Kangaroo Route (Oz - London): how best to adjust body clock to minimise jet lag ?

[legroom]

Friends

I am interested in your tactic in adjusting the body clock on the Kangaroo route (AUS - LHR) after reading this post where the OP was aiming for shut eye leaving LHR on QF10.

Normally, I would aim to set my watch and my body clock for the destination time zone once I settle into my seat.

In this case, there would be two time zones to consider: DXB and LHR with the final (working) one of London, of course.

I wonder what your tactic has been on this route, esp from frequent flyers like Tony Hancock & Co who goes to London for his groceries (!).

	SYD/MEL	DXB	LHR
dep AUS	5pm	10am	6am
arr DXB	6am	11pm	7pm
dep DXB	8am	1am	9pm
arr LHR	6pm	11am	7am
	LHR	DXB	SYD
dep LHR	9pm	1am	8am
arr DXB	4am	8am	3pm
dep DXB	6am	10am	5pm
arr AUS	8pm	12 midnight	7am

Now, according to this little table (with time approximation), the best time to shut eye would be DXB LHR and DXB SYD legs.

That would force your body to adjust to the destination time zones but at the cost of overriding the departure time zone body needs.

My Q is: how many of you actually stick to this plan or just do what the other poster would like to do i.e. departure time zone behaviour ?

I am discussing time zones only, not so much sleeping pills or melatonin etc...

Appreciate your thoughts.

Cheers

 

[TonyHancock]

To be honest I have given up and just sleep when I can. Ideally on the way over it is best to sleep on the DXB-LHR leg, but in reality I will have slept* on the MEL-DXB leg after the meal service...and then the DXB-LHR is so short there is not much shut eye to be had.

On the way back I fair a bit better for similar reasons. I probably get a couple of hours sleep* on LHR-DXB and then the bright sunlight of Dubai wakes me up nicely leading to plenty of sleep on the way into MEL.

Day one on the ground is the clincher for me and my key has been staying awake until 9:00 PM at both ends.

*Read drunken stupor

 

[marki]

Have done this flight many times and yes have aimed at switching to the destination Timezone as soon as one steps on and into the aircraft.

I've tried hard sometimes being the only one awake with lights on a very long journey while on my first leg. I am sure some did not appreciated me being awake.

It was hard but I tried. I was conquered by heavy eyelids.

I have noticed people are different and everybody has a story to tell. All of these stories add to the knowledge but you have to find what works for you.

Some people cannot (for the life of them) sleep on aircraft.

Some can.

Some take tablets

Some have anxiety

Some need to be awake and conscious on there first day in Europe.

Some don't ..... There are different ways to approach these issues.

Some have all of the above.

Good luck .... Looks like your research is taking you in the right place.

 

[wingspan]

I nap between Australia and DXB, then aim to get a good night's sleep on the way into Europe. I prefer the morning arrivals because that means that I get going, have a nice lunch, enjoy the day and get to bed at a reasonable time, which means no jet lag for the journey.

 

[RooFlyer]

I try to get whatever sleep I can during the flight (which is rarely much). I don't adjust watch etc.

Happy to eat whatever's put in front of me, but I defer it until I'm hungry if I can. Will have a few drinks with meal but not 'to sleep' . Lots of water.

Then I try to stay awake as late as possible on arrival day, then collapse into bed exhausted. Usually sleep through first night and feel good that day. Second night is more iffy, and I take a couple of temazapan if I wake up during the night.

 

[legroom]

Friends

A related thought is whether the plane lighting should be adjusted as per the destination time zone.

All too often, it is not and it is up to the pax to wear eyemasks, take sedative etc.... when the sun / lights are on (but 10pm at destination) and vice versa (staying awake when it is dark outside and 10-11pm at departure timezone but 8am at destination).

I am not aware of any airline doing this. Are you ?

Should they be doing this at all ?

Thanks

 

[blu]

I snooze on all sectors (with eyemask, & dinner, no breakfasts) whereas MrsB often stays up and watches movies on all sectors. But I end up with the jetlag.

 

[OATEK]

I sleep on the first leg to Dubai, and if I can on the l eg into LHR. I then do everything in my power to stay awake until 9pm in London, and try for a good sleep that night. Seems to work ok.

But I haven't found a way to cope with the homeward leg. The first leg brought little sleep, and the long leg from DBX was just when I would be getting up in London so I found hard to get a decent sleep and struggled for a few days longer back home then when I arrived in London.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I'm in the 'snooze when you feel like it' camp.

jetlag westbound is never a problem, but eastbound can be brutal.

now days I just sleep when I want, and on arrival into Australia either try and stay up, or alternatively sleep on arrival if im tired, wake for a few hours and then take a sleeping tablet (or better melatonin if it works for you) and force the night time sleep.

'adjusting to time zones' once on board doesn't work for me. I'd rather be relaxed and enjoy the flight than be trying to calculate when I should sleep, and which meal I should be having at any stage of the flight. but then I pretty much sleep on most flights, for most of the flight... day or night doesn't matter.

 

[Alanslegal]

It's hard. I set my clock to LON time prior to leaving Australia. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

 

[legroom]

Friends

Some more food for thoughts.

People here has firm opinions about the merits of DXB vs SIN transit.

However, from the body clock point of view only, this is a table for comparison.

Would appreciate your feedback on the merits or otherwise of a SIN vs DXB transit from a timezone perspective only (Not security, not Middle Eastern cuisine etc...).

event	SYD	SIN	LHR
dep SYD	4pm	1pm	5am	SQ222
arr SIN	12:40am	9:40pm	1:40pm
dep SIN	2:30am	11:30pm	3:30pm	SQ322
arr LHR	5pm	2pm	6am
	LHR	SIN	SYD
dep LHR	10pm	6am	9am	SQ321
arr SIN	10am	6pm	9pm
dep SIN	12pm	8pm	11pm	SQ221
arr SYD	7pm	3am	6am

It looks like you would have more of an even chance to get some shut eye on the right legs: SIN-LHR and SIN-SYD.

One of the comments earlier is that the DXB LHR leg is too short to fall asleep even though it is the "correct" timezone for sleeping.

I have QF1/2 in April and SQ later in the 2nd half of the year. Will volunteer to be a series of one to test the theory !!!

 

[marki]

PREVENTING OR MIMIMISING JET LAG
Likely to be beneficial
Melatonin*
Trade off between benefits and harms
Hypnotics
Unknown effectiveness
Lifestyle and environmental adaptations (eating, avoiding alcohol or caffeine, sleeping, daylight exposure, or arousal)
*The adverse effects of melatonin have not yet been adequately investigated.

The above is based on Clinical Evidence
Cheers

 

[TonyHancock]

I must admit my preference from a sleeping standpoint would be:

MEL-SIN or HKG-LHR
LHR-DXB-MEL

I much prefer the second leg to be the longer one when overnighting.

 

[legroom]

I must admit my preference from a sleeping standpoint would be:

I much prefer the second leg to be the longer one when overnighting.

I tend to agree with you there.