Sleep Strategy CBR - LHR

[vertisol]

It's been a long time since my last international travel so hoping for some ideas on when to sleep, when to stay up on the following trip on SQ

Dep CBR 0030 Arr SIN 0540 777-200ER
Dep SIN 0900 Arr LHR 1540 A380

Return

Dep LHR 2050 Arr SIN 1655 (+1 day) 777-300ER
Dep SIN 2300 Arr CBR 0835 (+1 day) 777-200ER


On the way over I arrive Saturday afternoon so will have all day Sunday to adjust in time for work on Monday and I'm staying 6 nights before returning.

Excited to be able to get a direct flight from CBR and also about getting to sit in J in three different aircraft types.

 

[footy99]

If it were me I'd crash after dinner and try to get maybe 5 hours on the first flight then a small nap early in the 2nd. Then just go to sleep normal time Saturday night.

On the way back, I'd crash after dinner on both flights.

It often doesn't work out that cleanly but that would be my plan!

 

[BacchusMarsh]

The J seat on CBR-SIN is horrible for sleeping, so I'd factor that in.

 

[Mattg]

For the return leg with an evening departure from Europe, I find it helps with the jetlag to stay up (or just have a light sleep) on the first sector from Europe to Asia. I'm then sufficiently tired to have a decent sleep on the Asia-Australia flight, waking up refreshed before the morning arrival in Australia.

 

[pippen_2k]

I just roll with it these days. If I'm tired I sleep, if I'm not I won't. The more you think about it, the harder it will be to fall asleep.

Avoid drinking caffeine on the flights.

Luckily for you, flying that long can get boring so no doubt you will be nodding off on both flights over.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I just roll with it these days. If I'm tired I sleep, if I'm not I won't. The more you think about it, the harder it will be to fall asleep.

Avoid drinking caffeine on the flights.

Luckily for you, flying that long can get boring so no doubt you will be nodding off on both flights over.

Agree with this strategy. Sleep when you're tired.

 

[docjames]

Sleep when you are tired on the flights, but stay awake on arrival (at both ends) until a near-normal sleep time.

 

[gaz0303]

I've been looking at late departures also to the UK to work around some meetings I have on during the day I need to depart. My fear is that leaving after midnight equals missing a nights sleep plus jet lag. Anyone care to comment on differences to taking an afternoon vs late night departure and getting over the flight? I don't with late nights the same way I used when I was younger.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I've been looking at late departures also to the UK to work around some meetings I have on during the day I need to depart. My fear is that leaving after midnight equals missing a nights sleep plus jet lag. Anyone care to comment on differences to taking an afternoon vs late night departure and getting over the flight? I don't with late nights the same way I used when I was younger.

I think it's personal preference. Class of service is pretty important for late night flights. If you are in economy and can't sleep you'll arrive pretty washed out after being awake for 24-36 hours. If you're in business or higher I like late night flights... get on, sleep, arrive ready to go. Jet lag shouldn't be too much of an issue east-bound - adrenaline/excitement for meetings or sightseeing. It's the coming home that can knock you (no adrenaline to kick in).

Arriving early morning you can still have a short nap during the day. Arriving afternoon is a problem if you're really tired. A sleep in the afternoon and you'll be tempted to sleep longer and wake up at 3am

 

[davidj]

Everyone's sleeping patterns and management is different. For me on your times, I would sleep as much as possible on cbr-sin, then again second leg although I realise I may not get as much working against the body clock, but would try anyways. Eat when meals served and maybe 30mins or so reading or watching something, then sleep again.

For me feeling rested on arrival makes adjusting to new times easier (plus usually upon landing you have additional travel on your final destination, you'll need the sleep from the previous 24 hours in flight)

 

[Lemon_Party]

Your outbound flight is great, I'd ignore food and sleep straight through first leg and then just stay awake the second. I prefer landing afternoon/evening as you only need to stay awake a few hours and should be tired enough to sleep right through and wake up adjusted to the new time zone (hopefully!).

They get many complaints, and certainly they aren't a 5 star product, but I don't mind singapore 772 J and normally can sleep fine. Cabin temp I find more of an issue than seat and that can be a problem on other aircraft too...

I'd probably agree with Mattg on the way back, you really want to be tired enough that you crash and sleep on the SIN-CBR leg...

I prefer to aim to be completely shattered by 9pm in the country I'm heading to so that I've the best chance of falling into the new cycle - but as per davidj everyone deals and copes with it differently...

 

[Skyring]

Everyone has different sleep patterns, and a lot of it depends on how you spend your time before travel. That midnight flight out of CBR is going to look very good for sleep if you've had a full day and then the business of getting to the airport, checking in and so on. Don't expect too much of the 772, but my guess is that unless you get carried away with eating and drinking and watching movies, you'll zonk off pretty easy. There's certainly nothing much to see out of the window.

That long daylight leg to London, well, it gets you in at a great time. A couple of hours nap after brekkie shouldn't be too hard to come by, and then stay awake the rest of the flight, because you'll then be on London sleep cycle. I'd be hanging out of the window a lot of the time, if they let you have the shades up. On arrival, you'll have to battle through immigration and actually getting to your digs. DON'T hire a car at the airport. Recipe for disaster, that.

Check in, take as much time as possible to unpack, have a meal and a bit of a look around. If you can last until nine-ish, that's great. Hit the sack, sleep like the dead until morning - but set an alarm! - and you should be pretty right.

Coming home, geez, friggin' disaster, that. Sleep on the plane when you can, take the rest of the day off when you get home. Being back in familiar surroundings will help get you back on track.

And give you joy of your flight. SQ is one of the better airlines, and their J product is good. One stop Canberra to London is really extraordinary. IIRC, you don't even have to go through security in SIN.

 

[Comoman]

IIRC, you don't even have to go through security in SIN.

Nope - unfortunately incorrect. You always go through security in SIN during transit as it's at the gates.

 

[dajop]

Nope - unfortunately incorrect. You always go through security in SIN during transit as it's at the gates.

Correct. Although in practice this means you get off the plane and can go straight to lounge so no mucking around first with queues at a central transfer point.

 

[Simo]

I am a sleeper on aeroplanes so it wouldn't worry me... I will sleep on a OMG flight and then sleep on a late flight home and then as soon as I get home back to sleep.

 

[Skyring]

Correct. Although in practice this means you get off the plane and can go straight to lounge so no mucking around first with queues at a central transfer point.

Yeah, that's what I meant. In HKG, DBX, JNB, pretty much everywhere, there's processing for transit passengers at a central location, which means a long walk there and queuing with pax from other flights. SIN, once you leave the gate, you're free in the terminal.

 

[Lemon_Party]

Yeah, that's what I meant. In HKG, DBX, JNB, pretty much everywhere, there's processing for transit passengers at a central location, which means a long walk there and queuing with pax from other flights. SIN, once you leave the gate, you're free in the terminal.

Depending where you come from though - some destinations seemingly also go through baggage scanning on arrival to enter the terminal. I've only had it once, arriving from Bangkok on SQ, but I've seen others report some other countries get singled out for this as well.

 

[clifford]

Depending where you come from though - some destinations seemingly also go through baggage scanning on arrival to enter the terminal. I've only had it once, arriving from Bangkok on SQ, but I've seen others report some other countries get singled out for this as well.

Pretty unlikely IME, and I've never seen it ex-Australia. I travel through Singapore pretty often and it's also only ever happened to me once (and coming from BKK as I recall). Even when it did happen it only takes a minute or two and you're on your way (particularly if you're one of the first off).

Singapore transits are really quite exceptional in their ease and efficiency. As a matter of interest I'm doing a similar trip ex-CBR next month in J, but have arranged things so that I'll spend 6 hours in the transit hotel between flights. Should be able to get a decent sleep somewhere...

 

[Skyring]

PSingapore transits are really quite exceptional in their ease and efficiency. As a matter of interest I'm doing a similar trip ex-CBR next month in J, but have arranged things so that I'll spend 6 hours in the transit hotel between flights. Should be able to get a decent sleep somewhere...

I've stayed at that transit hotel a few times now. The first time, I turned the lights off, everything was pitch black - no window. A bit unnerving really.

But those days are gone. There's always some LEDs glowing somewhere.

Well worth the prices they charge for the convenience of airside accommodation, some privacy, quiet and comfortable sleep, the ability to recharge devices, have a shower and shave and get on the next leg feeling chipper.

Then again, if I wasn't tired, I could happily spend six hours exploring SIN, shopping, hanging out at the pool, the cinema, watching the mighty jets, or even just sitting down and looking at the myriad people go past. I've spent a jolly hour in the duty-free grog shop browsing the single malts before.

 

[serfty]

USD38 for that 6 hours is what I paid for last Friday week.

Communal showers are the go, but if you have same available (and time) in a preflight lounge use the full time.