Jetlag suggestions

I have used it mostly when traveling westward to Asia, but I have found Real Relief Jet Lag homeopathic tabs very useful. I get them from Amazon. I get travel fatigue regardless of time zones, and this helps.
However, the general consensus is to keep Mobil and with as much daylight as possible upon arrival. Or, if it won't mess with your work schedule at home, start adjusting your circadian clock before leaving. Go to be an hour earlier and get up an hour earlier every day for each time zone difference...so I am guessing 6-7 days before travel. There are apps to help with this.

Keep moving, stay outside as much as possible and try to go to bed at a time when you usually would. I can generally manage to stay awake until about 9pm when jetlagged and it takes me a couple of days to adjust.

I used to get jet lag. Finally figured out a few years ago.

Step 1: Set your clock to England time as soon as you get on board, and start doing things on England time as soon as possible.

Step 2: IMPORTANT. Sleep as much as possible on the flight. If you need help, I use Zopiclone, but I hear Ambien is better (talk to your doctor).

Step 3: Get up when they serve breakfast on the plane. Have breakfast, wash your face, brush your teeth, do as much morning stuff as you are able to do.

Step 4: MOST IMPORTANT. Stay outside in the sunlight as much as possible on arrival day. Do something outdoors. My usual go to is a walk through Kew Gardens.

Step 5: Go to bed as close to normal bedtime as possible. If you are tired at 6:00 pm, power through. If you are awake at midnight, sleep if possible (again with Zopiclone or Ambien as required).

Step 6: Get up at a normal waking time (in the UK time zone).

You may feel off by an hour for a day or two, but this regimen has worked for me.

I agree with darrenblois that most important is to get outside and be active until it's time for an early dinner and then a fairly early bedtime. If I get a good night's sleep that night, jetlag doesn't usually bother me much, although I find it's good to plan a fairly loose and flexible first full day just in case I'm tired. Sometimes I don't get a good night's sleep until the second night.

I'm usually able to get a couple of hours sleep on the plane, which helps. I never use any sort of sleeping pills.

Many people swear by the Timeshifter app. It's free for your first trip.

My friend once told me to sleep 2-3 hours as soon as you can get into your room. Then get up for the day and go to bed at a usual bed time. It's worked for me every time.

First, other than doing some things like going to bed earlier/waking up earlier, getting plenty of rest and other things, avoid taking any purported remedy that you have never had before, on the plane. This includes sleeping meds, OTC meds that cause "drowsiness", Homeopathic remedies, Melatonin, even alcohol (if you normally do not drink).

Aside from that, in the week before you leave, get plenty of rest. Many people get excited, have hundreds of things to do, run around like crazy before the trip, and get on the plane exhausted, meaning when you land, you are both exhausted and jet-lagged. We tend to be early to bed/early to rise people anyway, but in the weeks leading up to the trip, make it more so. Easier to shift 3-4 hours, than 9 hours.

On the plane, try to rest, even if you can't sleep, and on landing keep going until bed time, fresh air and sunshine helps reset your clock, also "seeing" darkness in the evening also helps your body get the cue that it is bed time.

Set your alarm so you get up reasonably early in the morning, sleeping until ten just prolongs the pain, then strive to keep an active schedule to the local time.

This is a hot topic on Google, there are many plans and theories and procedures and powders etc.

It also turns out to be very YMMV

In addition to the suggestions that have been given, I suggest having a snack handy (e.g. a banana), for when/if you wake up in the middle of the night.

I find that it's my stomach, more than anything else, that needs to adjust. If I wake up at a weird time, I can get back to sleep more easily if I have a snack.

I'm one that swears by the Timeshifter app. I used it in 2023 for the free round trip and have purchased it since then. I like that I get reminders on my watch for when it's time to do/not do something.

They use scientific research from NASA on circadian rhythm which is the driver for jet lag. The plan is based on what you put in for your normal sleep habits (lark vs night owl) plus caffeine use and whether you want suggestions for melatonin.

Back story: I got myself all out of whack in April 2023 in Amsterdam. Not sure what I did wrong but I was messed up for a week with having to take a nap in the middle of the afternoon. It took a while for me to right myself but I was traveling for 5 weeks that time so it was OK. That summer I was going for 2 weeks to Scotland and knew I could not spend a week jet lagged so signed up for Timeshifter. I have had no jet lag going or coming from the Pacific Time zone since then and have used it for 3 round trips to Europe.

I am careful to keep as best I can to their suggested sleep times or shading my eyes from light. I wear sunglasses in the airport if it's called for and don't care what people think. I also have a ball cap I wear to shade my eyes in the sunlight when needed. I am not a ball cap wearer but if it will make me feel better, I will do it.

I hope you find something that works for you! Timeshifter will be free for your first trip so will be cheaper than FLYKITT. I looked at FLYKITT but am not big on supplements. I am sure they work for some people.

editing to add:

In doing some research on circadian rhythm, it turns out that the current theory is that each organ of your body has a different circadian rhythm. The Timeshifter helps with the big picture but your stomach might not have caught up with your brain so having snacks available is a good idea.

Adding to the circadian rhythm discussion…check the time for sunrise. If you can stomach it, get up and go outside for sunrise (harder in summer at certain latitudes). You will start producing your daytime hormones + neurotransmitters and turn off melatonin production. By doing that, you’ll also tell your body to start producing melatonin again in 14-16 hrs. If you watch sunset too, your body will adjust even easier.

There’s some great advice in these responses. I personally skip alcohol on the flight, set my devices to London time after dinner, sleep as much as I can, try to watch sunrise on the way over, stay outside as much as possible during the arrival day, and watch sunset.

Well, I've learned that everyone is different. Obviously, if you sleep well on a plane you will arrive in good shape.

But most people don't sleep well and often not at all.

For us, who fall into the latter category, we shower, take a short nap of 45 minutes, and that provides us with the energy to better enjoy the rest of the day instead of just enduring it. By 2200 we're ready to sleep.

Alcohol on a flight dries me out like a raison. If anything I'd recommend drinking more non-alcoholic fluids. You will feel much better.

I work so Timeshifter is a nonstarter for me.