Jetlag

[maverick]

It takes me 3-4 days to adjust to the new time zone. I am coming from North America. Does anyone have any good suggestions to overcome jetlag??

[arbiez]

Which way are you traveling? It can make a difference if flying via Europe or transpacific.

 

Basically, if going via west coast, your best option is to take a flight that departs in the evening from US and lands during the day in Asia.

Try to adjust your sleep habits a bit before you depart. (go to sleep and wake up earlier a couple of weeks prior)

Don't sleep the day before you go.

During the flight take short naps based on nighttime in LOS and drink lots of water.

Land during the day and stay awake (all day). You'll be exhausted but don't go to sleep until 9pm or so.

You should wake up 10-12 hours later fully sync'd.

[maverick]

I was doing some research and came across one paper that investigated the idea of keeping your home-base sleep patterns. The compared airline workers who tried to adjust to the new time zone vs those who keep on their home-base sleep patterns. The results showed a small but statistically significant difference between the two groups when the workers returned home. So I was thinking for my next trip to keep my Vancouver time zone sleep patterns when in Thailand. Thus I would be sleeping during the day and partying all night long. Will post my results after my trip.

[LOSO]

Thats kind of what I do Maverick myself. UK being 6 or 7 hours behind I end up all too often going to sleep

in LOS what would be night time in the UK. Works as long as you dont expect to see much daylight while

in Thailand! Myself I am there for the nights mostly anyway! :) I often have a morning landing on my flights

so as long as I can get in my room early will try and sleep a few hours right away so I am fresh for the night.

Dont always work out that way and sometimes I still feel jetlag for a few days despite doing this, so not sure

its the real answer, bbut might help some :)

[artinamerica]

Regardless of what time my flights depart or land, I haven't had any problems with adjusting to the 12-hour time difference.

Within a day or two, I am just fine.

[padfoot]

I believe arriving during the day helps. My flights have left between 1 and 2 AM and I arrive around noon. That has the added benefit of having lots of time to check in, get cleaned up, get a cell phone and have a good meal. Then have plenty of time to enjoy the evening. There will be lots of time to sleep in the morning.

[fyrfly89]

For some reason it seems I ALWAYS arrive in BKK from FLA at midnight. I generally get checked in and settled then go out and party for a few hours. Sleep late the next morning, then make my rounds getting back in touch with people and places. Seems I'm over any jetlag almost overnight.

On the other hand, when I return to the states it seems to take me days and days to recover. Maybe It's not the jetlag, just having a harad time getting over leaving the LOS again. LOL

[tom48]

I leave from my house in Florida usually between 4 and 5 AM, to go to the airport, after typically not being able to sleep the night before. The flight then goes to Detroit, or Atlanta, with a layover, then the long trip over Canada, and Alaska, then down to Japan, with a short layover; and then on to Bangkok, or Manila, with arrival at around 11PM the day after I left. After luggage and immigration is out of the way, its time to deal with the taxi and the hotel before I get a chance to relax, and by then it is in the early hours of day number 3 of my trip, by the local time. There is no possible way to not be affected by a jolt to your system like that. Back in the States, daylight savings time throws everyone out of wack for days and sometimes weeks, and that is a one hour change without travel. I drink lots of water, and I sleep when able, but the best thing you can do is to just try and ignore it and not dwell on it too much.

[Chasin it]

I leave from my house in Florida usually between 4 and 5 AM, to go to the airport, after typically not being able to sleep the night before. The flight then goes to Detroit, or Atlanta, with a layover, then the long trip over Canada, and Alaska, then down to Japan, with a short layover; and then on to Bangkok, or Manila, with arrival at around 11PM the day after I left. After luggage and immigration is out of the way, its time to deal with the taxi and the hotel before I get a chance to relax, and by then it is in the early hours of day number 3 of my trip, by the local time. There is no possible way to not be affected by a jolt to your system like that. Back in the States, daylight savings time throws everyone out of wack for days and sometimes weeks, and that is a one hour change without travel. I drink lots of water, and I sleep when able, but the best thing you can do is to just try and ignore it and not dwell on it too much.

 

I am arriving 1 March at 2225 pm from Hawaii via Tokyo. I have been pondering this whole thing as I want to make the best of my time being in BBK only a couple of days.

 

I work a midnight shift out here, wondering if I should stay up all night the night before departure and sleep on the plane or sleep the night before.

 

Also has anyone tried the jetlag supplements sold in travel stores and what was your take?

[tiger]

Yes, not to be smart, but if you can mostly party all night-everynight-so need for black-out drapes is essential!

 

Sleep most of the day--and more mongering the rest of the night--would work on a short term-say a week stay and hotel that out of way off Sukumvit some. I am just saying-great short trip and you don't have to get drunk everynight-unless so inclined ;) :P

[Jaco2]

Useful thread. Do any boardies have any methods, remedies or strategies they wish to share re: handling jet-lag??

[rowy]

I let the time at the location I arrived at dictate what I do when I arrive. So, whether its 6pm or 6am when I arrive, I stay up and don't go to bed until the time I normally go to bed. It doesn't matter what time it is where I just came from. Sure, I might be a bit tired that first night I arrive. However, after I go to bed that night and wake up the next day I'm fine.