Jet lag

[millybess]

DH and I tend to get jet lagged when we travel from west to east.  I was wondering what others do to tackle this problem.  Has anyone had success using the jet lag plans on Jet Lag Rooster? Or using Melatonin?  Any suggestions would be welcomed.🙂

[Peregrina651]

 

Since getting answers is mostly about audience size and since this isn't a Viking question per se, I would suggest also checking out another forum here on Cruise Critic: Cruise Discussion Topics and in particular, the sub-category Ask a Cruise Question, where they may have already covered the topic.

[FlyerTalker]

Three suggestions that work for me for long intercontinental trips.

 

First is to change over your body clock in the days before your flight by altering your routine to move towards the destination time zone.  Easier for those who don't have a fixed schedule at home.  Move an hour or two a day.  From Toronto, you are looking at 5 hour difference to London, 6 to continental Europe.

 

Second method is to just plow through the day once you arrive.  Yes, you will be dragging, but that will shock your system into the new time.  Do not plop onto the bed when you hit your hotel - that just keeps you on your old time.  Grab a shower and a change of clothes and get out there.  Start on your new time zone that evening.

 

Third method.  Deliberately short your sleep on the night before you fly.  You'll be dragging that day, but will be so tired you will fall asleep early on the flight and keep sleeping.  It's a compact version of #1 - you move the clock all at once, but it works because you're so damned whipped from lack of sleep the night before.

 

I highly discourage the use of any kind of drugs unless you have cleared it with your doctor AND you have tried them before your trip so you know how your body will react to them. 

[Twitchly]

We mostly use FlyTalker’s second method: plow through that first day and then have an early bedtime. 
 

I can’t sleep on planes. Which means I arrive exhausted. Since flights from here usually arrive in Europe early in the morning, we dump our luggage at the hotel but can’t check in yet, so we get outside and walk. Then in early or mid-afternoon, we check in and take a shortish nap. We set an alarm so we don’t sleep longer than an hour or so. (Getting up is EXTREMELY challenging, but we grit our teeth and do it.) That’s usually enough to keep us going until early evening, whereupon we collapse into bed and sleep like the dead. 
 

[longterm]

8 hours ago, millybess said:

DH and I tend to get jet lagged when we travel from west to east.  I was wondering what others do to tackle this problem.  Has anyone had success using the jet lag plans on Jet Lag Rooster? Or using Melatonin?  Any suggestions would be welcomed.🙂

I like what Rick Steves says about jet lag: jet lag hates activity. Don't try to sleep when you arrive on-board or at your destination hotel; instead, stay awake, either go for a tour if you're in a city, or find things to do on board the ship, until your normal bedtime arrives. 
 

The only escape from jet lag is to fly first-class and have a bed to sleep in; failing that, it's just part of the journey.

[millybess]

Thanks all!

 

FlyerTalker, we are flying Toronto - London - Oslo.  we could probably change our body clocks.  The website Jet Lag Rooster set out a 4 day plan with or without Melatonin.  I prefer without.  On the day we depart I would be up at 4:00 which is possible and they also recommend sitting under a light for a couple of hours.  Also to set my watch to the time zone after departing.

 

Twitchly, I too have a hard time sleeping on airplanes for long periods.  But we have tried plowing through the day and that has never worked for us.

 

longterm, going for a tour might help.  We usually fly first class, but unfortunately not on aircraft with beds.

 

Peregrina651, thanks for directing me to yet another source of information.

Edited February 23, 2022 by millybess
typo

[Geosez]

We also swear by the second method.  Check in if possible, shower then get outside, on our feet and try to stay out of bed until 9:00.  As for sleeping on a plane, we also swear by (hmm, lots of swearing here) noise cancelling equipment.  Not the big ear phones but the ear bud type.  The big store in the sky that starts with an “A” sells several types.  Best part is they cut out that background plane roar.  Even on short hauls we arrive more rested.

[millybess]

33 minutes ago, Geosez said:

We also swear by the second method.  Check in if possible, shower then get outside, on our feet and try to stay out of bed until 9:00.  As for sleeping on a plane, we also swear by (hmm, lots of swearing here) noise cancelling equipment.  Not the big ear phones but the ear bud type.  The big store in the sky that starts with an “A” sells several types.  Best part is they cut out that background plane roar.  Even on short hauls we arrive more rested.

Thanks Geosez. I got some Pro pods from the other store that starts with “A” for Christmas. I’m looking forward to trying those out on this trip. 👍

[zalusky]

I don't have a lot of experience at this but we did two long distance flights.

 

The first was many years ago and it was east from LA to Frankfurt in December for 18 days.

I remember being wiped out and also remember getting sick and being down for the count for 3 days in the middle of things.

 

The second was west from San Francisco to Auckland.  It was business class and they designed the flights to leave late and they gave us dinner like 10pm SFO time.  We then went to sleep and because of business class we could use our CPAP machines.  We woke up fresh and never suffered any downtime.

 

We have an east flight to London in July and I am hoping it's nothing like that first trip.

[The Other Tom]

I use Flyer Talker's second method.  Whatever you do, don't take a nap when you get there.

[millybess]

6 minutes ago, zalusky said:

I don't have a lot of experience at this but we did two long distance flights.

 

The first was many years ago and it was east from LA to Frankfurt in December for 18 days.

I remember being wiped out and also remember getting sick and being down for the count for 3 days in the middle of things.

 

The second was west from San Francisco to Auckland.  It was business class and they designed the flights to leave late and they gave us dinner like 10pm SFO time.  We then went to sleep and because of business class we could use our CPAP machines.  We woke up fresh and never suffered any downtime.

 

We have an east flight to London in July and I am hoping it's nothing like that first trip.

I’ve never had a problem flying west. I lived in London and Israel for several years working for a Canadian hotel company. I used to fly often to Toronto, New York and Boston with zero jet lag trouble. But upon returning, I was exhausted. On this trip, we have a 10 hour flight home from Athens and I know I’ll be fine and in a party mood by the time we get here. Lol. 

[millybess]

7 minutes ago, The Other Tom said:

I use Flyer Talker's second method.  Whatever you do, don't take a nap when you get there.

Possibly the second method would work if I make the shower a very cold one. 

[Moonlion]

6 hours ago, FlyerTalker said:

Third method.  Deliberately short your sleep on the night before you fly.  You'll be dragging that day, but will be so tired you will fall asleep early on the flight and keep sleeping.  It's a compact version of #1 - you move the clock all at once, but it works because you're so damned whipped from lack of sleep the night before.

I use method #3 for overnight flights: the night before, go to bed late and get up very early.  I take my own regular size, very comfy pillow with me on flight and sit by a window. I also use a prescribed sleeping aid, and sleep like a baby even in economy.  On arriving, I stay awake until the new normal bedtime. 

 

I have no trouble going from west to east, but find it really difficult to get over jet lag going east to west when returning home. Could be the excitement of going on vacation versus the let down of returning home. 

[Heidi13]

I always use Flyer Talker's # 2. Regardless of whether flying for business, pleasure, or joining a ship, I would have dinner at the usual time in the new time zone and get out and about for the evening. Exhausted when retiring for the evening, I normally managed to sleep.

[uktog]

Done many business trips with 8-10 hour differences and no leeway to “recover” on arrival. My steps included 

* adjusting my watch to the destination time on boarding the plane and trying to adjust my waking and sleeping behaviour to that

* If I landed around lunchtime I aimed to have a 4pm meeting or activity. That gave time before for a wake up shower

* In the evening I’d go for a walk swim or have another cool shower. The two no nos were reading or watching tv

* if I landed for leisure trips in the morning I’d book walking tours. I’d avoid hop on fall asleep buses

[Moonlion]

4 hours ago, uktog said:

* If I landed around lunchtime I aimed to have a 4pm meeting or activity. That gave time before for a wake up shower

* In the evening I’d go for a walk swim or have another cool shower. The two no nos were reading or watching tv

* if I landed for leisure trips in the morning I’d book walking tours. I’d avoid hop on fall asleep buses

Unfortunately, all these great steps are nearly impossible when having to quarantine in our cabins for 5-8 hours after boarding waiting for PCR test results 🤣.

[uktog]

10 minutes ago, Moonlion said:

Unfortunately, all these great steps are nearly impossible when having to quarantine in our cabins for 5-8 hours after boarding waiting for PCR test results 🤣.

Exactly - maybe I should also have added fly in the day before to help with an early adjustment and then at least if this quarantine continues beyond the end of this month you are better able to manage your adjustment

[Twitchly]

Rick Steves uses a combination of exercise and Ambien. https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/health/jet-lag  I like his suggestion to finish all your travel preparation 48 hours before you travel and try to schedule as little as possible those 2 days so you leave well-rested, not frazzled. 
 

I believe he also uses Ambien to sleep on the plane. 

[Twitchly]

2 hours ago, Moonlion said:

Unfortunately, all these great steps are nearly impossible when having to quarantine in our cabins for 5-8 hours after boarding waiting for PCR test results 🤣.

 

Good point! Another reason to delay getting on the ship until we’re ready to crash! 

[Port Hope]

We use Flyer Talker’s second method and it works for us as difficult as that first day might be. The only time it didn’t work was on a trip to visit relatives. We had no problem the first day as we had so much to catch up on. We got a second wind and stayed up until midnight. However, since we were so sleep deprived we slept in the next morning. That day was great but the jet lag caught us on the third day. After that experience we make sure to set an alarm and get up reasonably early the next morning in the new time zone. 
Does anyone have any tips for east to west trips? We both take at least a week to adjust. (Usually we have a 5 or 6 hour adjustment.) We try our hardest to stay up until at least 10 pm when we get home but then we are wide awake at 4 am. 

[7960Ken]

We have used melatonin routine to help.

1. Start taking a dose before bed 1 week before you leave. (hoping your body will get used to a routine)

2. Try to modify your sleep time to reflect the time zone you are going to. 

3. Continue the dosing on the plane if necessary. This might help sleep on the plane if your body has gotten used to the melatonin as a signal to sleep. Never drink alcohol on the plane.

4. Upon landing, eat a big breakfast if arriving in the morning.

5. Stay active and do not nap. Early to bed is okay, but not too early.

6. Continue the melatonin routine for your entire trip and for a week after you get home.

 

I don't remember where I got this info, but it has worked well for us.