Tips for Avoiding Jet Lag

[nwdisgal]

Hey All,

I need your tips on how to adjust across time zones and minimize jet lag. DH has to travel alot across multiple time zones and it just kicks him. He travels from West to East, so he usually has to leave on a Red Eye.

Any tips for how to sleep on the plane and once he's there at his new destination, adjusting to about a five to six hour loss in time and getting on a normal sleep schedule?

Every time he travels now, he's getting sick because of the sleep deprivation.

 

[chris1gill]

For some reason, when I travel East to West I adjust almost automatically to the time change... no problem.... but, unfortunately when I come West to East, I'm always jetlagged... I have no idea... But, what we always do is sleep on the plane as much as is humanly possible... Since he is coming East to West on the Red Eye, can he sleep at home prior to coming East? Remember, when he gets on the red eye, it's six hours ahead at his destination. I try to adjust as soon as possible & that starts at home typically.... Thankfully all our holiday destinations are West of us LOL....

 

[MagicKingdom05]

I try to leave myself a day at the end or come home Friday night or Saturday monring to give myself a day or so to get my barings back.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

From West to East on a red eye--sleep on the flight and when you land do not go to bed until the proper bedtime, going to bed early if necessary--i.e. no naps. We did this when we went to England and that first day was a doozy--but the adjustment took and while we were a little off, we were not jet lagged.

From East to West the opposite--unless a long flight---stay awake on the plane and then just keep your self awake until bedtime. This wasn't so bad--though we kept waking up a bit early...we were in Hawaii and didn't have much problems.

 

[KarenAylwood]

Like Lisa Loves Pooh said- for west to east, try to sleep some on the plane but it's just not possible for some (on the red eye to Ireland I slept... an hour I think) and then go to bed at a normal time the day you get there.

We got there at 8:30am and did take a short nap (maybe 2 hours) just to get functional since we hadn't slept AT ALL on the plane, but no matter how tired we were, we didn't go to bed until 10 or 11pm their time in order to keep ourselves on their schedule.

The first day sucks but if you get to bed at the right time, you're usually ok by the next day.

 

[nwdisgal]

Yah, that is the big problem. He has a hard time sleeping on the plane. One hour to two hours is about it.

 

[LiteBrite]

Agreed - west to east, sleep on the plane if possible, but whether you do or not, make yourself stay up till bedtime. The first day goes by as a blur, but the second day I feel almost normal.

East to west, stay awake on the plane, then sleep at bedtime when you get home.

 

[nwdisgal]

Good suggestions! I think he is allowing himself to nap when he gets to the East (just because he's so tired from not sleeping much on the plane) which is throwing off his cycle. I think that might be the trick, is to give up that nap and keep himself awake until bedtime at his new destination.

 

[safetymom]

The best advice I can give is noise cancelling headphones. I used to get off a plane and feel terrible. Since I got the headphones I feel a lot better. It is much easier to sleep on the plane now that the noise level is lower.

 

[Laura]

I have a hard time sleeping on planes, too. I basically just try to close my eyes and pretend I'm sleeping, let my body rest even if my brain won't. It's definitely harder flying eastward. What I've done then is to make sure I don't arrive in the evening close to bedtime, but in the morning instead. As others posted, I definitely forgo a nap until it's bedtime. That way I'm tired enough to go right to sleep and sleep through the night. Otherwise, my body thinks it's earlier (like 5pm instead of 10pm when I've gone to England) and I will want to eat dinner instead of sleep! The first day is kinda fuzzy, but the rest of the time I'm fine.

When flying westward, I want to arrive at night and go right to sleep when I get to my destination. We did this on our honeymoon to Hawaii. We arrived after dinner and by the time we got to our hotel, it was about 4am back home. So we were tired enough to just go to sleep. The next morning we felt just fine.

 

[DisneyTarheel]

Melatonin. I take 3mg an hour or so before going to bed at my destination for the first 2 or 3 nights.

 

[Tink&SquirtsMom]

Sorry if this takes it OT... but does anyone have tips for travelling multiple time zones and stopping in the middle. I'll be flying from CA to London, having I think a 17 hour (overnight) layover and then flying onto Kenya. CA to London is, I believe an 8 hour time difference and London to Kenya is a 3 hour difference (so I'll be 11 hours off once I finally get to Kenya). Not sure how to handle that day in London in between. I believe we arrive at 11 am and will do a city tour (so be fairly active) and fly out early the next morning.

 

[Michelle2]

I have been on many international flights and have suffered jet lag, but cannot remember for the life of me what I did to help it besides just struggle through it...it has never been regular like the OP's DH...that would be tough.

I wish I could remember because we are delayed in San Fransisco right now heading out to Tokyo in tbe morning....not looking forward to that long flight, or that jet lag....

 

[Tink&SquirtsMom]

Have fun!!!!

 

[shortbun]

http://www.antijetlagdiet.com/faqs.asp

I have used Argonne's anti jetlag program for years. It's right on for me.

http://www.stopjetlag.com/

The 2nd site uses similar techniques but adds melatonin. I have had good luck with melatonin at destination sleeping. I've talked to some people who don't use it successfully though.

Jet lag is no joke, it's debilitating. I travelled extensively for a long time and really had trouble with it until I started controlling my body clock.