Jet Lag solutions

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Inspired by the Daddino thread, what are your tips and tricks for dealing with jet lag?

― teeny (teeny), Wednesday, 15 October 2003 20:27 (twenty-one years ago)

if at all possible, do not take a nap upon arrival. no matter how little or how long you sleep, you'll feel like shit and be muddle-headed. take a shower instead, and just go to bed early.

― lauren (laurenp), Wednesday, 15 October 2003 20:35 (twenty-one years ago)

we shall see if MD's solution was the best possible - I suspect he will wake up at abt 4 o'clock tomorrow morning

i shall leave some food out for him

― mark s (mark s), Wednesday, 15 October 2003 20:59 (twenty-one years ago)

Fists with your toes, fists with your toes. Yippie-ki-yi-yay.

― Tep (ktepi), Wednesday, 15 October 2003 21:21 (twenty-one years ago)

drink water. continuously. avoid caffeine and other boojie stimulants - cigarettes are okay, but just remember to keep drinking water. If you can keep yourself awake with agua until it's everybody else's regular bedtime, you'll sleep better and wake up in much better shape.

This has the added benefit of curing the dehydration that naturally occurs on long flights.

― TOMBOT, Wednesday, 15 October 2003 21:30 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't know what Michael's suggestions were, but for me:
Set your watch before you leave to your destinations time.
Drink tons of water.
Try to get exercise and be outside in the sun the day of arrival.
Don't take a nap and just go to bed early.

― Carey (Carey), Wednesday, 15 October 2003 21:42 (twenty-one years ago)

Lots and lots of strong coffee.

― hstencil, Wednesday, 15 October 2003 21:43 (twenty-one years ago)

My mom flatly refuses to believe there's such a thing as jet lag. She's probably in a permanent jet lag situation: she has been to Japan more than six times this year alone.

― nathalie (nathalie), Thursday, 16 October 2003 11:33 (twenty-one years ago)

haha jet lag solution = I disbelieve!

― teeny (teeny), Thursday, 16 October 2003 11:59 (twenty-one years ago)

I finally beat jet lag last time I went to nyc from Manchester by investing in the travel essence from Neal's Yard and taking it exactly as directed (every hour while travelling, and every night and morning for the first three days after you arrive). It totally cleared out that horrible fog I normally get, especially on the second day. For £8 or so I think it's worth it.

I also take lots of valerian root which keeps me calm (I get v. irritable at airports) and I used the Neal's Yard travel roll-on for your pulse points that helps keep your personal space smelling lovely - instead of inhaling recycled air, smelly food and often smelly people. Can you tell I hate travelling economy? Sigh.

I also agree about staying up as long as possible and trying to go to bed at the normal local time - I forced myself to do it and that also helped a lot.

I've always wanted to try melatonin, but could never get my hands on any. I hear it works wonders. Anyone tried it?

― elisabeth k, Thursday, 16 October 2003 12:36 (twenty-one years ago)

Valerian hasn't ever worked for me, but melatonin has. I don't remember if I used it on my last trip to Rome or not, but I have used it when working odd hours and needed to get back on a regular schedule.

― teeny (teeny), Thursday, 16 October 2003 12:41 (twenty-one years ago)

Someone once said that part of the exhiliration and excitement of travel comes from the lack of sleep involved. I totally agree.

― calstars (calstars), Thursday, 16 October 2003 18:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Sleep on the plane, if at all poss. Six hours from end to end on a plane (or 7.5, if on to London) is hell without it. Otherwise, try to get a full 8 hours at home the night before.

― Nichole Graham (Nichole Graham), Thursday, 16 October 2003 21:01 (twenty-one years ago)

My usual anti-jet lag regimen includes a heady mix of anabolic steroids, novocaine, nyquil, darvon and some sort of fish paralyzer, plus a couple of cocktails.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Thursday, 16 October 2003 21:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Then a trip to the ER once you land? Jeez, Spencer!

― Nichole Graham (Nichole Graham), Thursday, 16 October 2003 21:33 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm definitely a fan of overdosing on the H2O. Used to always do it for all-nighters in college, and it is rather hard to go to sleep when you need to piss every 15 minutes.

― Girolamo Savonarola, Thursday, 16 October 2003 21:53 (twenty-one years ago)

Fish paralyzer is the shit.

― luna (luna.c), Thursday, 16 October 2003 22:06 (twenty-one years ago)

oh god, where did you learn that one?

― Kingfish (Kingfish), Thursday, 16 October 2003 22:17 (twenty-one years ago)

My solution for jetlag coming back from Japan was sleeping 3000 hours in a row when I got back! Ha!

Actually, when I went there I tried a homeopathic item with arnica and chamomile etc, chew tablet every two hours. I'm not really sure whether it did anything, because when I arrived I was completely bagged, yet still managed to stay up for another three hours until my normal bedtime...seemed fine for the next four days, then felt sick for two. Coming back I stayed up again until my usual bedtime (worked out to about the same amount of time awake both ways) and then slept for 14 hours, which threw me off again. Oh well.

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Thursday, 16 October 2003 23:33 (twenty-one years ago)

Is melotonin a perscription drug in Europe? I think I read that in the last William Gibson book (Pattern Recognition) which talks a LOT about jet lag.

All the responses so far usually work for me: stay up the day you arrive until midnight, if possible.

― anthony kyle monday (akmonday), Friday, 17 October 2003 00:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Well I'm arriving on December 31, so I hope to stay up to ring in the new year!

― teeny (teeny), Friday, 17 October 2003 13:21 (twenty-one years ago)

no one gets my reference?

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Friday, 17 October 2003 17:10 (twenty-one years ago)

WTF is fish paralyzer? And can we eat it?

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Friday, 17 October 2003 17:18 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.piass.org/files/2003/videos/snl_all_drug.mpg

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Friday, 17 October 2003 17:26 (twenty-one years ago)

I've heard that turning on a small flashlight and then putting it under your knee when you sit works. I think this is mentalism, though.

― Leee (Leee), Friday, 17 October 2003 17:40 (twenty-one years ago)

stay at home

― gygax! (gygax!), Friday, 17 October 2003 18:26 (twenty-one years ago)

drink heavily. masturbate. play Metroid.

― Kingfish (Kingfish), Friday, 17 October 2003 18:37 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh that's your solution to everything.

― oops (Oops), Friday, 17 October 2003 20:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Well yeah, but there's a lot to be said for these activities.
;^}

― j.lu (j.lu), Friday, 17 October 2003 21:56 (twenty-one years ago)

one year passes...

Ok, my girlfriend has already failed the nap-test, and has fallen asleep -- she started at about 4:30 pm and I can't wake her up. She's probably going to wake up around midnight. What the fuck do I (she) do now?

― Hurting (Hurting), Monday, 30 May 2005 22:10 (twenty years ago)

Serious answer - not get stressed about it. What's done is done - she'll have weird days and sleepless nights for the next couple of days, and the worst thing either of you can do is panic about it. I had jetlag a few weeks ago and to be honest, even sleep at strange hours would have been better than forcing myself to bed at midniught and lying awake until 6.

― Markelby (Mark C), Monday, 30 May 2005 22:35 (twenty years ago)

Sunshine!

― lyra (lyra), Monday, 30 May 2005 22:46 (twenty years ago)

I've hardly ever experience jet lag. I always adjust to the new time pretty automatically. I'm usually too amped up to nap or fall asleep too early.

― Melissa W (Melissa W), Monday, 30 May 2005 22:58 (twenty years ago)

I know not this jet lag you speak of.

― Community Cornerstone (deangulberry), Monday, 30 May 2005 23:00 (twenty years ago)

I was able to beat my own like this. I got home about 6pm. I unintentionally fell asleep for 8 hours, waking up around two. So I then stayed up until maybe 4:30 am. I woke up again at 6:30 pm, which I deemed a reasonable time to wake up (though abnormal for me), and then went out for a run, and spent a lot of time outdoors. I don't buy the no-caffiene thing, so I had my normal morning coffee. I feel like my body will be tired by midnight tonight, and then tomorrow I should feel normal.

― Hurting (Hurting), Monday, 30 May 2005 23:03 (twenty years ago)

two months pass...

Back three days and my schedule *still* isn't right. I get to sleep feeling quite tired at 10 pm and end up waking up at 2 am regardless, then fitfully catnapping until when I have to go to work. Feh.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 2 August 2005 14:15 (twenty years ago)

four months pass...

jesus the lord.

i stayed awake until UK bedtime last night (midnight). and STILL i woke up at 4am and couldn't go back to sleep.

now it's 15:36 and i'm at the office about to pass out. woe woe. might have to hit a RED BULL in a minute.

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 5 December 2005 15:33 (nineteen years ago)

red bull is working a treat here. i'm going to survive the work day i think now. one hour to go.

not sure about the football later on though, may need another can.

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 5 December 2005 16:45 (nineteen years ago)

haha, i went drinking last night and was pissed and incoherent after 3 pints. jet lag rocks!

― ken c (ken c), Wednesday, 7 December 2005 11:57 (nineteen years ago)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v507/dave225/jetlag.jpg

― D.I.Y. U.N.K.L.E. (dave225.3), Wednesday, 7 December 2005 13:48 (nineteen years ago)

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