Jetlag

I used the No Jetlag product when I went from the US to Europe and had no problem but you will be going West. I didn't use the product religously going back home to the west and really really felt the Jet Lag... I am not sure if it was cuz of not using the product or that it seemed harder for me to go west than east.

Cristina, it might also have been because you were tired after your trip. :) My only experience that might be similar to yours, Leeana, was flying to China from Chicago. The flight left at noon and was about 13 hours, and we were to arrive at dinner time the day after we left (because of the time zones). I deliberately didn't try to sleep on the way because I decided that if it was dinner time when we arrived, it would only be a few more hours till I could go to bed and I wanted to be tired enough to sleep. It worked great, and I felt good the next day. Coming home, going east, was more difficult. I did try to sleep as much as possible on the way back, but it was several days before I was really readjusted. I think a lot depends on the timing of your flights, too.

Thanks Christina and Nancy :)

I forgot to mention that I arrive at 6am... which I think only works out to be be about 2pm back home. So it would be a very long day...

I played mind games with myself and told myself when I boarded the plane that I was now on European time and spent the rest of the trip as if it was actually that time. When it was "night time" I slept as much as I could. We landed around 10:00 a.m. and I didn't get to bed until after midnight. I didn't have any problems adjusting...until I got home anyway. It probably took me a week to not feel tired. Of course that could be because I didn't get home until 11:00 p.m. and had to work the next morning. I won't do that again! Maybe I was so determined that I wasn't going to miss a thing on my trip, or maybe I just didn't care as much about being tired at work... ;)

I was in a similar situation to you and found that the whole family came out of the trip over differently. I had been a shift worker, and slept a bit. The kids - teenagers slept a lot. My husband didn't sleep too well at all. We arrived in late November at around 6am. To me it was like working the first night shift with no sleep. We stayed up the first day and then went to bed about 6 or 7pm. We went from never having lived anywhere where it got dark before 6/6.30pm to it being dark at 4.30pm and I think that's what threw us. Once it got dark at night my husband and I were ready for bed - this lasted for about a week. We managed to get up okay in the mornings, but it was the "darkness" which to us signified night time, rather than jet lag that seemed to do us in.

I have stopped trying to fight jet lag. I've tried all combinations of staying up late the night before, shifting my wake-up times gradually (which just makes me tired at home before I leave!), benadryl, ambien, alcohol, melatonin, etc. No matter what I have tried, staying awake the first day is always a struggle. But, I have been successful limiting the damage from jet lag to the first day. My strategy is to take a quick nap of no more than 1-2 hours, then stay relatively active the rest of the day. I retire for the night at a reasonable hour (as if I had to work in the new time zone the following day), then arise slightly later than I would at home. Voila, jetlag is gone!

Jet lags biggest ally is when you ask yourself, "What time is it at home?"

I set my watch for local time at my destination as soon as I arrive at my departure airport. From then on, I think in the only local time that matters, my destination.

I sleep on the plane based on the new local time. I arrive early and plan a full day of outdoor activity. I stay awake until a reasonable hour (maybe 9pm), then sleep until the next morning. I'm usually fine after that.

I haven't tried the no jet lag product but I do take an Excedrin PM on the plane to help me get to sleep. Since it's the only time I use them, they usually work pretty well.

Ive used the NoJetlag - seemed to help some if you follow the directions. Its got lots of herbs to calm stress caused by time change and being in new surrounding. no drugs. Also - lots of water to stay hydrated - limit alchohol (tough when youre in biz class and they give you all you want!) and I also took airebone but seems in the news they were making unsubstantiated claims. but its all vitamins so maybe that helps some anyways. Get plenty of rest before and get to airport early. Set your watch when you get on the plane and get into "destination" mode. Then stay up late and go to bed with the locals! :) you will probably be so tired the next day should not be a prob. Just use a small alarm and get up and out early!

Getting in at 6am will no doubt make for a long day, but do your best to try to not sleep. If you absolutely need a cat nap, make sure you get up so you don't waste the day sleeping- you'll for sure be up all night. I have done many trips where I have gotten in early in the morning and I have found that the best thing to curb tiredness is food. Seriously. If you feel yourself going down- take a break for a snack or treat. It will raise your blood sugar and will give you energy. If you can make it through the first day, you'll be in the best shape for adjusting to the new time.

There are really TWO factors here - jetlag and travel fatigue. True jetlag is desynchronization. That's when your body clock, and all the resultant body rhythms such as heart rate, breathing, metabolysm, mental accuity, are out of synch with the local time. Travel fatigue is the result of long time sitting in a cramped space, lack of sleep, dehydration, etc. If you fly from Montreal to Buenos Aires, the trip would take over nine hours and you would definitely have travel fatique, but there would only be an hour's change in the time zone, so you would not have desynchronization. On the other hand, if Scotty could instantly transport you to Paris, you wouldn't have any travel fatique, but you would have jetlag.

Unfortunately, most "old wives" remedies for jetlag, lots of liquids, no alcohol, sleep on the plane, only fight travel fatique, which might exacerbate the effects of jetlag, but they do nothing for jetlag itself.

The best way to fight jetlag is to try to reset your clock. If you arrive in the morning, get out in the sunlight. Do it while your body still expects dark, not after it is light at home. After that, get up every morning around dawn. A short walk in the daylight does wonders.

Thank you for all of these suggestions - they're great!

I might try the NoJetLag, even if it only helps a little it will be good... i was thinking about doing a hop on/off tour of london on the first day so that i would be out and about and keeping busy, do you think this is a good idea or am I being too adventurous?

Since you are coming from Australia, you need to take that walk in the evening, when it is already dark in Australia.

Eli's comment about the salad gave me one final thought...

Don't forget that you can request a special meal. A Veg meal will be a more nutritious choice than the regular meal and may include salad. Or go Kosher even if you aren't Jewish. It's a better quality meal and won't be pork! Or even Diabetic! They often have fresh fruit. "Alive" food charges your brain. (I never said I was a Nutritionist!! LOL!!)

Leeana,

I've never really experienced "severe" jet lag, though to be fair, I've never traveled the distance you'll be traveling either (6 hours time difference is the most I've experienced). Anyway, rather than trying different elaborate methods to avoid jet lag, I've simply found what works best for me is to try and be as flexible with my travel arrangements as possible and to arrange to fly into my destination one day erlier than I "need" to be there. I usually arrive mid afternoon and the first thing I do is rest a few hours at the hotel. After dinner I go out for a good walk (the exercise always seems to help)
and then get to bed early that first night.

After that, I'm ready to go.

The Hop-on-Hop off bus tour would be a great idea. Sit up top for the air and sun. Hop off at the Tower of London and tour it then take the boat back to Westminster [ should be included with the bus] and either tour the Abbey or walk in St James Park or head to Trafalgar Square. Have a good meal and go to bed early and you should feel much better next day. Just be aware that the change of time and lack of sleep can make make you a little grumpy. Don't sweat the small stuff the first day.

Try "Jet Lag as a way of life" on for size!

I don't use the "No Jet Lag" product. It would get expensive to buy for every flight across the pond, anyway. I don't know of anyone who uses it regularily. I'm not able to say if it helps or not. My advise is to save yourself the $10 or so bucks they sell it for.

Build your own body up for maximum performance for travel and your every day living. All those things your Doc recommends is good sound advice. (We all know what they are so I won't start to preach...)

I find that exercise DOES really help. Good nutrition, limiting convenience type foods. I apologize for the "convenience crap" that Airlines mass feed you. (Crew get fresh fruits, veg, cheeses, real juice) I think Pax should be fed better.

In an emergency situation, I need you alert, strong and fully functional not bloated and sluggish!!

The hop-on-hop-off bus tour would be a good thing for the first day, but make sure you take advantage of the hop-off part. Fresh air and walking around really have a way of keeping you awake. If you just take a bus tour (and don't keep getting off and back on again), your eyes will likely start to droop no matter what the scenery is.

FA, I agree with you. Eating right and breaking in the body (like your new shoes) for your trip will help a lot. We exercise anyway, but knowing there is a trip in a couple months, I tend to add a little more walking up and down stairs, and go hiking to build up muscles that might not be getting much work at the gym.

We don't drink alcohol on a flight, and try to get enough water. We also take healthy snacks. It's a pity they won't let me take on a salad or something.

I tend to be in the camp that says keep it as simple as possible and force fit yourself into the new schedule. Forget specialized remedies, sleep aids might be OK on a flight, but not necessary, in fact if a glass of wine or a nightcap works for you, do that. Key is, like has been said, when you arrive, do active things outside, it'll take your mind off your fatique and pass time. Go to bed at a normal time, sleep well, and the next day you'll start out fine, just keep up the schedule. A normal sleep/wake pattern is essential, in fact, arriving at 6:00 AM, I would even opt for a quick nap mid-day (30 Min.; set an alarm) and staying up until 21:00 to 22:00 over turning in at 18:00 or 19:00.