Jet Lag strategies

[paborn]

I learned so much from the "airline strategies" thread that I thought this might yield so very hard to acquire - reality-based -information from those who do it all the time.

 

I face a thirty hour ( door to door ) travel time and a 12 hour time difference. How do you best cope with that?

 

One thing I do is head for Cutey Beauty ( In Bangkok ) for a full treatment from facial to foot massage and then force myself to stay awake until a reasonable ( early say 11 pm) bedtime.

 

But, how to the rest of you treat jet lag?

[hank75]

Surely after 11 pm is when the fun starts!

[PeterRS]

I have done the 12 hour time change a few times. Sadly it never gets any easier. If I can make it fit in to work schedules, I try to start the time change over the previous three days, going to bed progressively later each time. On the day of travel, I switch my watch to destination time as soon as I am awake. That might mean I get a bit hungry and tired that day but it is all my way of trying to beat jet lag.

 

On the flight, again I try to eat/sleep at destination time. Most frequent flyers say not to drink alcohol but I need something! So I will have one scotch and then one glass of wine with the meal. Since service at the back of the bus depends on the airline, I often either make or buy at the airport a tasty sandwich and get a piece of fruit. Absolutely no caffeine which can undo all the good you are trying to achieve. Medical advice seems to be to avoid sleeping pills. On such a long trip, I have to take one so I can at least get some sleep. I watch movies, try difficult crossword puzzles and the most difficult sudoku puzzles to while away some time.

 

The end result is that I usually arrive with a near empty stomach. So I eat as much as I want the day I arrive The hard part then is trying to stay awake as evening draws near. But again avoid caffeine as it does strange things to the body clock. Arrival is obviously better at the Thai end when you have the bars to look forward to. After the trip back home I am a wreck because I lack the discipline I have on the outward journey. I figure I will recover eventually.

[t0oL1]

For me I can't sleep on the flights so that's 30 hours with maybe a 10 minute nap enroute.

Then I can sleep 4-5 hours and get up again for a few hours.

Starting in Bkk - this extends to Pattaya couple days later where hopefully I

can nap after the afternoon beach visit and not sleep all the way past bar time.

Wake up lots @ 5am and watch cable or not get sleep at all.

 

Should pack Z-quil and oxy pain pills the next time to knock myself out a couple times until I readjust,

[colmx]

As I live in Ireland, there is a 6-7 hour time difference to Thailand

In Ireland I normally sleep between midnight and 1am

In Thailand I normally sleep between 6am and 7am...sleep all day and party all night!

I keep my wake/sleep schedules in Thailand the exact same as at home... have never ever experienced jetlag!

[paborn]

I'm confused, you sleep one hour a night?

[colmx]

sorry I should have been more clear!

In Ireland I start to sleep between 00.00-01.00 and sleep 7-8 hours

In Pattaya I start to sleep between 06.00-07.00 and sleep 8-9 hours... don't think I have ever been up before 15.00.... Just too much to do in Pattaya at night!

 

And yes, when I get back home I am more pale then before I left!

[paborn]

A pale Irishman!  so that's what the English meant by "beyond the pale"

[colmx]

actually as a non-Dubliner I can say that "the pale" was the area around Dublin where the locals collaborated with the British occupation forces... for approximately 800 years!

Of course the Dubliners and Brits will vociferously deny those allegations (and that's why they deserve to get jetlag!)

[captainmick]

The best strategy for avoiding jetlag is to carefully investigate the aircraft type prior to booking flights. The Airbus 350 and to a slightly lesser extent Boeing 787 are built in part from carbon fibre and as a result can be pressurised to a higher pressure which is the equivalent to a lower altitude. This has substantial benefits in reducing dehydration whilst flying and minimising effects of jet lag. Makes a huge difference. If flying from Europe, Finnair operate A350s (not all flights so check) on Helsinki leg into both Bangkok and Phuket and normally offers good value too.

[PeterRS]

Sorry but I find absolutely no difference with the A350 or 787s compared to the old 747s and more recent A380s. I have done several long flights on each. Not one bit of difference for me. The one I dont like is the 777 because many airlines are now cramming too many seats into coach.

[forky123]

Lighting on modern planes makes a big difference for me. These days I pay no attention to jet lag whatsoever. On the plane, if I’m tired I sleep a little, if I’m not I read or may watch a film, perhaps play a game. I deliberately take a stopover. I can get a direct flight but find the stop makes the trip much easier on the body. When I arrive, I get a car from thelimopattaya.com to the hotel and then do whatever my body feels like. If I’m tired I sleep for a short time, otherwise I either go for a walk around or take a massage. Whilst I love massage sex for relaxation, I also love 2 hour foot massages to simply relax. It may be my sleep the first night will be a little rough but not usually.

 

I used to get jet lag quite badly years ago, usually because I tried to force my body straight into the new time zone. These days I go by how I feel and ignore the clock.

[paborn]

Forky123, may ask your flight time - it makes a difference in evaluating the approach for others.

[forky123]

It’s about a 24 hour journey door to door plus or minus a couple of hours depending on the stop between flights. If I went direct it wouldn’t be much less due to the longer travel the end. I generally try to arrange it so I arrive in Pattaya early afternoon so leave morning UK (which fits in with work too).

 

[edit] Just checked.... last trip I left home 0900 gmt and arrived in Pattaya just before 1600 next day.

[paborn]

actually as a non-Dubliner I can say that "the pale" was the area around Dublin where the locals collaborated with the British occupation forces... for approximately 800 years!

Of course the Dubliners and Brits will vociferously deny those allegations (and that's why they deserve to get jetlag!)

Actually, I knew that; "pale" is old English for a settlement or settled area ( see Pale of settlement for eastern Poland where Jews were allowed to live ) the Dublin was, in English eyes, the only civilized area of Ireland - thus the rest of the people were " beyond the pale" - my apologies for a clumsy joke. I'm not English but I couldn't resist a slight poke at an Irishman who "parties all night" and sleeps all day - what would the English say?

[vinapu]

I,  like forky123,  go by how my body feels, tried  different approaches and nothing worked. Only factor which may make difference for me  is elbow room i.e -nobody is sitting beside me, since I always take aisle seat if enhances my comfort just a bit and I noticed , in turn it mitigates  jet lag a bit.

 

I did not notice any effect of arrival or departure times neither light nor drinking pattern, all I know that with age jet lags are getting worse and worse but long flight are getting more and more bearable so at least there's trade.

 

In Thailand usually my 2 and 3 days are the worst, first one I run on adrenaline I guess.

 

My advice is , if you feel like you need a sleep just go to bed no matter what as body is not that easy to cheat. I once almost felled asleep going down the stairs of Sala Daeng station and it was very scary.

[llz]

Coming from the West (Europe), jet lag is absolutely not a problem when I reach Thailand ; however I need four or five days to recover when coming back home.

 

I wonder if this has to do with the direction you come from, or with the excitement to be in Thailand again.

[hank75]

Jetlag is always worse for me on the return, and very likely due to post-Bangkok blues. I am grumpy, mopey and constantly think “Ah in Thailand, I would be doing this or that right about now”. A real downer!

[Guest]

Flying east is more difficult for me.

 

For thw first few days, when I do get up between 8 and 10 am, I like to go for a good walk then have a coffee. Make sure my body knows it's awake. This time I tries some melatonin tablets for sleep, which were a big help.

[abidismaili]

don't think I have ever been up before 15.00.... 

 

Do you inform hotel you wake up that late because else a cleaning lady walks in thinking by 14.00 for example you surely will be awake and she finally can start cleaning your room and she walks in on your sleeping. Happens a lot?

[gerefan]

To me there is no such thing as Jet Lag.

 

If you have a 12 hour flight then you probably have a 20 hour door to door journey. This coupled with say 4 hours preparation and another few hours unpacking means you are on the go for 26+ hours with little if any sleep. Longer if you have a longer flight.No wonder you feel fucked.

 

The answer for some ...Business Class ...for the rest of us..just sleep it off as required.

[paborn]

Gerefan, that "sleeping it off" is a jetlag strategy it is allowing your body clock to reset to the time zone.

[Uranus]

A pale Irishman! so that's what the English meant by "beyond the pale"

A whiter shade of pale.

[colmx]

Do you inform hotel you wake up that late because else a cleaning lady walks in thinking by 14.00 for example you surely will be awake and she finally can start cleaning your room and she walks in on your sleeping. Happens a lot?

We normally rent a condo in Pattaya, but use hotels elsewhere. I hang a do not disturb sign on the door before sleeping and latch the security lock (if there is one) to stop walkins

 

If housekeeping are persistent and start knocking at 14.00, i answer the door and ask for fresh towels, water and toiletries (if needed)

[gerefan]

Gerefan, that "sleeping it off" is a jetlag strategy it is allowing your body clock to reset to the time zone.

Exactly...just sleep as long as you need....call it jet lag...call it no non sleeping for 26 + hours ...call it what you like...nobody knows..just sleep it off . Simple.