No-Jet-Lag/Jetlag Rx

I just followed the advice here and made sure I stayed up. After dropping off our stuff we went out and walked around, got a bite to eat, grocery shopped for morning essentials, then headed back to the apt. Went to bed about 11:00, slept well all night, got up the next morning and were ready to roll.

We've never used any kind of product to ward off jet lag. We try to get as much sleep as possible during the flight and then treat the first day as a normal day. Get to the hotel, check in, shower up, get some lunch, and then--and this is what really helps--stay outside in the sun walking about in the fresh air. Then an early dinner around 8 to 9 p.m. and off to bed. No jet lag the next day. Not saying this will work for everyone, maybe we're just lucky, but it has always worked for us.

What Nance said.

Sleep, lots of water, and sunshine.

I don't think any of these remedies have been proven effective. Mostly marketing hype to get your money. Some may have a psychological effect and, if that works, fine. The traditional methods - time shifting, limited afternoon, staying on local time schedule, lots of sunshine, etc., all work to varying degrees for most people.

I don't think any of these remedies have been proven effective

They haven't, point blank.

Jet lag is multi-faceted. You can control some factors (sleep), but not others (timezone desynchronization). Most frequent travelers have their own routines that they've refined through trial and error.

Me personally, I've found that I can't completely eliminate the effects of jet lag. Rather than fighting it, I accept it will occur and plan my trip around it.

Over ten years ago I used "No Jet Lag" (made in NZ) a couple of times, it was all right. The result was I did not get jet lag. I could do equally well without taking those pills or any pills, found out I didn't need the pills, usually ten dollars a box....not worth it. Sleep at least half or more of the eleven hour flight from SFO, and I'll be fit upon landing at FRA or Paris.

I just get as much sleep as I can on the plane, shower on arrival if possible, then stay outside as much as possible until bedtime. I'm fine the next day.

I find that a short nap (~1 hr) before dinner refreshes me and helps me stay up until my normal bed time. However, I realize that this is not helping with jet lag.

There are two effect going on. One is true jet lag (desynchonization). You body thinks it's still on the time back home and goes into it's sleep mode during the early day and is in it's awake mode during sleeping time in your new location. You have to convince it it's wrong and the only thing that works is to expose it to sunlight when it "thinks" it's night time. Get out into the sunlight as soon as you can on arrival. being out later in the afternoon and evening, when it is already daylight back home doesn't help. Don't sleep in the next morning. Get out in the daylight just as you body thinks it's time to go to bed.

The second factor is "travel fatique" - lack of enough sleep, dehydration, etc. They're different things, but if you can get over the fatigue, you can deal with desynchonization better. That's why the name.

I tried No Jet Lag a couple of times many years ago and found that it was absolutely useless so I don't use it anymore. I had some left over but it went into the bin.

My jet lag strategy is always a "work in progress" but the best method I've found is to take a short power nap after arrival so that I can last until an early bed time in the new time zone. I've tried the "sunshine / fresh air / exercise" method a number of times but it doesn't work for me. The important thing with power naps is that it's important not to sleep too long, as that will make it difficult to sleep the first night, and prolong the adjustment to the new time zone. I generally find that getting over jet lag is easier when going to Europe and more difficult coming back from Europe.

I am with Ken having tried the stay awake at all costs, gut it out till evening. Discovered the afternoon nap by accident. Now it is part of the plan - set the alarm for a max of two hours but always find we wake around one hour, 30 to 45. Then we are recharge so that we can have a nice, enjoyable evening meal and go to bed around 10 till 11. The next day is still a little sluggish by afternoon but ok by the second day. However, we are doing the fresh, sunshine, outside activity from the time we land till the nap.

Thanks for the Greta advice. Here's our schedule.....looks like first day might just be a bust 😬

We fly out of Seattle 3:30pm (pst), arrive in Iceland 6:45am (gmt). After an hour layover we leave at 7:40, arriving in Amsterdam at 11:40 (gmt+1). We will be there 4 hours, then board a train to Antwerp arriving at 5:50pm. We will stay the night there.

You might be able to get an earlier train to Antwerp. There are probably trains going several times per hour from the airport to/thru Antwerpen. Are you looking at the Netherlands train site? Don't look at the RailEurope site. An Intercity train will be fine for this short journey. I'm not the expert on this but you may not need to book ahead on this if you take an Intercity which is about 2 hours as opposed to the Thalys high speed train which would need booking ahead.

http://www.ns.nl/en/travel-information

However, if this is how it works, you'll probably do well. You'll be forced to stay awake until you get to Antwerp. You'll check in to your hotel, walk around a little, then to dinner, then be ready for bed!

I have gone to Europe for 14 of the last 15 years and have taken "No-Jet-Lag" pills for the last 12 of those trips. I do know taking them and then taking a nap once I arrive at my final European destination works wonders for me. I tried not taking a nap during my first couple of trips and did not like the results so now I nap and feel much better.

I will bet Charles that if you skip the pills and still take the nap the results will be the same. That is our approach.

We have traveled from Vancouver to Europe and now Vancouver to Hong Kong. We have found that we adjust better when we travel to our destination, regardless of the direction. We get little sleep on the plane and try to stay awake until our normal bed time. On the plane drink lots of water and try and relax.

We have tried jet lag pills with no effect. Just accept that some jet lag is the price of visiting a foreign land.