How US folks manage jet leg on 1st and 2nd day?

What type of airplane will you fly? Boeing 787 or an Airbus 350? Going forward, we will always look to book on either of these planes which can boast less jet lag. My husband and I experienced no jet lag on our last trip (787). We arrived in London just before 10 AM on Delta/Virgin, drove north for 2 hours and then walked on a battlesite, visited a museum, and drove for another hour before stopping for dinner and hotel. (not first time driving in UK).

How you respond may depend on if you're able to sleep on the flight. As someone who doesn't sleep on planes and therefore has been up for close to 18-24hrs by the time we land in London, I generally don't have too much trouble staying awake that first afternoon. Excitement and adrenalin go a long way, even when visiting places I've been before, like London. But walking outside as much as possible is a good plan. We have started booking an afternoon tea for the late afternoon of the day we arrive (often about 4 or 4:30pm). It's a relaxing, yet fun and not mentally taxing event, where when we're done we are well fed and by the time we're back to the hotel it's generally an acceptable time for pj's some relaxation and an early-ish bed time (about 8pm).

I've never woken up wide awake at 3-4am in London and not been able to get back to sleep immediately for a few more hours (that's more something I experience when I get home), and I'm a morning person. I wouldn't plan anything super early for day 2, because you may actually have a very nice relaxing sleep that night. But you and your mind/body could react differently. Day 2 I do sometimes find myself fading in the afternoon earlier than I would normally at home, so I don't plan any late night activities on day 2, but again, you could be different. By day 3 I'm generally feeling completely adjusted to the new time zone.

Under the TRAVEL TIPS section, there is a great article on JetLag. It's under TRANSPORTATION-- FLYING -- JET LAG.
Lots of other great tips, esp about money, CC, Debit Cards, trains, Currency Conversion.

@CanAmCherie , it will be Virgin Atlantic, Boeing 787-9. I guess we both are talking about same flight :-) It will reach at 9:40 AM at LHR.

@Angella , I guess I will react same way on first day. With excitement, first day noon should be manageable. I visited Germany and both times I woke up around 3 AM and then keep trying micro-naps till 6 AM then finally woke up. At home, Seattle, I usually get up around 8 AM

@ChinaLake67 , thanks, I will have a look.

We also fly out of Seattle and always force ourselves to stay awake that first day. Staying outside in the fresh air helps a lot with this. we eat an early dinner, and my husband is in bed by 5pm, although I usually last until 7-8. I drop him at the hotel and then continue on. This always works for us, and the next morning we are adjusted to local time and feel fine.

In August I had the BEST experience using the Timeshifter app for minimizing jet lag by changing your circadian rhythm.

Background: In April I had horrendous jet lag after flying from my home in Northern Idaho via Seattle to Amsterdam. It literally took me a week to get over not crumping in the afternoon for a nap. I've never had it that bad before. I am not sure how I got so out of synch but I think part of it was getting late afternoon sunlight.

There was a thread in July about jet lag and I mentioned Timeshifter which I had not tried before and vowed I would do it for a short trip I had scheduled to Scotland in August. I used it and it worked so well I could not believe it. I had no jet lag going over to Aberdeen (via Seattle and Amsterdam) nor returning home (via Amsterdam and Seattle). I was shocked.

My experience:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/general-europe/jet-lag-i-tried-the-timeshifter-app

The original thread:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/books-movies/looking-for-an-up-to-date-scientific-book-about-jet-lag

I have added to my packing list sunglasses and a ball cap. I am NOT a ball cap wearer but I needed it to help shield my eyes from the sunlight on the return trip. I also used an eye mask once I got on the plane. I was not sure I'd be able to sleep but put the eye mask on and it actually worked. I got about 5-6 hours of sleep as well.

The first round trip with Timeshifter is free. I will definitely pay for it next time I was so pleased.

Good luck finding something that works for you!

Thanks Pam. I will check this app. Just looked at reviews and it looks like it works well for many :-)

I agree that tea is a relaxing late afternoon dinner option on your arrival day.

I always get jet lag arriving back in Canada from Europe and it normally lasts about 10 days.
Going to Europe I rarely am jet lagged and put it down to adrenaline and the excitement of being on holiday.
This trip to the UK, I flew on an Airbus 350 both ways, and have not experienced the lasting jet lag I I used to get!
Some tiredness at the end of the day now I’m at home, but no “crumping” as Pam puts it, around 6pm as in past trips!
So I’m thinking there is indeed some sort of science behind which plane you fly in.
Either way, getting some fresh air and some walking in on arrival nearly always helps.

(Pam, “crumping” is also used to describe patients crashing/collapsing/arresting in hospitals!)

We’ve been lucky and have been able to check into our hotel about noon or 1pm. We situate ourselves and freshen up then head out for a walk, lunch, or something that keeps us moving. After a few hours we may eat an early dinner, walk a little more, then return to the hotel. By 9pm or so we’ll be in bed and sleep until a normal wake up time, maybe 8am.

On our early December trip this year we changed things up and went to a play our first evening in town. That wasn’t the wisest thing to do because once we weren’t moving around it was hard to stay awake.

Whatever you do, resist the urge to take a couple hour afternoon nap. After that first night jet lag hasn’t been an issue.

Flights from the west coast without a stop but direct to London usually leave in the late afternoon and then will arrive in London in their morning (I will not book flights that stop midway or in New York). So the day of the flight I have a salad for lunch and no dinner. After the plane has departed and been in the air for about two hours or so, around 7 our time, I take an Ambien and usually wake up about an hour before the plane lands and never feel jet lagged. I also of course use: ear plugs, noise cancelling headphones, eye shades the good ones that RS sells with the eye pockets, and a neck pillow on backwards so my head doesn't bobble around. Booking a seat where people don't have to climb over me is also a must, like an aisle seat on the four or five across. All of this and I arrive on "their time" without issue. I do go to bed about 9 to 10 the first night very tired. J

joanne1108 , good tips. Thanks

The time difference from Atlanta is not as great as from Seattle, but this is out way of dealing with jet lag. We try to sleep on the plane, but it's not a really good sleep -- more like light cat napping. Upon arrival we make it a point to not nap during the day, stay outside in the sun as much as possible, have lunch at the local time, have an early dinner between six and seven in the evening, and off to bed. The next day we are fine. Everyone is different, but this works for us.

I guess I'll do some googling, but I thought jetlag was from a difference in time zone. Trying to figure out how the aircraft enters into it.

We typically arrive Europe fairly early in the morning and power thru the day with as much outdoor time as possible. We go to bed about 9pm and typically don't wake until about 7am. We usually are unable to sleep much on the plane.

I fly LAX to LHR overnight. Never really sleep but do close my eyes and use head phones to listen to music.

When I arrive I take the HEX to Paddington and walk to my accommodation which is across the road from Hyde Park. I head out to walk in the park and then head to a pub for a meal and a pint. I head back to my accommodation and stay up till 9pm. Great night of sleep.

I’m up by 5am the next morning and I head out for an early morning stroll. Love watching the city come alive.

No real jet lag.

I don't know that I have jet lag so bad on the first (arrival) day. I am just tired from the trip. When it seems to affect me more is the evening of the second day (i.e. the first full day in Europe).

I wouldn't assume you will be popping out of bed at 3 or 4 am your first morning in the UK. In addition to the time difference, tou are usually missing about the equivalent of a night's sleep (unless you can fly in business class ).

Personally I belive that most conflate jet lag and simple travel fatigue, this link may be useful -- https://www.sleepfoundation.org/travel-and-sleep/jet-lag

Good advice so far. I also tried the Timeshifter app on my last trip (10 hour time change) and it worked great, though I rarely have severe jet lag going east (I am on west coast USA). It did help for my return trip, along with a long/overnight layover at AMS coming home. But everyone is different, and if you've not traveled internationally much my best advice is to give yourself some grace and don't plan any activities that are of high importance/value on your first full day.

From your description, it sounds like all you plan to do is spend one night in London, then leave the very next morning? If you're not planning to spend any time in the city, don't go all the way into city center just to sleep. Take the train to a nearby town (many suggestions in the forum about options), get some fresh air/walk, and then plan for a good night sleep.

"(Pam, “crumping” is also used to describe patients crashing/collapsing/arresting in hospitals!)"

@S J - Yes, I spend over 30 years as a hospital social worker and worked ICU/PCU for the last few years before retirement. A good friend who is a (Canada-trained) physician used/uses crump a lot in addition to people coding and it perfectly describes how I feel when I have to have a nap NOW, lol.

One of the things I appreciated about the Timeshifter is that it gave me a notification on my Apple Watch about 30 minutes before I was supposed to "do" or "not do" something - either get or not get sunlight, drink or abstain from caffeine, take melatonin if you are someone who uses it. That was very helpful once I trusted it.

BTW, on my Timeshifter schedule leaving from Seattle there was a period of time during the night where for an hour it was suggested that I have a caffeinated drink. I knew it would be WAY between food or beverage service on the plane so I picked up a Coke at one of the stores in SEA to have on hand. I drank about half of it when it suggested I do that and that might have helped as well.

You do have to be organized enough to be able to start 2 days ahead of your flights to/from.

We book Accor hotels in Europe and always are able to check in early as an Accor member. I've checked into hotels as early as 9AM.

That said that first day we get out and walk for hours. We do sleep on the plane a bit and are able to stay up until about 9 or 10PM on arrival day.

I would refrain from booking anything like a HOHO or boat ride that first day. It may put you to sleep.

jules,
https://qz.com/quartzy/1246492/how-to-avoid-jetlag-book-flights-on-a350-and-787-planes

I heard about the 787 on this forum (I think after we'd experienced good flights) and then got the 350 information from a pilot cousin.

Cherie, thank you so much for sharing that article. I had no idea what people were talking about, and that explained it so clearly. Fascinating !

I have done the early morning arrival in London from SFO a few times—7 am—and it’s worked quite well for me…hit the V&A for an exhibit once, always head to the Tower to see the ravens, perhaps a bit of shopping, lunch, walking in a park. Luggage dropped at hotel and then stayed busy until around 4 pm when I could tell I was starting to fade fast so back to the hotel I went. Asleep by 9, but awake horribly early—coffee and reading until time to get out and explore. I make good use of that early time and feel adjusted by bedtime that night.

I learned a trick from my wife who has traveled to Europe frequently for business.
Upon arriving at our hotel/AirBnB, we quickly unpack and then nap for a half hour to hour (max).
We then get up and shower and power our way through the day until local bed time
It can make for a long first day, but by the time we wake up the next morning we are fully acclimated.

Enjoy your trip

Dennis

Many professional business travelers (including Rick I noticed recently) rely on the prescription sleeping aid Ambien in dealing with the inevitable disruptions to sleep schedules resulting from flights across multiple time zones. Nothing is more frustrating than lying in bed at your new destination, tossing and and turning at 11 PM local time when your body is insisting that it's still only 3 PM body time. Ambien promotes a good night's sleep without the drug hangover that most over-the-counter sleeping aids seem to produce.
You'll need to consult with your doctor to sort out any issues - including possible conflicts with other meds you may be taking, but after being introduced to it years ago when my job entailed a lot of business travel, my wife and I never leave home on an overseas trip without it.
We've also found that it facilitates a good night of quality sleep on the flight over, allowing us to arrive rested, refreshed, and ready to hit the ground running (or in our case - walking at a rapid pace) upon arrival.

I am another for whom excitement takes over. I've also trained myself to sleep on planes. I used to be one who could NEVER sleep on a plane, and now the mere sound of the engine makes me drowsy. I trained myself by taking melatonin combined with a small amount of Gravol (1/4 - 1/2 tablet). I can fall asleep without these now, but on a long, overnight flight, I'll still use them to make sure.

The other thing I've noticed is that my stomach doesn't adjust as easily as the rest of me does. I still feel hungry at inconvenient times. What helps me is to have a little snack handy, especially the first night. If I wake up at 3 a.m., which would be around dinner time at home, I have a little something to eat, and then I'm able to get back to sleep.

Usually melatonin works for me, when at home and I want to sleep fast. Never tried Ambien if that can be stronger than melatonin. Will check it.

@Cherie, thanks for the link! Also, I'm happy to know others were unfamiliar to the concept. I always hate being late to a "party"!

Here's an interesting article on light, color of light, and sleep -- https://www.earth.com/news/light-color-has-no-impact-on-our-internal-clocks-or-sleep-patterns/

For what it's worth, I just returned from London and was on that same VA flight out of Seattle. I got maybe 4 hours of sleep on the flight over and landed feeling ok. We were at Paddington by 11am, dropped our bags, took the tube to Covent Garden and spent the afternoon slowly walking our way back to the apartment near Victoria station. It felt good to be outside and to keep moving, though some combo of jetlag or midday coffee kept me awake until after 10p. I had anticipated an early morning the next day as that's been the case for me in the past, but we slept until 8am. Our first full day was a busy one and we were fine though didn't have the energy to do much besides dinner that evening.