Jet Lag/sleeping on flight

I've never been able to sleep on an overseas flight. Some people can some people can't. I also don't care to try "sleep aids" - some people can sleep on a plane just fine without them, apparently.

My strategy for combating jet lag is to 1) rest up AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE the few nights before the flight. The worst jet lag I've ever had was at the start of a trip where I was stressed before leaving for Europe and didn't sleep well the few nights before. First night in Italy, I slept like a baby, about nine hours. Next night, I didn't sleep AT ALL. It took my body a few days to finally adjust. Yikes, those first few days were rough. Since then, I try to be well rested before leaving the country, and that has helped greatly.

2) I stay up the entire day and don't nap on arrival day in Europe. So even if I arrive at 7am without having slept the night before, I stay up all day without a nap and make sure I go to bed at local time and get up the next morning local time. Other than the trip above, this usually works fine. I may have some trouble sleeping the first night or two, but I usually sleep at least a few hours and gradually a few more subsequent nights. Some people nap as soon as they arrive at the hotel in the afternoon. I guess that would work for you - not for me!

3) I just accept that I won't sleep well the first few nights and stop worrying about it. I used to get stressed about not getting to sleep or waking up wide awake at 3am some nights, but I've stopped worrying about it. Whatever it is, it is - I'll survive a few nights with only a few hours sleep.

The last few trips, I've stopped on the east coast for a few nights (not for jet lag but to visit family) before heading on to Europe, and I've had pretty much zero jet lag (other than being very groggy that first arrival day), which seems amazing. Five or six hours time change is a lot easier for me to adjust to than eight or nine, it seems.

In the future, I'd try for better flights than those, without those long layovers - yikes! Having to stay at the airport all day and try to stay awake? Doesn't sound fun. If you've never been to the Sixth Floor Museum in Dallas ("book depository" where JFK was shot from), you might have time to sneak over there during your long layover in Dallas - highly recommend it as something to do! Not sure you'd have enough time in London for something similar.

Fortunately, we have family in Dallas that we will be spending time with, and hoping to meet up with a friend in London. So that will help with the layover boredom factor 😊

I think I might be tempted to take a nap in Dallas, actually, if you can, but not in London. Then again, if you are the type of person who can sleep on a plane, taking a nap beforehand might throw you off...

I would not take any sleep aids or pills and would not recommend taking pills. I go to sleep pretty easily on a flight, going and returning. On the return I don't care as much but sleeping is way more important going over. The sleeping prevents the jet lag. I don't get jet lag after a non-stop from SFO or OAK flight to London, Paris or Frankfurt of close to 11 hours.

You're lucky you can sleep like that, Fred!

So lets see if I've got this right...

You're planning to experiment with some drugs, which you've never taken before. You're going to try some out for the first time as you get on a string of flights that will take about 36 hours end-to-end. At the end of that drug experiment, you plan to launch on your trip around Europe. Okiedokie.

What could possibly go wrong with this plan?

Keep in mind that drugs effect people differently. While it's probably not going to kill you, it also might leave you feeling like Death Warmed Over. Not a great way to start a trip.

If you really want to experiment on yourself with drugs, you might consider a trial run in the comfort of your home first, to see how you react. You could also chat with your doctor.

Jet lag is a real thing. Even if you can sleep on a flight (many people can't), your body still has to recover from zooming to the other side of the planet. Personally, I haven't tried drugs to help mitigate that. Starting off well-rested (as opposed to exhausted and stressed out) is good for starters. I know some people start "time shifting" eastward (starting to get up, and go to sleep, a couple hours earlier) for a few days before their departure to lessen the transition. I also think it's wise to plan to just walk around and try and stay up until local dinner time on your arrival day, and plan a light schedule for the next day, too. If you can get business class with a nice lay-flat bed, that certainly helps (a lot).

stay awake until you get to europe by hopefully reading a good book or watching long good movies on the plane; jet lag resolves itself after a couple of days;

Try to go to sleep very early and wake up very early (like 4am) between now and you departure time.
7:15pm in Dallas will be 9:15pm PDT (your body time).try to sleep as soon as you take off, or as soon as they serve dinner (shortly after take off from DFW).
Have some wine and liquor after dinner for good measure.
You will probably sleep for part of the flight to LHR.
You will be hit by drowsiness in the afternoon in London, around the time you fly to Basel. Sleep if you can on the plane.
When you check in in Basel, have early dinner and go to bed. Leave window shutters open so that the morning light is able to enter the room and wake you up when you are supposed to.
The sunlight controls our body clock. Stay outdoors during the day.

715PM at DFW is 515PM at PDX ( Roberto may be WUI)

Hopefully, you would be able to get 4-5 hrs sleep on the DFW-LHR leg and that will hold you over until you get to Basel, have dinner and hug your pillow. Having friends and family to meet at Dallas and London, should be helpful to keep you awake while waiting

I would not take 'sleep aids' for the first time on an airplane. I would want some history of how they affect me at home, to be sure I do not create a worse problem than I solve

I agree that no one should take a new sleep aid on a flight to Europe. Antihistamines make most people drowsy, but they make one of my brothers jittery. I know I've read advice to avoid alcohol, but I don't remember whether that was related to sleeping. One should definitely be careful about alcohol in conjunction with any sort of drug.

You do have time to try something simple like melatonin or Dramamine while you're at home. I am not a doctor, but I've used melatonin myself, in a low dose, at home (where I have chronic sleep issues). It does make me sleepy. Dramamine for motion sickness knocks me out so totally that I only take half a pill. However, being sleepy is no guarantee that you will actually sleep sitting up on a plane. (Yes, Fred is extremely lucky; he regularly takes overnight trains and sleeps sitting up rather than lying flat.)

I find that an inflatable neck pillow helps to some degree by making your head less likely to flop forward when you fall asleep, which then wakes you up, but that worked better when I was younger and sitting in window seats. I'm in aisle seats now, with nothing to lean on, and it's extremely rare for me to doze off. Still, I use a pillow religiously, because it may help at some point.

For me, it's important to start the trip well-rested, which means getting my trip prep done well ahead of time. Staying awake, fiddling with stuff, the last night at home is a very bad thing for me, since it's a given that I will not sleep on the plane.

Melatonin is actually an hormone, NOT a sedative, used to be the real thing but now is mostly a synthetic form of it.. and its considered very safe by almost any medical practitioner.. my doctor recommended it for my son who as a child had ongoing sleep issues due to other issues he lives with.. My 84 yr old father takes it for insominia.. on recommendation of his doctor.. it is not mind altering at all.. as I said.. its not a sedative.

It only makes sense to try any medication or supplement AT HOME before you travel.. as said everyones reaction can be different.

I do take something for sleep on long flights ( over 9 hours).. and I simply can not sleep on a plane ( Fred is very lucky ) .. .sometimes I take melatonin.. sometimes a Gravol( Canadian travel sickness medicine ) .. sometimes an Ativan..depends on how long flight is.. I also tend to fly direct when possible so that I get a good 9 or 10 hours so whatever I take is cleared out by arrival.

I have tried not taking anything.. getting no sleep.. then staying up the arrival day.. it makes me sick.. not the way I like to start holiday.. so even if I only can get 4-5 hours of sleep on the plane with an aide I feel much more capable of staying up the first day ( important to beat jet lag)

Melatonin doesn’t work on everyone. I know that it has absolutely no effect on me. If you don’t already know how it works then now might be a bad time to try it.

I bring Benadryl with me because of my allergies. It contains Diphenhydramine like Tylenol PM. I will also use it to get me to sleep the first night. It keeps my sleep depressed enough so I’ll go into another sleep cycle instead of waking up at 3 AM. I suspect it would work on the plane too.

It’s important to get outside in the sun once you’re at your destination.

More of a comment on London. You mention that you will see friends in London during your layover. How will you have time for that? It typically takes 2 hours (in my experience) to get out of the airport and another two hours to get back in and at your gate in time for the filght. You only have 4.5 hours in London. You'll be lucky to have time for a decent lunch at the Giraffe Cafe.

I can't sleep well on planes. Yes, sleep well at home in the days prior to departure. At your destination opt for a short nap of about 30 minutes and that's it. Get out and walk until local bed time.

I tried Dramamine for this once. Not a great idea for me - it worked in that I slept ok on the flight but it made me extra tired for several days after.
If you want to try a sleep aid, try it at home a week or more before your trip to see how it effects you first.

Other suggestions - sleep well the nights before your flights. Pack and get your house ready early so you aren’t stressed or up late doing last minute errands.
Sleep as much as possible on the Dallas to London flight - even just closing your eyes and listening to music, and not watching loud action movies can help.

A lot of jet lag for me is mental. So once you get on the plane in Dallas (or before!) set your mind and watch to Basel time. Stop thinking in “home time”.
Once you arrive, get outside. Walk or sit in an outdoor cafe. Coffee is helpful. Do not sleep until after dinner and a walk, then go to bed for the night.

One thing that helps me but I don’t love is setting my alarm for the first day in Europe for 7AM or earlier. I used to sleep until natural wake up on day 1 (often 9 or later) to catch up on sleep, then tried to get up earlier on succeeding days. But a couple trips ago I was rudely awakened by an earthquake at 7AM and...no jet lag that trip. So now I get up early, go for a photo walk, and grumble about it. But it works. Sleep 10PM - 7 that first night and boom! Done.

That's a killer itinerary, with considerable time spent sitting in airports.
Have you considered driving the 175 miles to SEATAC and flying nonstop into Frankfurt or other gateway European airports? A short connecting flight info BSL might be available.

Stay hydrated. Drink a minimum of eight ounces of water per hour. You will walk the aisles quite often, keeping circulation running properly and you meet the nicest people standing inline.
I don't bother trying to sleep on a flight.....it just won't happen for me.
The Timbers and Thorns will miss you.
Have fun!

David and David - We will not be experimenting with drugs. That is why we are info gathering now (and thank you all, for your wonderful insight), rather than just getting something and running with it. We also have almost 2 days to relax with family who live there once we arrive. And definitely not our first choice in flights, but what we could afford that fit our itinerary. And we booked months ago. Believe me we tried a myriad of possibilities before ending with this one.

Emily - they are coming to the airport 😊

Blue439 - I will miss them too, but will be following!! RCTID!

I agree that you should try any sleep aid this week to see how it goes. Melatonin is a hormone. It is released by your brain when the sun goes down or you are in a dark room (which is why people say stay out in the light upon arrival. The light shuts off Melatonin production in your body). The type you see in stores, from 0.5 mg- 3mg is safe and acts just like your own body's, except you are boosting what you have naturally. My husband is a night shift worker and sleeps days. He uses it as part of his routine to switch back and forth. I have given it to my kids on rare occasions. I have also taken it, but one of the side effects, and one I experience, is bad dreams, so I dont take it. But you could try 1 mg one night this week and see what you think. Blue light from screens, like phones or computer or the screens on planes, prevent melatonin production. If you watch movies on the lane the whole time bc you cant sleep, you making things worse for the transition. At least try to close your eyes in sync with Basel time, and avoid lights so your brain start to switch even if you are not actively sleeping.
I recommend some kind of pillow, whether a designated travel pillow or Ive heard of people bringing pillows from home. Last summer I was freezing on the plane - too much air conditioner - and the thin plane blanket didnt provide enough warmth, so I had a harder time trying to sleep. So this year, to my travel pillow Im adding compression socks (for warmth if nothing else), more accessible layers of clothing, and I might bring a blanket (doubt it, but its appealing). Point is, Im trying to figure out how to make myself as comfortable as I can while still traveling light and lean. Good luck

Staying hydrated is important. The cabin will really dry you out. Drink enough that you will have to pee every 60 to 90 minutes. Plus this will get you up and out of your seat. I guarantee you will feel better the next day.

I never know whether to be glad for our short flight time, or not. Halifax to London is about 6 hrs. Flights leave at 11:30pm - which is already past my bedtime. But by the time we get into the plane and get settled, sleep doesn't really have much of a chance to take hold. And hour in (yes, around 1am) they come around with a hot meal, then about 75 min before landing, they have breakfast. So even if we could sleep on the way over, we may get 4-4.5 hrs max. On the flip side, jet lag isn't too bad, because we are only dealing with a 4 hr time difference. (5 hrs if we go anywhere else in Europe). I actually find it worse coming home - for 3-4 nights after coming home, we're waking up at 4am.

I have some noise cancelling headphones for this trip, so I'm going to try some 'white noise' apps on my ipad and see if that helps. And dang ole Air Canada changed the planes flying out of Hali - instead of 2-3-2 config, now they are 3-3, so hubby and I won't have two seats to ourselves. But I opted to pay the extra $25 for the preferred seats, that supposedly have 33-34" pitch, so I'm hoping the extra legroom will make things a bit more comfy and bearable.

Jessica - Instead of a blanket, think about taking a pashmina or large scarf. You can find many that are lightweight yet warm, and if they are a decent size you can use them much like a blanket. I like an extra layer around my neck and shoulders to ward off the chill from the overhead air vents on a plane. The nice thing about this choice is that you can use a scarf throughout your trip for warmth or style (dresses up an outfit very nicely), and they can be easily packed as they don't take much space or add much weight.

The best thing you can do is to try to reset your sleep schedule slowly a week before the trip so that you can adjust to the new time more easily. Stay hydrated and try to embark on this journey being well-rested. Reset your clock immediately before boarding on the last leg of the flight, and don't think about what time it is "back home". Try to sleep on the plane if you can, and make yourself as comfortable as possible so you can sleep. Avoid alcohol and any kind of "sleeping aids". Jet lag is normal and can't really be avoided, all you can do is try to have a soft a landing (so to speak) as possible by doing the right things before and during the trip.

I've known people to take Gravol and found it successful.

I have flown from SEA to Europe every year since 2001, all but one a non-stop flight and that one was a frequent flyer mileage flight thru Dallas. I take a 5 mg Melatonin pill every night here in Seattle. I do not take anything before or during the European flight except "No-Jet-Lag" pills every so often. I am able to cat-nap during the flight according to my wife who does not sleep. Contrary to 99% of advice, I go to bed as soon as we arrive at our destination where we will be staying and sleep until I wake up. I tried to stay awake when we arrived during our first few years when going to Europe but had some really bad results, once crashing on a person's couch. This routine works perfectly for me. It helps me to have noise cancelling headphones and eye shades.

It's obvious what works for one person doesn't work for everyone.

If I were to arrive in Paris and then slept "until I woke up" I would be royally screwed trying to sleep that night. Then again a short nap of 30 minutes recharges my batteries enough to power through the day and then crash that evening.

Yes set your watch to your destination upon boarding the plane. Don't worry if you can't sleep. After a good night's sleep your first night in Europe you will be fine. Watch out with the alcohol and jet lag. I had a beer with dinner after arriving in Paris and I was drunk due to the lack of sleep. Mary and I giggled (and maybe stumbled a bit) back to our apartment.

Yes, I assumed they are coming to the airport. Do you understand how much time you will spend waiting in lines to get out of and back in the airport? Very painful after flying all night.

Seek sleep aid advice from your physician; asking strangers on a travel forum about what to ingest seems haphazard at best.

Then ask your doctor if you should try his/her sleep aid recommendation(s) BEFORE you travel to see how your body responds. To use a sleep remedy for the first time ON YOUR TRIP is a risk I'd never take. Know how your body reacts long before you go.

Not haphazard....info gathering. Now I have talking points to discuss. Thank you again for all the kind responses, and the others, as well :)

I completely agree that there is no "one size fits all" remedy for jet lag. And I also strongly recommend that you test drive any pharmaceutical remedy at home, preferably for more than 1 night, before using it on a flight. We can only relate what works for us.

When we're faced with a long international flight ( 16 hours is our longest non stop), we try to have a good sleep the night before, then keep busy during the day, so we're tired when we board. Well have a glass of wine with dinner, then settle in to sleep. Probably thanks to 37 years in the military, DH can sleep anywhere at the drop of a hat. It's more of a production for me. First of all, I have a phobia about flying, so I take an Ativan just before boarding, as well as a Gravol (dramamine). By the time dinner is over, I'm drowsy. On go the noise cancelling headphones, with my playlist of relaxing nature sounds. Next comes the blanket and pillow (I always have a window seat if not flying business class). And finally my eye shade. I can usually get in 6 hours this way on a smooth flight.

Once at our destination, we keep going all day, preferably spending most of it outside in daylight. We'll have dinner at our usual 7:00, then go to bed. By then we're usually exhausted. Invariably we're awake a little earlier than at home for the first few days. But that is undeniably the best time to see the area we're in, before the crowds gather.

Here is what works for me:

• Set my watch to the destination time as soon as I board the plane. If my watch says 11pm, I go to sleep.
  
• Lots of water
  
• No caffeine
• No alcohol
  
• A Tylenol PM or two
  
• Eye mask (they usually give you one on the plane) Neck pillow, footrest, or other props to help get comfortable

When I arrive at my destination, I walk around as much as possible, avoid naps and stay up until bedtime.

I won't deal with long layovers (2 -3 hrs is fine) or more than one of them, and ideally plan to arrive at destination anywhere from 9 am - 3 pm, and stay on my feet and busy until about 6 when I head to my room, usually crashing by 8 pm. The next day I'm all adjusted time-wise and stay up to my usual 10 pm or so. My efforts to stay hydrated are in direct conflict with getting any significant sleep on the plane, and since I prefer the aisle seat I'd just be disturbed by seat-mates wanting to get up or people bumping into my head anyway. I doze a bit but that's all.

Well being that you are going to have been up since, what, 5AM? By the time you get on that 7:15PM flight I would think you would be good and tired. I avoid Coffee after noon and if I have trouble sleeping at home I take ONE Tylenol PM or if I cant sleep due to anxiety a Xanax (prescription). My goal with sleep aids is to make me drowsy, not put me to sleep, what if there is an emergency and I need to be alert fast? (I always plan for the worst). Before taking the Tylenol PM I did ask my doctor to ensure it would not mess with anything else I was taking and I got the go-ahead. I started with 1/2 a pill, nothing happened, then a whole pill, good sleep...then two pills, and felt groggy the next day, so I settled on one pill for me.

I do sleep on the plane but never really feel well rested, probably due to the position I am in and waking up often during a night flight. I also have a hard time falling asleep in strange beds so while on the trip I take my One Tylenol PM nightly to ensure I actually sleep and don't lay there wide awake and feeling like a zombie the next day.

Last trip my Dr prescribed Ambien. I took it at home for a trial run about a month before the trip...whew man..never again! Bad experience, back to the Tylenol PM. Melatonin gives me really active and wild dreams and do not wake up rested.

I fly West Coast to Europe and never have jet lag when we land and like others, I just go to bed at my normal time of 10:30pm wherever I am. Your getting into Basel in the evening, by the time you land, get to your lodgings I would think just settle in, walk to dinner, walk back, and go to bed. I like arriving around that time because you don't need to stay awake that long.

I don't sleep on a plane. I have tried everything including drugs. Nothing works. So my cure for jetlag is to just get to the hotel room as soon as I can and sleep until dinnertime. I get up, eat, and usually go right back to bed and sleep some more. So I lose the first day of vacation, at least I am then well rested for the rest of the trip.

oh dear.

That you are thinking about sleep aids suggests you do not understand what jet lag is. It's not being short on sleep! Its your body's internal clock not catching up to you.

People manage jet lag with light, with diet, and with melatonin (which is not a sleep aid). It's a good idea to start a few days before your departure. If you want to experiment with melatonin, try using it to shift your clock during the week, and see how you tolerate it. Take it at 9, then 8, and so forth.

The good news is that you can ameliorate jet lag even if you can't sleep on the plane (which many find hard to do).

I don't do anything different on the days close to departure. Usually, but not always, the very last night prior to departure date I have to do this or that, meaning I end up with 4 hrs of sleep. I figure I'll sleep on the plane which I can count on, how much, depends.

Drinking coffee at dinner or a little red wine has no effect on falling asleep, I'll sleep anyway, even faster if the seat can be reclined to the max, ie if no one is behind me. It does happen, but rarely.

Don't take any of these pills unless you ask your doctor first. I took "No Jet Lag" pills a couple of times, ca 11 to 15 years ago...don't need it. I felt the same way with or without them at arrival.

If you get in the sleep on the flight, say 5-7 hrs on a trans-Atlantic flight close to 11 hrs, you'll arrive not jet lagged, exhausted, wiped out, etc, etc.

Hmm! Not sure I said lack of sleep would cause jet lag. Just that both could be an issue. This has been a very helpful conversation. Some of it very practical, and some quite humorous! All of it made for great reading! Again, thank you to all!

I don't sleep on planes, but accept it, so just watch movies, drink coffee when I want to, and carry on with life when I land in a normal fashion. Going to the West coast, it is almost time for bed anyway. Coming back to Frankfurt, I may take a short nap after I arrive.
Jet lag for me just means getting sleepy at odd times for a few days, but nothing horrible. It certainly doesn't keep me from sightseeing, etc. There are a number of times that I had to go to work on the day I landed back in Frankfurt due to employee shortages. Not fun, but doable.

As for the melatonin, tried this a few years ago and had the scariest, most horrific nightmares ever. This is not a pill for me.