How bad is Jet-Lag? advices?

[Suivi]

Hello!

I’m not from UK but from Europe and my question is concerning Jetlag (long flight) so I write this thread to the UK-Forum.

We will depart Sunday, May 15th at 11:30am and will arrive at 11:30pm because of 6 hours waiting time in Toronto. With the time-shift we it will take us about 18 hours to get from Austria to Orlando.

As I said, we will arrive late (11:30pm) and we have planned for Monday already Sea World. Is this possible or will we be too tired for the park? How bad is Jet-Lag? And do you have an advice for me? Should we sleep on the plane or sleep long before our departure to Orlando start?

Thank you for your answer,
Chris

 

[Latte Lover]

Hi,
We find that jet-lag isn't too bad going out, but is worse coming back home. We have arrived as late as midnight before and still we have been awake by 8 am the next morning as your body clock thinks it 's alot later. We were very tired on arrival at Orlando, though, and you might prefer to find a hotel near the airport for your first night, rather than trying to do a long drive when you are tired. We are usually too excited to be in Florida to feel any effects of jet-lag!
Have a lovely time.

 

[drennan]

I've got to agree we never suffer from jet lag going out there, even one year being delayed and not getting into our villa until after 2am, we were still in MK for 9.30am the next day as for the trip home now that's different, i think it's the thought of just coming home and you get totally depressed

Enjoy your forthcoming holiday, i'm sure jet-lag will be the last thing on your mind as soon as the plane touches down

ttfn
Sharon x

 

[Hilary]

That's a long trip for you!

With so many hours travelling I think you'll need to sleep when you feel you want to. Once you arrive in Orlando you'll probably find your body still takes a couple of days to adjust to US time, even though you think you could sleep for a week, and you'll be awake early for the first couple of days.

If you have an itinerary which would leave you enough time, maybe you could plan a half day trip to SeaWorld with some more time to spend there later in your trip. That way, at least you'd be able to leave the park when you got too tired without feeling you were missing out on any of it.

Have fun!

 

[Andrew Bichard]

I agree with the other posts here, Jet Lag is not as bad going out as coming back. One of the things I find helps me, is to put my watch back to USA time as soon as I get onto the aircraft (and forward to UK time on the way home).

Apart from a slight headachy type tiredness first night in USA, I am OK. Even when arriving in the USA early, I always make a point of staying up late until normal USA bedtime. If you are not arriving until 11:30 pm this should help you to get over jetlag.

Andrew

 

[marv]

We found coming home was worse. we arrived in gatwick at 10am and went to bed t 10pm that night as we were all shattered. Myself and 2 dd woke up more or less the same time at 2.30 am and had breakfast. It took me 2 weeks to get back into normal sleeping pattern.

 

[SammieG]

personally.. I find the jet lag MUCH worse going out, than coming back...

we often make it to a park on the first day, but it depends when my son wakes up.. there have been times he has been awake at 1.30am and will NOT go back to sleep..
thats a nightmare I can tell you..

 

[bozzly]

I can't understand how you can get jet lag going to the usa !! We normally arrive around 5pm us time (10pm uk time) if you go to bed first night around 9.30-10pm then you get a good nights sleep and wake up completly fresh in the morning.
Coming back home is another matter !

 

[lagunn]

us too we suffer no jet lag going but whan we get home i really suffer. makes me feel ill.(poor hubby has to work day after we return..(i couldnt do it)

 

[Suivi]

Thank you all for your advices...

@Bozzly: We will arrive Sunday 11.30pm and I think we will be ready to go to bed around 1am.... but I think I will try to sleep a little bit during the flight from Munich to Toronto.

I agree... when we will be at the entry of Sea World on Monday we won't be tired at all, no matter how many hours we slept.

Chris


My Planings:

MON: Sea World
TUE: Universal Studios
WED: Universal IOA
THU: Busch Gardens
FRI:
SAT:
SUN:
MON: Disney MK
TUE: Disney MGM
WED: Disney Epcot
THU: Typhoon Lagoon
FRI:
SA:
SUN: Departure

 

[tartangirl]

Hi Suivi,

You certainly have a long journey. I notice you have some free days on your plan. I would be tempted to shift your first set of parks on a day - it looks like your avoiding the parks at the weekend but I reckon Busch shouldn't be too bad on a friday.

I find Sea World quite a tiring park. Not sure if you have kids but ours find Seaworld the hardest park to walk around in the heat. It would be a shame to flag during the day as Seaworld is a great park and can be fantastic in the evenings when the crowds die down.

 

[mark&sue]

We always suffer from jet lag and are wide awake at 1.30a.m for at least the first couple of days. I never use an alarm to go to work when at home as my body clock wakes me up and I think it just carries on regardess of the time zone. Perhaps the people who don't get jet leg normally rely on clock alarms to wake them up for work???? Just a theory probably completely wrong!


Susan

 

[Miffy2003]

Susan you may be right!

I don't (usually) experience jet lag on the way to America but I always need two alarm clocks to get me out of bed normally

 

[mushumadness]

I find the best way to beat jet lag is to change the time on your watch to your destination time as soon as you board the plane, this gives your mind time to get used to the idea.

I only seem to suffer jet lag on the way home and mine lasts about a week, it consists of being really tired yet not being able to go to sleep. it just one day seems to be gone and my sleeping pattern gets back to normal.

hope it helps, hope you have a really good trip!!!

anna

 

[eyoreaud]

Hi Chris

Some of the best ways to avoid jet lag are to drink plenty of water and avoid alchohol and tea/coffee an any caffeine based drinks as dehydration is a big cause of jet lag,

Hope this helps

Luv Audrey,
xxxxxxxxxxx

 

[lal32]

Coming from Australia the time difference and flight lengths are probably exaggerated, so I can tell you my experience.

Jet lag going to the USA for us isn't so bad. Even if it takes over 24 hours to finally get there you still arrive on the same day that you left, USA time. So, the change is a little disorientating, but it at least makes some sense.

Going home is harder. For example, if you leave on a Tuesday morning for a 15 hour flight, you arrive back home Thursday, Australia time. This throws me for a good couple of days.

My advice…as soon as you board the plane change your watch to read the local time of your destination. Try and get your sleep around the normal sleeping patterns based on this time, this way you know you will not be sleeping the last 6 hours of the flight away only to realize you land at 10:00pm USA time and then can't sleep. That is the kind of thing that will cause major jet lag.

 

[paulh]

we know were going to be up early the first few days sowe always plan doing busch gardens at the start we are sometimes at the gate 1/2 hour before it opens (and we would have stoped of for brekie) makes for a nice day as it dosent get buesy in morn like disney
Paulh