stay on the local schedule.

 

One thing we can all control is the brightness of our evening and nighttime environment. This can be implemented. When you want to sleep soon, reduce exposure to bright lights — especially blue and green (short wavelength) light. Alas, all LED lights are rich in blue and green wavelengths. For that reason, I wear red-lens glasses (Note: I helped ROKA design the Wind Down lens and they are a podcast sponsor) after sundown to help adjust to my local sleep schedule. Doing this is known to protect against the melatonin-reducing effects of bright light and to prevent the cortisol-increasing effects of bright light. 

Maintain a Regular Exercise Schedule

While traveling, try to maintain a consistent early-in-the-day exercise routine (adjusted to the local time at your destination) to help reinforce your circadian rhythm and aid in quicker adjustment to the new time zone. Exercises might include light aerobic exercises like walking or more engaged activities depending on your fitness level and degree of jet lag. 

Final Tip

For trips that last fewer than three days, staying on your home schedule may be beneficial to minimize disruptions to your circadian rhythm.

[jas007]

It helps to take a flight that leaves late at night so you're already sleepy when you get on the plane.  

 

Mostly, I don't worry about it.  Sometimes I can sleep, sometimes I can't, in which case I just watch movies.  I travel from the USA, so the flights are always long.  Total flying time including any layovers can be 25 hours or more. Thai Air used to have non-stop flights  that were about 17 hours, but those were stopped years ago.  I didn't mind those in Premium Economy. 

 

One time I met a girl at the check in line at the airport and talked to her for a while.  She was in my section, but after we boarded the plane, I didn't see her again for the entire flight until the baggage claim area.  She said she had taken some Xanax pills before the flight, and those had zonked her out for the entire flight. 

[richard_smith237]

10 minutes ago, TimBKK said:

 

 

Email from Dr. Andrew Huberman about mitigating jet lag - bit off topic but hopefully of interest:
 

Jet lag is a significant physical and mental challenge. It is caused by rapid travel into different time zones, which disrupts the body's circadian rhythm (internal clock), causing a misalignment between your internal clock and the day/night cycle. The degree of disruption depends on the individual and the number of time zones you cross. Jet lag causes fatigue and mood fluctuations. It worsens with age. This newsletter explains how to quickly align with a new time zone to mitigate some of jet lag's effects.

Before You Travel East

Eastward travel is typically more challenging for the body to adapt to. Why? Most people find it easier to stay awake later than to fall asleep earlier. In the former, there’s more time to get the necessary light signals at the right times compared to the latter. 

 

If you can, prepare for your trip and partially adjust your circadian rhythm before your eastward travel by using light, exercise and caffeine:

• Get Early Light Exposure: When traveling east (say you’re flying from California to New York) you need to shift to waking up earlier than you normally would. Starting two days before you leave, try waking up 30 to 45 minutes prior to your usual wake-up time and view bright sunlight or bright artificial light as soon as you wake up.
• Drink Caffeine Early: This will help promote alertness early in the day and make it much easier to shift to your new time zone when you fly east.
• Getting Moving: Within 60 minutes of your new, earlier wake-up time, get some physical movement — even just some light jogging if you can’t do a full workout.

These three levers: light, caffeine and exercise will help adjust your circadian clock fast. 

Before You Travel West

As mentioned earlier, westward travel tends to be easier for most people. That said, it can still help to adjust your circadian rhythm before your travel by using light, exercise and caffeine. In this case, however, you’ll want to shift everything to 30 to 45 minutes later in the day as opposed to earlier. A slightly later wake-up time, a slightly later caffeine intake in the morning and day (but still avoid caffeine in the eight to 10 hours prior to bedtime) and a slightly later workout — even just by 45 minutes, will all combine to help. 
 

You’ll also want to make sure that you get bright light exposure to your eyes from artificial lights in the one to two hours after sunset. Remember, you’re trying to prepare to stay up later as you soon fly westward. 

When You Arrive at Your New Destination (Regardless if You Flew East or West)

Eat Like a Local

Eating is a strong mechanism for entraining (setting) your circadian clock. Adopting the local meal schedule when you arrive — eating breakfast, lunch and dinner more or less at the same times as the locals, even if you’re not hungry — will help you shift to the new time zone. 

 

Personally, I hate to eat when I’m not hungry (and love to eat when I am!), so I opt out of this protocol since it has me eating in my (subjective) middle of the night. That said, eating on the local schedule is known to work. If it works for you, go for it — you’ll shift faster. The earlier you can get on the local meal schedule, the better.

 

Many find it effective to fast for a period of 14 to 16 hours before the local breakfast time to best adopt the new eating schedule. 

Time Your Light Exposure Correctly by Knowing Your Temperature Minimum

This is the power tool to shift your circadian clock fast, but it involves learning about your “temperature minimum” first. 

 

Your temperature minimum is your lowest body temperature in each 24-hour cycle. You don’t need to measure your body temperature to know it, as it occurs approximately two hours before your usual wake-up time. If you typically wake up at 7 a.m., your temperature minimum is very likely to be between 4:30 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. Know your temperature minimum by knowing your typical wake-up time, irrespective of whether you use an alarm clock. Again, this is a time, not a temperature. 

 

Here's the key: If you get bright light exposure to your eyes in the one to two hours after your temperature minimum, you will adjust your circadian clock such that it will make you want to go to sleep earlier in the subsequent nights and wake up earlier in the subsequent mornings. Perfect for traveling east.

 

Conversely, if you get bright light exposure to your eyes in the one to two hours before your temperature minimum, you will shift your circadian clock such that it will make you want to go to sleep later and wake up later in the subsequent nights. Perfect for traveling west.

 

Here's the second key issue: We are referring to the time of your temperature minimum before you leave! This is vital to understand. Get it right and you’ll shift fast across time zones. Get it wrong and it can be a mess. 

 

Why? Well, think about this. Imagine you fly from San Francisco to London (+8 hours). You land in the morning London time and the sun is out. Huberman said get morning sunlight in your eyes, right? Yes, but for the first two to three days in London before you adjust your clock, viewing that London morning sunlight is the same to your brain’s clock as getting a giant blast of light in your eyes at midnight San Francisco time. 

 

So, guess what? You just made your body want to go to bed much later and wake up later. You got it backward. Many people sleep well their first night after flying east, wake up, see sunlight and the second night is a mess. They can’t sleep!

 

It would be better to wear dark sunglasses during the two to three hours before your temperature minimum for the first two days in London. However, be sure to get sunlight in your eyes during the afternoon London time, which is one to two hours after your temperature minimum.

 

Here, I am just using London as an example. You must figure it out based on your own travel. I know it sounds complicated, but if you know the time of your temperature minimum back home, and what is shared above, and you’ll nail this protocol easily. 

Use Artificial Light & Red Lens Glasses

Of course, it’s often very cloudy, or you may land at night, and we can’t control the sunrise and sunset times — though if you can, please contact me. What you can do, however, is travel with a portable bright light device (you’ll want one with 5,000-10,000 lux brightness) to use to shift your clock. Remember that even when it is cloudy, sunlight through cloud cover is almost always far brighter than artificial lighting. Get outside and get that sunlight at the correct times and you’ll shift fast. Then, you can return to your standard “view sunlight in the (local) morning and (local) afternoon” to stay on the local schedule.

 

One thing we can all control is the brightness of our evening and nighttime environment. This can be implemented. When you want to sleep soon, reduce exposure to bright lights — especially blue and green (short wavelength) light. Alas, all LED lights are rich in blue and green wavelengths. For that reason, I wear red-lens glasses (Note: I helped ROKA design the Wind Down lens and they are a podcast sponsor) after sundown to help adjust to my local sleep schedule. Doing this is known to protect against the melatonin-reducing effects of bright light and to prevent the cortisol-increasing effects of bright light. 

Maintain a Regular Exercise Schedule

While traveling, try to maintain a consistent early-in-the-day exercise routine (adjusted to the local time at your destination) to help reinforce your circadian rhythm and aid in quicker adjustment to the new time zone. Exercises might include light aerobic exercises like walking or more engaged activities depending on your fitness level and degree of jet lag. 

Final Tip

For trips that last fewer than three days, staying on your home schedule may be beneficial to minimize disruptions to your circadian rhythm.

 

 

Dr Smith & AI suggest otherwise...   (see how easy it is to copy and past bo!!ox !!!)

 

Jet Lag: A Manageable Nuisance, Not a Significant Challenge

Contrary to popular belief, jet lag is not the insurmountable challenge it is often portrayed to be. While crossing time zones does temporarily disrupt the body’s circadian rhythm, the effects are typically mild and short-lived for most individuals. The human body is remarkably adaptable, and with some minor adjustments, jet lag can often be avoided or easily managed without overly complicated protocols.

The Overestimated Impact of Jet Lag

Jet lag is frequently exaggerated as a significant cause of fatigue and mood fluctuations. However, many of these symptoms are psychological or the result of general travel fatigue rather than true circadian misalignment. Studies suggest that individual resilience, mindset, and basic self-care often play a more significant role than the number of time zones crossed. Moreover, age is not necessarily a decisive factor; older individuals often report fewer difficulties with jet lag because they tend to have more regular sleep schedules and are better at pacing themselves during travel.

---

Simplifying Eastward Travel Adjustments

Eastward travel does not have to be as daunting as it’s often described. While it is true that advancing your internal clock (waking earlier) can be less intuitive than delaying it, the body can adapt quickly without meticulous preparation. Here's why:

Sleep Naturally Adjusts

The body is naturally equipped to adjust its sleep schedule in response to environmental cues. Rigidly adhering to pre-departure routines such as altering wake-up times, exercise, or caffeine intake is unnecessary for most travellers. Instead, focus on arriving at your destination and immediately aligning with the local schedule — this is usually sufficient for the body to adjust within a day or two.

---

Simplifying Westward Travel Adjustments

Similarly, westward travel — often deemed "easier" — is not worth overcomplicating. Instead of shifting wake-up times and light exposure schedules, a simple approach works best:

1. Stay Active: Upon arrival, engage in light activities that help keep you awake until the local bedtime.
2. Enjoy the Evening: Exposure to natural evening light, such as a walk during sunset, is more than enough to help your internal clock adjust.
3. Skip Unnecessary Gadgets: Red-lens glasses and portable light devices are rarely essential for managing westward jet lag.

---

Practical Arrival Strategies for Any Direction

Eat When Hungry

The idea of forcing yourself to eat according to local meal times is unnecessary. Hunger cues naturally adjust to align with your environment. Forcing meals can sometimes exacerbate discomfort. Instead, stay hydrated and eat only when you feel hungry. Trust your body — it knows what it needs.

Light Exposure Made Simple

While timing light exposure around your “temperature minimum” is theoretically sound, the approach is unnecessarily complex for most travellers. Simply getting morning light soon after waking up and spending time outside during daylight hours is usually enough to align your internal clock with the new time zone.

Relax About Artificial Light

Blue and green light reduction strategies, such as wearing red-lens glasses, are unlikely to make a noticeable difference for most people. Normalising your exposure to the natural day/night cycle is far more effective than micromanaging indoor lighting. Reducing screen time an hour before bed is a simpler and equally effective way to promote sleepiness.

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Exercise: A Minor Supporting Factor

While exercise is beneficial for overall health, it is not a key determinant in overcoming jet lag. Exercising early in the day is unnecessary if you’re feeling tired or unmotivated post-travel. Light walking or staying physically active as part of your daily routine is sufficient to help your body adjust. There’s no need for a regimented workout schedule to address jet lag.

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Final Tip: Embrace the Flow of Travel

For short trips lasting fewer than three days, maintaining your home schedule might seem practical, but it often adds unnecessary complexity. Instead, allow yourself to engage fully in the destination’s rhythms and enjoy the experience. Jet lag is often a mindset; the more you stress about it, the worse it feels.

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Conclusion

Jet lag, while real, is often overstated. The body is remarkably adept at adapting to new time zones, especially with basic strategies like aligning with the local schedule, staying hydrated, and prioritizing natural light exposure. Overcomplicating jet lag protocols can create unnecessary stress and detract from the joy of travel. By trusting your body’s innate adaptability, you can minimise jet lag’s effects without rigid routines or special gadgets.

[cheskakim]

Dude, 15+ hours is brutal. For a long flight like that, I'd grab some melatonin, it's pretty widely available in pharmacies in Thailand.