Please share your sleeping strategy

[MJC]

We're flying JFK-LAX-SYD. Six hours, then three hour layover, then 14 hours. When should we sleep on the planes, in order to prepare for the time change? We'll have a 15 hour time difference. I'd like to start shifting in the air if possible. What's your strategy? I'd really like to enjoy my first day in Sydney!

[Billy and Charlie's Mum]

It is not so much sleeping on the planes that you have to worry about. Just make sure that if the sun is shining where you are going, stay awake, don't nap, don't think about sleeping or resting, keep busy with things like shopping and then go to bed when it is dark. Change your watch to local time and go to bed when you normally do. We find this is the best and quickest way to get over jetlag. Drink plenty of water on the plane too which will encourage you to get up and walk to the toilet.

[Aus Traveller]

We live in Australia and have to take long-haul flights to get almost anywhere. I am convinced that the best way to avoid jetlag is to keep to a sleep pattern and do not just take short naps during your flight. The worst case of jetlag I experienced was after a 30 hour flight from Europe where I had four seats to lie down so I sleep a lot of the way. My jetlag lasted about four days after I returned home. My second-worst jetlag was a trip from South Africa via Singapore to eastern Australia where I had three sleeps, each of a few hours. The result wasn't good. I think it would have been better if I stayed awake the whole trip. On a trip to London years ago (30 hours) I literally didn't sleep one minute, and when we arrived we rushed out to see some sights. Yes - I was very tired when I fell into bed, but I was OK the next day.

The best strategy is if you can adjust your sleeping pattern so it aligns with the times at your destination, but that isn't always possible.

Your body is used to a pattern of wake-sleep, and you have to try not to disrupt this too much. Usually, it is harder to make the necessary adjustment when flying west to east than the direction of your trip.

My suggestion is to avoid napping or sleeping on your first six-hour flight and on the lay-over. During the 14-hour flight the flight attendants will serve a meal, then dim the lights and expect everyone to sleep. By that time you will be really tired. When you arrive, align your sleeping pattern to local time, even if it means being awake for much longer than you are accustomed to in a day.

During your journey, make sure you drink plenty of water. This is very important.

Enjoy your trip.

[Gold Coast Cruisers]

My suggestion is firstly... do not stress about sleeping when, where or how.

If you fall asleep on the flight, enjoy that sleep time.

When you arrive at your destination, slide into their time immediately and if it happens to be first thing in the morning keep busy all day, go out, doing something, have an early dinner and then have an early night. NEVER sleep during the day on your arrival... if you do you'll wake up in your 'old' timezone probably in the middle of the night and will be out of zone for the next day. That's a sure way to suffer with jetlag.

The sooner you get into the timezone of your destination the quicker you'll adjust.

I also suggest you don't take sleeping tablets on the flight. You're allowing yourself to be subject to dehydration and possibly a DVT if you do.


Most of all whilst onboard, drink plenty of water and not too much alcohol or fizzy drinks and enjoy the flight.

Just my thoughts as I've done a fair bit of long haul flying internationally over many years.


Jill

[room010]

Tip #1 - Keep Busy!!! Sleep on the plane if you can (I can't) and when you arrive in Sydney, probably early in the morning, stay on the go all day until evening, early dinner, bed and after a good/exhausted nights sleep you should be OK to get out and about the next morning. DO NOT take naps during the day. It's disastrous for jet lag! And try not to think about what time it is back home. It's irrelevant and will play havoc with your body clock.

[sab01]

I have often done the JFK-LAX-MEL flight and to be honest with you with I find that I always fall asleep as soon as we leave LAX, definitely don't sleep on to way to LA and by the time you get on to the last leg of the journey you will be ready to crash... Enjoy :-)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Cassicruiser]

Originally Posted by sab01

I have often done the JFK-LAX-MEL flight and to be honest with you with I find that I always fall asleep as soon as we leave LAX, definitely don't sleep on to way to LA and by the time you get on to the last leg of the journey you will be ready to crash... Enjoy :-)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Completely agree. We did this flight last year - no napping on the daytime flight from NYC and by the time you get on the plane in LA you'll be ready to sleep. I don't sleep on planes but even the few hours of dozing on the second flight kept me going till early evening the next day. You'll be fine - don't stress. And don't nap the day you arrive, just plan for a very early night.

[Aus Traveller]

I don't think I have ever seen so many people put forward the same advice.

[leen42]

We are nearly flying the same distance in January and we are very interested in getting a answer to this as well. We are flying PIT-LAX-SYD.

[rkacruiser]

Originally Posted by Aus Traveller

I don't think I have ever seen so many people put forward the same advice.

And I agree with what has been advised. One thing I would add would be to set your watch for the time it is at your destination when you board the plane, i.e. at LAX, set your watch for the time it is in Sydney.

[Kinkacruiser]

Originally Posted by rkacruiser

And I agree with what has been advised. One thing I would add would be to set your watch for the time it is at your destination when you board the plane, i.e. at LAX, set your watch for the time it is in Sydney.

I can see that that would help a lot with one's mental adjustment....great tip.

[room010]

Originally Posted by Aus Traveller

I don't think I have ever seen so many people put forward the same advice.

Yes, and it's amazing how many visitors don't follow it and wander around like jet lagged zombies for the first few days of their trip down under . Our most recent guests from the UK insisted on taking a "quick nap" around 6pm, only to wake up at 9pm having missed dinner and just before the rest of the household got ready for bed. We tried to persuade them to "tough it out" and go for a walk on the beach, or go into the city for happy hour and dinner, anything to stay awake until later in the evening but they wouldn't even try. They kept asking what time it was in the UK This went on for 3-4 days.

I also set my watch to destination time as soon as I get on the plane. Visitors from the US also have to cross the International Date Line thereby "losing" a day which can also cause confusion. If you land in Sydney at 8am on a Tuesday local time, then it's 8am on Tuesday. Go with it.

[Aus Traveller]

I am impressed that the OP thought to ask about sleep strategy on long flights and also that he/she asked this on the Australian section of this forum where we have all had experience of long-haul flying.

[Billy and Charlie's Mum]

Originally Posted by Aus Traveller

I am impressed that the OP thought to ask about sleep strategy on long flights and also that he/she asked this on the Australian section of this forum where we have all had experience of long-haul flying.

Yep, just normal routine for all of us diehard travellers from downunder!

[Gold Coast Cruisers]

So true, for those of us in this part of the world have to fly long distances to see the rest of the world. It's well worth it and we all do it with ease because we don't have a choice... except not to go.... and none of us on here would do that.....

Jill

[t60]

One thing I would add would be to set your watch for the time it is at your destination when you board the plane, i.e. at LAX, set your watch for the time it is in Sydney.

Originally Posted by Kinkacruiser

I can see that that would help a lot with one's mental adjustment....great tip.

We always do that.
On our next trip to Aus we have a few hours stopover in HK. Do we set our watch to HK time when we leave London or Aus time?

Sandy in Spain

[Nhsaltshaker]

Originally Posted by t60

One thing I would add would be to set your watch for the time it is at your destination when you board the plane, i.e. at LAX, set your watch for the time it is in Sydney.

We always do that.
On our next trip to Aus we have a few hours stopover in HK. Do we set our watch to HK time when we leave London or Aus time?

Sandy in Spain

I wouldn't set your watch until you board the last leg of your flight, you don't want to miss the plane.

[Allis154]

I gues we are different When going to London, and arriving early morning, we nap on the plane. Once we arrive, we check in, look around and when we can get to our room (about 2-3pm) we have a short nap (1 hour) then have supper and look around some more and go to bed early. Next day, our schedule is completely fine

Without that nap the first day, we are very tired and go to bed very early, only to wake very, very early and everything is off. A 1 hour nap is enough to take away the exhaustion without hampering our ability to sleep that night.

[skipal]

When we go to Europe we try to catch some sleep on the plane (not always successfully) . We invariably arrive very tired but usually adjust to the time zone fairly quickly.
However, when we return to Australia we always have jet lag for at least a week. Most of our friends have had similar experiences.

Skipal

[Aus Traveller]

Originally Posted by Nhsaltshaker

I wouldn't set your watch until you board the last leg of your flight, you don't want to miss the plane.

I agree. Set your watch to HK time when you land there. It will save you doing mental gymnastics checking on the correct time for your next flight.