What can I do to minimise jetlag?

[JenC]

I am flying to Egypt via Singapore and Dubai. Just wondering if anyone has any tips to minimise jetlag during such a long travel time. This is my first trip out of Oz.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

Welcome to AFF JenC

There's several hours time difference between Oz and Egypt so definitely potential for jetlag - especially if not used to travel. I guess you have some overnight flights there.

The single most important thing is to try to adjust to the time zone of your destination as quickly as possible (ie eating and sleeping at regular hours). You could get up a little later in the morning and stay up later at night a few days before your trip. While on the aircraft try to sleep based on arrival times rather than departure (easier said than done I know).

Drink lots of water to stay hydrated. Some people use homeopathic anti-jetlag remedies. Personally I dont bother.

When arriving try to stay up until a normal bedtime at local timezone, or as close as possible. Ie if arriving in the morning, resist the temptation to sleep middle of the day. I find a good long walk on arrival often helps me orient to local time (and forces me to stay awake a bit longer if I'm tired).

 

[NM]

Alternatively, ensure arrival with a hang-over and you won't be worried by the Jet-Lag. Its called "masking" the Jet-Lag 8) .

Personally, I carry sleep enhancement drugs with me (Stilnox is my preferred one now). I don't use them on the plane since I don't sleep well under any conditions on an aircraft, and I like to partake in the whiskey sampling enroute, and don't mix the two. But I do use them to help me sleep at the right time when I get to my destination.

 

[Damien]

My tips -

1. Set your watch to the destination's local time as soon as you board the plane to leave.
2. During the flight, look out the window. If it's dark - try and sleep.
3. After you arrive, stay up until bedtime at your destination.

 

[JohnK]

Alternatively, ensure arrival with a hang-over and you won't be worried by the Jet-Lag. Its called "masking" the Jet-Lag 8) .

Works every time.

Or better still when you arrive in Singapore at 4:00am and your room at the Hilton isn't ready until 10:00am, go and have a few jugs of tiger at orchard towers and when the bar closes buy some more at 7-11. Crash out at 10:30am and wake at 17:00 and voila, no hangover. I mean jet lag.

 

[Warks]

One word: Melatonin.

Take it at bedtime when you arrive if you can stay up until then. Just used it last night here in YVR and slept like an angel. Only problem is you can't buy it in Australia. I've got a supply I bought in USA a few years ago.

Hey I finally made 100 posts after more than 2 years!!

 

[JohnK]

Hey I finally made 100 posts after more than 2 years!!

Congratulations.

So in ~18 years you will make 1000 posts. We can then have a competition on when Warks posts his 1,000th post. :roll:

 

[cpl]

1. Set your watch to the destination's local time as soon as you board the plane to leave.
[dropping 2.]
3. After you arrive, stay up until bedtime at your destination.

Thats's what I do and would also recommend to do

 

[Warks]

1. Set your watch to the destination's local time as soon as you board the plane to leave.
[dropping 2.]
3. After you arrive, stay up until bedtime at your destination.

Thats's what I do and would also recommend to do

With the melatonin the method above works like a charm.

Flying east is better than west IMO. You get a nice sleep-in.

 

[danielh]

Apart from pre adjusting your body time to to your destination time zone a day ahead of your flight, one thing that is great is to stay in the sunlight a lot.

That tells your body to stay awake and breaks up your sleeping cycle a bit.

Regards
Daniel

 

[clifford]

Alternatively, ensure arrival with a hang-over and you won't be worried by the Jet-Lag. Its called "masking" the Jet-Lag 8).

Hey NM, don't dismiss this approach too lightly.

I believe, from personal experience, it actually works (as long as you give yourself a few hours to rest before arrival).

And I'm a Million Mile member of Mileage Plus, so I must have a bit of experience (and a few drinks) under my belt.

It's probably not for everyone, though.

 

[shillard]

The best way?

Don't fly.


I'm utterly hopeless here, as I cannot sleep while moving. At best, in my own bed, I sleep 4-6 hours a night.

When travelling I enter the drone zone, I do NOT sleep on a long-haul flight, even in J or F. Consequently, I'm usually in a cough state when I arrive at my destination, but I just suck it up and press on.

 

[NM]

Hey NM, don't dismiss this approach too lightly.

I believe, from personal experience, it actually works (as long as you give yourself a few hours to rest before arrival).

And I'm a Million Mile member of Mileage Plus, so I must have a bit of experience (and a few drinks) under my belt.

It's probably not for everyone, though.

 

[JohnK]

When travelling I enter the drone zone, I do NOT sleep on a long-haul flight, even in J or F. Consequently, I'm usually in a s*it state when I arrive at my destination, but I just suck it up and press on.

Finally someone, well said

 

[inpd]

Try this if your under 40

Hi,

When I was in my 20's I could do this easy.
Now that I'm in my 30's its getting more difficult.

In your original time zone keep your regular
schedule. When you touch down in your
new time zone just do what ever it
takes and don't go to bed until 6pm at
your new time zone.

So going LAX-MEL I get up late on the
day of departure (say 1pm). Taking
the 11pm QF flight (13 hours) gets
you to SYD at round 8am.

So you need to stay up 10+13+10
= 33 hours but I have found that
I immeadiately adjust to Australian
time without a hitch!

 

[bigjobs]

One word: Melatonin.

Take it at bedtime when you arrive if you can stay up until then. Just used it last night here in YVR and slept like an angel. Only problem is you can't buy it in Australia. I've got a supply I bought in USA a few years ago.

Hey I finally made 100 posts after more than 2 years!!

G'day Warks et al,

Just to let you know, Melatonin is available for purchase in Australia, and more recently in Canada too. i have a bottle of Pretorius brand homoeopathic melatonin sitting here next to me that my wife purchased for me at the Healthy Life health food store in our local shopping centre.

i use it also as a remedy for jet lag, along with exercise on arrival and stillnox sleeping tablets for the first few nights when i arrive.

Cheers

 

[aus_flyer]

Certainly a lot of suggestions posted so far!

(as already posted by others) I find that forcing yourself to eat and sleep according to arrival times makes a huge difference - and no matter how tired you are in the mornings, force yourself to get up.

 

[Warks]

One word: Melatonin.

Take it at bedtime when you arrive if you can stay up until then. Just used it last night here in YVR and slept like an angel. Only problem is you can't buy it in Australia. I've got a supply I bought in USA a few years ago.

Hey I finally made 100 posts after more than 2 years!!

G'day Warks et al,

Just to let you know, Melatonin is available for purchase in Australia,
Cheers

Thanks for that - I haven't seen it anywhere. I must admit I didn't look this time but a year or so ago I asked a pharmacist who said it wasn't available yet.

 

[QF WP]

I was a Melatonin fan for a while ("prescribed" by my former F-i-L, a doctor with plenty of practice in using it).

Now, I'm onto Stillnox via a colleague. First use will be on BNE/LAX/DFW/MIA on 26 December. If it doesn't work on that, then there's always YLW/SEA/LAX/BNE...

 

[Guest]

ok this is going to sound really dumb......

what is jetlag exactly and how does it affect you?

I've always passed it off as some lame excuse old people use to get out of work..... personally Ive never had any problems after flying except for the desire for some real food and clean air at the destination.