Handling Jet Lag

[Guest NakedTony]

I've got several friends going to the Gay Games in Sydney. What are good ways for handling jet lag?

 

I know this topic has been discussed before. However, I've done a search of current and archived posts and can't come up with the thread.

 

Your help would be great appreciated.

[+ deej]

Obvious answer: avoid jet lag by staying home.

 

(sorry ... bad joke, I know)

 

I've read that making sure you drink plenty of fluids (Margaritas don't count!) before the trip is helpful. Travel is stressful and you're often stuck for long periods in environments where you just can't get a drink of water. Also altering sleep patterns (if possible) so you ease into it can help.

 

But we can't all do that every time.

 

A doctor may have better advice than you'll get here.

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

A good friend of mine (a travel agent) gave me this advice:

 

 

As soon as you can step off the plane (either back home or when traveling) try to get as much sunlight as possible. Direct sunlight resets your body clock in many different ways and will help drastically when trying to adjust to time differences, jetlag and soreness.

 

 

Hope it helps!

 

 

 

Warmest Regards,

 

 

Benjamin Nicholas

[email protected]

http://www.ChiKindaKid.com

[Flower]

>I've got several friends going to the Gay Games in Sydney.

>What are good ways for handling jet lag?

 

I was there in December and at least from the West coast most flights leave from 10 PM to Midnight and arrive early to midmorning in Sydney. It's a 12-14 hour flight as you know

 

Besides the advise you've already gotten, which sounds reasonable (I was told, and it worked very well for me and my friend) to do what ever it took to sleep on the way over so you wake up in the morning for breakfast just before arrival, having had a good nights sleep. We did and never felt jet lag for the entire week we were there.

 

I took 2 Melatonin for the first half of the trip and then a couple of antihistamine the second half. I don't like prescription medicine or sleeping pills personally, and the benefit to both Melatonin and Antihistamine is that they have a very short half life and get out of your system fast and you do not feel groggy.

 

Hope this helps and have a nice trip

 

Flower :*

[eastbayguy]

>I've got several friends going to the Gay Games in Sydney.

>What are good ways for handling jet lag?

>

>I know this topic has been discussed before. However, I've

>done a search of current and archived posts and can't come

>up with the thread.

>

>Your help would be great appreciated.

 

I commuted to Asia on work 2-3 times a month for an extended period of time. No matter how you do it, it isn't fun. The Argonne Labs anti-jet lag diet works, and works well, but is a real pain to follow. There is a book describing the diet, but requires actual work to follow.

 

The suggestions about staying hydrated are on target. I always take huge amounts of bottled water on the plane with me, and drink lots of water. Avoid alcohol for a day or two before you go, on the flight and for a day or so after arriving. Drink lots and lots and lots of water on the flight. The air in the cabin is unimaginably dry.

 

Eat a light meal shortly after you arrive.

 

This is important: Try to stay up until normal going-to-bed time in Sydney your day of arrival. If you just can't stand it, take a short nap, but don't let yourself go to sleep and stay asleep. Staying awake all day, especially after a morning arrival, is pure torture. If you can reset your clock on the first day, you'll have much more fun later on. Staying active helps. Being in the sun helps. Anything to keep yourself from going to sleep.

 

I usually take an Ambien (just a small one) to force myself to sleep through the night the first two nights. Sleeping well the first two nights seems to sort of reboot your body's clock and force you in to sleeping in the new time zone. Ambien is a prescription sleeping pill, ask your doctor to prescribe a few. It is a newer class of drug, and leaves your system quickly. Waking up at 2:00 AM and being unable to go back to sleep is really frustrating and just ends up making you really tired.

 

The first couple of mornings, get up, drink plenty of water, eat a good breakfast and stir around. Avoid the very strong desire to take an afternoon nap if you possibly can. Naps are not helpful in getting used to the new time zone.

 

Good luck, enjoy Sydney and have fun.

 

--EBG

[Guest burbankjake]

From my experience, you will find the east to west leg much easier to deal with ... it seems that travelling with the sun is less stressful. It will be the returm leg that will be more difficult, but all of the previous tips apply.

 

My most recent experience was Singapore to LAX, leaving at 8 AM on a Sunday and arriving at LAX at 9 AM on the same Sunday after seeing the sun set in Tokyo. It was a good two days for full recovery. But at least I was home.

[Guest Tomcal_]

I agree with eastbayguy, I fly every week, both domestic and international. If flying east,(from los Angeles)to say NYC, I am now 3 hours ahead of my body time, so when it's midnight in NYC, 9:00 p,m, body time i take a Ambien asleep in 15 min. and wake up at 7:00 on east coast time with a good night's rest. Conversely, if flying back to West coast, i force my self to stay up until 11:00-11:30, my normal bedtime, even though my body is on 2:00 a.m. time, then the next morning you are in sync with the time zone your in. International is a little tricker, I usually try and take flights tht depart in the evening and arrive the next day in what ever city, then you can sleep on the plane. This is where Ambien comes in, doesn't leave you groggy, comes in 5 and 10mg. doses, have your doc, prescribe the 10mg and then break in 1/2, you get twice as many!

[Guest bottomboykk]

I don't remember where I got this, but whoever originally wrote this swears by his method, so I'll post it here. I haven't travelled internationally since I found this, so I can't verify the validity of it:

 

Method to Avoid Jet Lag

[ol][li]Two days before my flight, I begin taking one tablet of Melatonin. If I am traveling east (i.e., New York to London), I take it at bedtime. If I am traveling west (i.e., London to New York), I take it about 3:00 p.m. I take one Melatonin tablet en route, at the same time I took it before leaving.

[li]On the day of the flight, I drink more water than I really want. Dehydration is one of the major contributing factors to jet lag, and the only way to avoid it is by drinking water. On the flight, I drink as much water as I can.

[li]During the east-bound (or overnight) journey I do not take any caffeine or alcohol.

[li]During the overnight journey, I make sure to cover my eyes, put in ear-plugs, and rest as much as I can, but for at least 2-3 uninterrupted hours. Even if I don't sleep, the rest is beneficial. I use eye-drops during the flight when my eyes feel as though they're drying out.

[li]During the flight, I move around; while I'm up, I go to the bulkhead area and stretch, bending over at the waist.

[li]When I arrive at my destination, I immediately go onto the schedule of the time zone I'm in. I eat a meal at the time everyone else eats one, whether I'm hungry or not. If it has been an overnight flight, I will take a nap in the afternoon, but no longer than a normal nap for me would be.

[li]Once I have arrived at my destination, I continue to take Melatonin for a few days. If I have flown from New York to London, I take it when I go to bed. If I have flown from London to New York, I take it the first time I wake up in the morning, which is usually much too early.

[li]I continue with Melatonin until I am sure that I feel well.

[li]If I have flown from New York to London, I make sure to expose my eyes to daylight for at least twenty minutes in the middle of the day. By "exposing" I mean that I look up into the sky -- not at the sun, of course -- or towards any bright spot in the landscape. If I have flown from London to New York, I expose my eyes to sunlight for at least twenty minutes late in the afternoon. I continue this for a couple of days.

[li]Finally, for me it's important to take a mild laxative every night for a few days before the trip and after I've arrived until I'm sure that my digestion is working correctly.[/ol]

[Huey]

>I've got several friends going to the Gay Games in Sydney.

>What are good ways for handling jet lag?

 

Don't fly }>

 

-----------

WAR IS OVER

if you want it

GIVE PEACE A CHANCE

[Guest EvanTeed]

How interesting--I always find the opposite: West to East is much easier for me to adjust to!

The repeated suggestion of copious amounts of water is best. I also like to get a massage as soon as possible after arrival: planes are horrible things on the body, even if you're flying first class.

Hugs,

-Evan Teed

[Guest NakedTony]

Hey Guys,

 

Thanks for the swift and thorough responses. This is the type of info that I'm looking for.

 

Flower and Bottomboykk, your responses and the use of Melatonin is exactly what I recall from the other "jet lag" thread that I can't find! I'm going to forward on all responses to my friends so they can get ready for the trip.

 

Wish I was going with them. :'(

[chrismac]

I get on gaydar right away - find a hot guy who's willing, or a few guys who want to meet later, and suddenly, I'm WIDE awake! }>