Paris trip and adjusting to time change.

The standard advice is strong exposure to sun light. Supposedly it is sunlight through the eye that resets the internal body clock. We live in Denver that is 8 hours difference. Since we are retired and can do we try to time shift at least four hours or more. We try to change an hour every three or four days to point that we are getting up 4 am in the days prior. On arrival we learned from experience that a two hour - max - nap mid PM is very helpful for us.

You could try some otc sleep aid medication such as Tylenol PM or something heavier from your doctor. Jet lag adjustment tends to be different from person to person. Good luck.

I had a similar problem when we traveled to Europe from the west coast. We would wake up at 1 or 2 am for the first couple of nights and be wide awake. Keeping active, and being outside as much as possible on the first day helped. So did a Benadryl at bedtime. You might want to try a mild OTC sleep aid for a couple of nights.

I'm from Western WA. On your schedule I would check-in with no fussing about, just go to bed and take a long nap. Get up after noon and have a "breakfast" then. Take a walkabout and go stopping for an afternoon snack. Eat a light supper "soup" and try to stay up until at least 9pm, maybe go to a movie. We flew with one stop over several times to UK with no apparent problem getting in sync. I also used to do this when I worked night shift so I wouldn't miss the daytime and friends. If you can't check in before noon; see if you can leave your bags and then have breakfast and take walkabout and go to room when you can and take nap so you will be able to stay up until 9ish.

What works for the previous posters generally works for me too, but people are different. I try for flights that get me to Europe in early afternoon so I don't spend the whole first day in zombie-land as you might with an 8 AM arrival. Will you be flying to SEA first and then across to Europe? Or from Spokane to a US city farther east for the Europe-bound flight?

It's hard for me to sleep on flights, even when they turn the lights down and provide pillows and all that. I take something like benadryl or unisom but it doesn't help much. Adrenalin keeps me going for awhile after arrival, and it will have to do so for you as you probably won't be able to check into your hotel until afternoon. Maybe a short nap then will help you with the rest of the day, but force yourself to get up and walk around some more in the daylight before an early dinner. Try to go to bed around what bedtime will be in France. Another sleep aid helps me sleep through the night so I don't wake up too early. After that I'm pretty much good to go for the rest of the trip. (Unlike you, I have a much harder time making the adjustment after returning home, but the stakes are lower then.) Good luck, and remember that "this too shall pass."

We find flying to east coast the day ahead, then a daytime flight to London which gets you there in time for dinner. The next morning no jet lag and we fly on to destination if not staying on in London.

1 When I get to my hotel, I take a hot shower, put on clean clothes and then go out.
2 Nothing too strenuous, but something that will keep me active until dinner, and after dinner ... but always outside.
3 Then go to bed at my usual bed time.
4 Never had any trouble falling asleep, but if I did, there are plenty of OTC drugs for that .... my preference is called GIN.
5 I wake the next day pretty good, but admittedly sometimes I have to repeat on the second night; but then I am fine.

That flight time is brutal. Can you switch to one that leaves later and arrives later? That way you can check in in the afternoon, wander a bit, have dinner and go to sleep. Arriving in the morning makes for a brutal arrival day for me, because I never sleep at all on a plane. What if you can’t check in to your hotel right away? You drop your bags then have to wander Paris like a zombie until check in time. Ugh. Your body is going to think you are arriving at midnight, then you have to stay awake another 20 hours to get your clock adjusted. You will probably already have been awake for about 20 hours before you arrive in Paris, unless you sleep on the plane.

Hi, first comment before I talk about jet lag - I see you’re from Eastern Washington. If you happen to be near Spokane, the travelers on this forum who live in that area meet on the 1st Saturday of each month at 10am at the Woops Bakery. 119 N 4th St, Coeur D Alene, ID 83814. We have a nice variety of travel styles & enjoy talking anything travel related! You’re welcome to come! I usually post a reminder in the Travel Group section of this forum.

Flying from Spokane to Europe is extra tiring since it adds an extra leg of flight. I used to live near Seattle, and I was surprised how much more the zombie feel affected me from Spokane on arrival day by the time I reached my destinations…..or am I getting older??

It helps me adjust by forcing myself to walk outside to try to acclimate. If I sit down or go inside, I immediately want to sleep. By 4pm I want to be near the hotel because I really get tired. On the other hand, my husband does much better if he just goes to sleep for a few hours as soon as we’re checked into the hotel. Neither of us can completely fall sleep very much on the plane. The next morning, I wait until at least 5am - hopefully 6am and make myself two cups of coffee in the room to set the morning routine.

Set your watch to Paris time as soon as your plane departs from SeaTac to begin mentally thinking in your “actual” time zone.

We are renting an air bnb...I actually paid for the day before so that the flat would be ready in the morning when we arrive. I noted this in our reservation request and it was accepted. I really hope this means the landlord will be able to meet us earlier than the check-in time as we requested an additional day. I will confirm this with them-but I'm hoping they read my request before they accepted my reservation....

Also- I did make sure it was a legal rental with the appropriate registration number starting with 7...

Jean-I live south in Clarkston...but maybe one of these months I'll make a day of it and join your group for coffee! That sounds so fun!

The time difference between France and eastern Washington is 9 hours, as it is in SF.

Flying out of SFO to Paris takes about 11 hours, I always take the overnight flight in Economy departing ca. 3 to 3:30 PM and land at CDG by 10 AM or so. With the wind behind you, the plane normally gets in just under 20 mins early. I would prefer landing at 8 AM.

I sleep on the flight normally ca. 6 hours max, no pills whatsoever, and don't get jet lag upon arrival, am fit and ready to go once clearing Immigration and Baggage Claim. Sleeping is the key, so no movies, music, electronic games, or any such distractions.

“I live south in Clarkston”

Well, then, have we got a deal for you!! There is also a meetup group in Moscow on generally the 3rd Saturday at OneWorld cafe at the corner of 6thSt and Main. Parking is a bear in the summer when the Farmers Market is going on but still doable. Darcy, who lives in Lewiston, posts a notice on the forum for meetings.

I have a time with jet lag and/or travel tiredness. I’m one that has some lunch then takes a 1.5 hour nap. I set an alarm to get up. Now, having said that, this trip I’ve been waking at 2:30A! Last night I was really tired and did sleep until 5 which is my normal wake time so I think I’m good to go. Big day today with outdoor activities so I’m sure I’ll sleep tonight!

For me, the worst is when it’s heavy rain at the destination and it’s not conducive to being outside!

We find now that we are old it is even harder. but we always are up and about, outside if possible, the first day and then go to bed at the normal time for us in the new zone. We just got here and had no trouble sleeping that first night we were so exhausted. Then we spent the second day outside. The second night is when I can't sleep and I take an ambien that night and get a good night's sleep. And then I am back on track.

I think it is important not to nap that first day and to get on the new schedule. Lots of people find they can't sleep those first couple of nights due to the schedule disruption even though they are tired. That is when a sleep aid can be helpful.

SFO to CDG here. Can't sleep on the plane. We get in at 11:00 am approx. and arrive at our apartment around 1:00 pm. We do a shop at Monoprix for essentials (coffee, cream, butter, eggs, ham, wine, beer), put them away, have a quick lunch, and take a nap. Up by 6 or so. We go out and walk around, have a drink and light supper, and go to bed around 11:00. Never any jet lag. Don't know why that works, but it does for us. HOWEVER....coming home is another thing altogether. We have jet lag for 10 days. We're walking zombies.

I had experienced awful jet lag in the past. So, my trip started sept 7 and I am in Paris now. I fly home tommarrow. This time I had virtually no jet lag! About 3 weeks before my departure I started waking up earlyer, living on London time. It was miserable, but the misery was at home. I didnt manage to sleep on the plane so I was tired, but that only lasted one day.

We have found lay-overs to be an advantage. So we don't dismiss these. In a straight up, "you got there from here with an 8 hour difference," my best advice is to stay up over the time difference. Don't drive, just go for a long walk on the first day, but stay up till you go to bed at the usual local time.. in all our fights to Europe, we get there early, most times, way too early, with at least four hours to burn before the room is ready. You plan this into the itinerary. The room may not be ready, but you can still drop off the luggage, and go walk around.

Back in the '80s when I was travelling all the time this diet was all the rage, or some version of it. Seems to have fallen out of favor, I think I just tried adjusting my body clock in the time I had before flying

https://www.godsavethepoints.com/anti-jet-lag-diet-cia-travel-tips/

We're from Seattle. For us, the idea is to always keep to the destination schedule. Wake up early, sleep late on their time zone. Never sleep during the day there otherwise it'll take longer to get used to it.

Yes, you'll be hungry and maybe up at 3 am first day, but then you'll force yourself to sleep at 10pm that day and eventually you'll catch up.

Melatonina also helps to not wake up too early.