How To Reduce The Effects Of Jet Lag.

[sokal]

I am getting sick of drinking coffees at 7:00 in the evening just to stay awake, then when 4:00 am rolls around I cant sleep. The 4am sight seeing tours on Koh San road are getting old.

Is there some theory about keeping your same sleep habit by sleeping at the right time on the plane ?

[Longbow212]

I was just about to post the exact same topic........ I am wide awake.

Travelling west is not a problem, you should feel extremely tired in the evening and wake up early. Travelling east you simply cannot sleep when you need to and feel almost sick with tiredness when you need to rise function.

It normally takes me 2 weeks to fully get over the jet lag when coming here. Last time I just made myself get up and go to work with no sleep the first day, that night I went to bed around 9pm and slept til 2am...then couldn't sleep again. This cycle repeated itself with me waking up about 1hr later each night. Then the weekend came and I went to bed around 2am and slept until 5pm the next day completely screwing everything up and putting me back to square one.

This time round I am free of commitments so I can sleep til whenever I like, therefore I am making myself wake up one hour earlier everyday as I simply cannot control when I fall to sleep but i can control waking up earlier.

Next time I will buy melatonin when back home, apparently its no miracle cure but it does help adjust your bodies circadium rhythm. Just take it when you want to go to bed and make sure you are in a dark room.

[sokal]

I was just about to post the exact same topic........ I am wide awake.

Travelling west is not a problem, you should feel extremely tired in the evening and wake up early. Travelling east you simply cannot sleep when you need to and feel almost sick with tiredness when you need to rise function.

It normally takes me 2 weeks to fully get over the jet lag when coming here. Last time I just made myself get up and go to work with no sleep the first day, that night I went to bed around 9pm and slept til 2am...then couldn't sleep again. This cycle repeated itself with me waking up about 1hr later each night. Then the weekend came and I went to bed around 2am and slept until 5pm the next day completely screwing everything up and putting me back to square one.

This time round I am free of commitments so I can sleep til whenever I like, therefore I am making myself wake up one hour earlier everyday as I simply cannot control when I fall to sleep but i can control waking up earlier.

Next time I will buy melatonin when back home, apparently its no miracle cure but it does help adjust your bodies circadium rhythm. Just take it when you want to go to bed and make sure you are in a dark room.

I fly west and I seem to have the same problem. Maybe adjusting to the humid temperature makes it worse.

[yabaaaa]

I come here 2-3 times a year form the Uk 6-7 hour time difference, I have found breaking my flight down stopping in Dubai sleeeping in the business lounge then flying business in the A 380 lie flat beds leaves me with almost no jetlag. I find flying west to east easy but going back to the UK much harder.

They say? you need 1 day per hour time difference to recover

[britmaveric]

stay awake night before and only sleep in thai time.

[endure]

When you get on the plane set your watch to Thai time. I'm with yabaaa - I find it much harder east to west. It takes me three days to get over a flight from Thailand to the UK but west to east is sorted with one night's sleep. I try to arrange to arrive in BKK in the evening so I can have a couple of beers and go straight to bed.

[AnthonyR1]

this works for me....was given the routine by a seasoned traveler;

for long flights, whenever possible;

arrange a flight time that has you arriving at your destination early morning

sleeping pill on the flight

once you've arrived do some physical exercise - preferably cardio

NO CAFFEINE that day

NO NAPS that day

another run or something that involves cardio early evening

sleeping pill that night

you should get on local time quite quickly with this, i do.

[yabaaaa]

When you get on the plane set your watch to Thai time. I'm with yabaaa - I find it much harder east to west. It takes me three days to get over a flight from Thailand to the UK but west to east is sorted with one night's sleep. I try to arrange to arrive in BKK in the evening so I can have a couple of beers and go straight to bed.

Yes my flighte usually arrive about 6-7pm in the evenings an then i always stay ina hotel 2 nights for maximum peace and quiet, go to sleep at about 9-10pm.

Going back is awful wake up at 1 am bright as a button then by 2-3 in the afternoon Im unconscious.

[Dave the Dude]

stay awake night before and only sleep in thai time.

Agreed, works for me every time and usually 'sorted' the following day

[WinnieTheKhwai]

To *STAY* sorted however it may take some OTC medications such as Melatonin. Perhsaps not for the relatively mild time difference with Europe and the UK, but you definitely don't conquer a jet lag from the USA in a single day.

Then again, Thailand is fun enough at night to make this a good thing.

[bonobo]

Travelling east or west, it takes me two days to get completely sorted.

I stay up the night before, then sleep on the plane.  At my destination, I stay awake until at least 9 or 10, then take melatonin to make sure I get a full 8 or 9 hour's sleep.

The killers are taking naps or going to bed too early.  That keeps you screwed up on the local time.

[Birdman]

............Then again, Thailand is fun enough at night to make this a good thing.

You forget about the masses who live in rural homes on the fields and about the ones who come here with their moms.

[poskat]

flying from the wes coast of the usa, take EVA or Cathay Pacific. They leave in the midnight-2am range. so you stay up, sleep on the transac portion, and then stay up from then. You arrive BKK about noon and stay up until going to bed at whatever time fits your lifestyle. Doing this, i find no jetlag whatsoever on the trip here. It's arriving at midnight and staying up until 4am(or later!!) then sleeping in that keeps your internal clock set on Western time.

[Scott]

I've tried everything imaginable and nothing works for me except time--and more of that than most people. It's miserable if you have to go to work, but the normal routine seems to be the best thing, even though I don't like it.

I envy people who have little or no problem with jet lag. My mother used to come to visit and she went to bed at night, got up the next day and seemed to be fine and that's coming from the US. I used to ask her if she wanted to take a nap during the day and she would say "Why?". Since she was retired she had nothing to do--meanwhile I have to work.

Life's just not fair! Best of luck.

[Gary A]

I normally suffered from jet lag for several days. I tried many things and nothing helped. I finally mentioned it to my doctor and after having me describe my travel habits, she told me that it was simple dehydration. The secret was to drink a LOT of water. She also told me that f I wanted to drink alcohol during the flight, that was fine except that I would have to drink even more water. It is a simple fix and it worked for me.

[wichianburi1]

Jet lag bothered me for a long time. The older one gets, the more difficult it seems to overcome it. I used to take Melamine and that helped me but in Thailand it is difficult to get over the counter. Nowadays, I stay in the sun and absorb sunshine for about 20 minutes on the day of arrival. That helps to "reset" the inner clock. Try it and you will see it helps.

[ManilaLover]

Stop believing in it, being dizzy after a long trip is just normal and 'having a jetlag' is partly an idea we created ourself !

Get up and get out during daylight time, destination time.

Get to sleep at a reasonable hour in the evening, destination time.

[wichianburi1]

Jet lag bothered me for a long time. The older one gets, the more difficult it seems to overcome it. I used to take Melamine and that helped me but in Thailand it is difficult to get over the counter. Nowadays, I stay in the sun and absorb sunshine for about 20 minutes on the day of arrival. That helps to "reset" the inner clock. Try it and you will see it helps.

Sorry for the typo; the medication should have read 'Melatonin'. There are also pressure points on the legs and arms to help you reset your inner clock quicker.

[bonobo]

I normally suffered from jet lag for several days. I tried many things and nothing helped. I finally mentioned it to my doctor and after having me describe my travel habits, she told me that it was simple dehydration. The secret was to drink a LOT of water. She also told me that f I wanted to drink alcohol during the flight, that was fine except that I would have to drink even more water. It is a simple fix and it worked for me.

Actually, I forgot to mention that in my post above.  Staying well-hydrated is very important to combat the effects of jet-lag.

[PeaceBlondie]

The trips were worse than jet lag, for me. Short and long flights in economy, up to 13 hours. Then long delays in airports, bad food. Delays, lost luggage... West or east, the same. Three days max, I was fine.

[Mighty Mouse]

I don't believe it wise to take a sleeping pill during a flight. If there is an emergency on board, you want your wits about you.

I do take a sleeping pill upon arrival at my hotel. (arrival time around midnight) I wake up six to eight hours later in broad daylight to Thai time with no jet lag.

[sokal]

I normally suffered from jet lag for several days. I tried many things and nothing helped. I finally mentioned it to my doctor and after having me describe my travel habits, she told me that it was simple dehydration. The secret was to drink a LOT of water. She also told me that f I wanted to drink alcohol during the flight, that was fine except that I would have to drink even more water. It is a simple fix and it worked for me.

Hydration is something I never considered but I will from now on.

[Longbow212]

try this.....

http://www.britishairways.com/travel/drsleep/public/en_us

[anon345535]

i heard to stay awake during flight, drink plenty of water and not to eat whilst flying. then on arrival continue to eat/sleep at normal times according to where you are...

personally i couldn't travel 12 hours without eating. i am not so badly affected from UK-BKK but on returning i seem to be tired all the time for at least 5 days, usually falling fast asleep at 7-8pm after sitting down to watch tv for just a few minutes

Edited April 4, 2010 by c411um

[mauGR1]

The trips were worse than jet lag, for me. Short and long flights in economy, up to 13 hours. Then long delays in airports, bad food. Delays, lost luggage... West or east, the same. Three days max, I was fine.

Very good point !

If jet-lag is your main concern, it means the trip was otherwise perfect.

A lost baggage is worse than 5 jet-lags.

[Tonto21]

I know to some people that have never really suffered the feeling so it’s all a bit of a joke to them. I must be very lucky, I can only recall the once when I could say I was jet lagged, funny enough that was in Thailand 04, I was here for a month, (first trip) it stayed with me the whole trip, I didn’t sleep properly for 4 weeks. I wasn’t drinking or whoring, much! I was taking part in off-road enduro events, so very physically demanding and only sleeping 2 or 3 hours a night by week 2, I was <deleted>**ed. I went home pretty ill, It took me months to recover.

Obviously the effects of jet lag can be very damaging to ones heath, but I’ve come to think jet lag is a state of mind, not a shift in time zones.

[PeaceBlondie]

The trips were worse than jet lag, for me. Short and long flights in economy, up to 13 hours. Then long delays in airports, bad food. Delays, lost luggage... West or east, the same. Three days max, I was fine.

Very good point !

If jet-lag is your main concern, it means the trip was otherwise perfect.

A lost baggage is worse than 5 jet-lags.

I can't separate the trip from jet lag. The problems are almost all from the trip.

[bonobo]

I don't believe it wise to take a sleeping pill during a flight. If there is an emergency on board, you want your wits about you.

I do take a sleeping pill upon arrival at my hotel. (arrival time around midnight) I wake up six to eight hours later in broad daylight to Thai time with no jet lag.

I personally would never take a sleeping pill unless prescribed by a doctor.  They tend to be highly habit forming, for one thing, and do cause drowsiness which could effect you in an emergency.

Melatonin, however, is not really a sleeping pill.  It is a hormone which fools your body into thinking it is time for sleep.  If you have to get up after taking it, you can, and function just as if you were waking from a non-augmented sleep.

Melatonin is a natural hormone produced by the body, and it helps regulate sleep. Light, or lack thereof, affects the production of it in your body.  As you get older, your pineal gland produces less, and this can contribute to jet lag as well.  So taking melatonin pills merely increases what your body normally makes.

[CaptHaddock]

Ambien works fine for me.  I take it during the trip to sleep on the plane, but, most importantly, I take it every night after arriving until jet lag wears off.  You still feel out of phase and may not have a good appetite, but at least you are not tired all the time because you can't sleep at night.  

[Longbow212]

Anyone know where to buy ambien or other sleeping pills (without going through the whole hospital visit procedure). I am aware you can get them as friends have had them before but all the pharmacies I have been to refer me to a hospital. So if anyone knows please PM me. Thanks