Jetlag with Aust to US flights

[FlyboyAl]

In June this year I am doing ADL-LAX on Virgin Blue/V Australia. First time I've flown on V Australia and am looking forward to it but.......
All my previous flights to the US have been on QF and generally I've arrived between 7.30 am and 11.30am.
I get off the flight, collect the hire car and enjoy the day, with an early dinner and early to bed.
Basically the body clock seems to accept this pretty well.
The V Australia flight leaves SYD at 8.30pm and arrives at 5.15pm, which means I sleep on the plane and then get to LAX in time to go to bed again!
I'm interseted to hear others thoughts on what effect these times have in regards to jetlag/body clock?
I'm trying to figure if I stay awake all night on the flight then sleep at the other end, but it worries me that I'd be over tired at the other end.
I have one day in LA before going to LAS for a conference, so I guess I should be ok, but it does worry me a little as far as the effect on my concentration span at the converence.

 

[harvyk]

What I would do (and it works for my body) is on arrival at LAX, stay up (and have a night out on the town???) and then use the next day to catch up on sleep (think daytime nap), and then a good sleep that night, and I've always then been refreshed the next day (which would be your conference in LAS) I've always found that my body clock adjusts the quickest this way, as everthing goes back into sync fairly quickly.

Of course everyone is different when it comes to jet lag, so what works for me, may not work for you...

 

[Dave Noble]

On my last trips to USA, I have flown via HNL and arrived into LAX late at night just in time to go to bed; have then had a good 6 -7 hours sleep and been fine for the morning even with an hour or 2 nap on the HNL-LAX service

Dave

 

[serfty]

Given those timings, I would try to get some sleep within an hour or two after takeoff, do this for 6 -7 hours and try to remain awake for the remaining 5-6 hours of the flight.

Do you normal eveing stuff at LAX and have a good nights sleep.

 

[albatross710]

Given those timings, I would try to get some sleep within an hour or two after takeoff, do this for 6 -7 hours and try to remain awake for the remaining 5-6 hours of the flight.

Do you normal eveing stuff at LAX and have a good nights sleep.

This sounds like what would work for me. I like to try and get into the normal sleep range of the destination as soon as possible. Even if I can't sleep I try and stay in bed, in the dark for as long as possible. For me, I also resist the urge to have daytime naps, once again trying to get to the local time.

 

[dajop]

Most times I've been to the US have involved arriving at my final destination somewhere between mid afternoon to early evening (ie. to the east coast or midwest), so not dissimilar to arriving at LAX at the time you mention.

I actually prefer the later arrivals (you don't have to stay up all day!), and I add a +1 to serfty and albatross710's recommendations. Basically try for a little sleep early in the flight. When you arrive force yourself to stay up until 10pm or so and then go to bed for a normal nights sleep, and also like albatross710 I resist the urge to have daytime naps.

 

[HardieBoys]

One word:

modafinil

 

[JohnK]

Strange how I am only ever affected by jetlag when I return to Australia.

 

[codash1099]

Strange how I am only ever affected by jetlag when I return to Australia.

+1. I always seem to be more "jetlagged" after the flight home, whether Int or Dom than otherwise. My theory is that it's all in the mind :shock:

 

[Maca44]

+1. I always seem to be more "jetlagged" after the flight home, whether Int or Dom than otherwise. My theory is that it's all in the mind :shock:

I am the same. Last two trips have flown SYD-SFO-ORD-DWT arriving into Detroit just after midnight and with a three hour transit in SFO and two hours in Chicago, and have never seemed to notice any jetlag. This August doing a similar trip, only going through LAX instead of SFO because they ceased F class, but I doubt whether I will suffer the effects of jetlag on this trip also. (F class thru to ORD does help, but only slightly as you are still stuck in a pressurized tube for many many hours). Even though it is a night flight out of both SFO and LAX, on my return to SYD arriving about 6am I am usually exhausted for a couple of days.

 

[Bolthead]

My wife and I are also traveling to LAX on VAustralia early next month departing and arriving at the same time as you. The only difference is we are then catching an overnight flight in Virgin America to Fort Lauderdale departing LAX @ 10:25PM and arriving Fort Lauderdale @ 6:20am. I have no idea when we will have a chance to sleep (I don't sleep well on planes) and we won't be able to check in to hotel until 4:00pm on our arrival. Considering all this I normally don't suffer with Jetlag going over, it's normally coming back that stuffs me around. No suggestions except perhaps some medicinal facilitation.

 

[JohnK]

+1. I always seem to be more "jetlagged" after the flight home, whether Int or Dom than otherwise. My theory is that it's all in the mind :shock:

My thoughts exactly.

 

[dajop]

My theory is that it's all in the mind :shock:

My theory is similar, all to do with adrenalin rush associated with travelling to somewhere exciting. Whereas usually no such rush in coming home.

Personally I find it much more difficult to deal with small time changes (eg the 3 hrs between WA/SIN and MEL during summer) than dealing with complete time zone reversals, probably because there is less adrenalin with it, and I don't really make any effort to adjust...

 

[JerseyVics]

from what I remember from my return to LA from SYD, spend the rest of the day/evening out and about sightseeing... then went to sleep, woke up in the morning, a little more sightseeing and on the plane to New York.

no jet lag and I have a tendency of not being able to really sleep on flights.

 

[SeaWolf]

One word:

modafinil

Isn't that very, very expensive though and requires a perscription? Or is it the kind of thing that private health insurance will cover?

 

[Blackadder]

In June this year I am doing ADL-LAX on Virgin Blue/V Australia. First time I've flown on V Australia and am looking forward to it but.......
All my previous flights to the US have been on QF and generally I've arrived between 7.30 am and 11.30am.
I get off the flight, collect the hire car and enjoy the day, with an early dinner and early to bed.
Basically the body clock seems to accept this pretty well.
The V Australia flight leaves SYD at 8.30pm and arrives at 5.15pm, which means I sleep on the plane and then get to LAX in time to go to bed again!
I'm interseted to hear others thoughts on what effect these times have in regards to jetlag/body clock?
I'm trying to figure if I stay awake all night on the flight then sleep at the other end, but it worries me that I'd be over tired at the other end.
I have one day in LA before going to LAS for a conference, so I guess I should be ok, but it does worry me a little as far as the effect on my concentration span at the converence.

I would be inclined to set my watch to LA time as soon as you get on the plane (3:30am if my maths is right), so get to sleep pretty much straight away for around 5 hours (8:30am LA time) and then you will be ready to start the day so to speak.

 

[19binda]

I travel frequently to Europe which I guess is the same as the US as I go to Frankfurt or Vienna with Qantas or Emirates and usually I try to go to bed later and later at night working for say the last 10 to 14 days before I go 1 hour later each day until I am on European time this works for me as I am self employed and can do it but even for those who have a boss it is possible in the interests of a good holiday to make up at least 4 to 6 hours before you go with a little sleep sacrifice before departure when I come home I try to arrive early in the day if possible before 8 am then work a normal day go to bed at the normal time and sleep as you will be tired drinking no alcohol and eating healthy food ie. plenty of fruit and veges healps as does being a non smoker having had a good holiday should see you refreshed and the jetlag should not be so bad having said all that even when the trip to Europe comes out of the blue I still don't jetlag badly even on short trips so I guess I am lucky plus I love to travel Hope this helps

 

[Julian P]

I flew in to Sydney from London this morning with only 1 hour stopover in Singapore, my tips are:

1) Get out and walk in sunlight/daylight when you arrive to reset the body clock, be careful using a laptop just before sleeping as this could fool the brain into mistaking it for sunlight (or your emails get you stressed).

2) Melatonin - take one when you go to sleep for first 3 days. You can buy it in the USA and Singapore but not UK, not sure about Australia.

 

[JohnCarrWestwood]

Having made several round the globe trips , I am coming to the conclusion that it easier to fly outward around the globe via asia than via US.
I have no data to support this but next time I go it will be flying via asia and taken notes
I definitely recover quicker on the home leg flying west from usa as I did a few weeks ago.

Maybe it because I am returning back to a "normal".
J

 

[dajop]

I have no data to support this but next time I go it will be flying via asia and taken notes
I definitely recover quicker on the home leg flying west from usa as I did a few weeks ago.

It's not uncommon for people to report less jetlag flying westbound than eastbound, despite them being longer flights. Really not surprising as westbound lengthens the day/night whereas eastbound compresses them. Fly SYD-LHR leave late afternoon and arrive the next morning in London. One (albeit very long) night. The other way you leave in the evening, have a short night arrive in Asia late afternoon then have a second short night before arriving in Australia the next morning. No wonder the body is screwed up after that!