Jet Lag

[iloveglee]

is there anyone there with suggestions as to how to treat jet lag. i would pay good money for a foolproof treatment. i am going to be travelling west, 7 time zones and just know that when it comes to bed time locally my brain will be completely wired as, for me, it will be time to wake up. i had problems when working nights and seem to find it difficult, if not impossible to easily adjust my body clock. i tried melatonin, purchased in the usa, many years ago with minimal success so don't want to spend a fortune buying this online when I am not at all certain as to its success. perhaps there is someone out there who has found the method that works and is willing to share it!!

[rockyracoon]

The only thing that has worked for me is to get into the time zone you're in immediately, ie, dinner and bed at the local time.

[Zacs-Master]

Set your watch to the destination time as soon as you get on the plane. And same for the trip back. Seems to help your mind get used to the difference.

[Buenchico]

From the NHS website:
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Jet-lag/Pages/Treat.aspx

[iloveglee]

tried these before. the problem seems to be that, i don't nap, or go to bed earlier, i.e. adjust to the local time zone, eat the appropriate meal, all the usual suggestions. i go to bed at the local bed-time, feeling very sleepy and within half an hour or so of getting into bed, i feel completely wired, the same feeling you get after drinking too much coffee. i never drink alcohol, or caffeinated drinks on board, always drink loads of water, walk about on board all the usual recommended things but every time it is the same. i have tried herbal sleeping tablets to no avail. i am almost beginning to believe that for me there is no solution. i worked nights on and off for a few years and never found anything to help me to sleep when my body thought it should be awake.

[coccinelle]

I've found that going westwards isn't a problem it's the eastward journeys which are the worst. I can't sleep on a plane due to the noise and people walking about so I make sure I get good sleep before I leave. Arriving at night, as tired with having no sleep on the plane, helps. Unfortunaltely this isn't always the case. Flights to Japan often arrive early morning for instance and it's just so hard to keep awake all day after a 12 hour flight....

[iloveglee]

these days returning to the uk isn't such a problem. losing a night's sleep and body clock being out is the same, but i am now retired, don't have to go to work so can take as long as like to re-adjust. going west from the uk to usa means going on holiday and hating feeling awful for the first 4 or 5 days of the holiday. plus, laying awake most of the night is not much fun either. am almost, out of desperation considering asking if i can have a few sleeping tablets. this is something i really wouldn't like to do but if i can't come up with some other solution it may be all i can do. depends upon the dr agreeing of course.

[jno]

well, yes, sleeping tablets are an excellent answer, I always use them, that's what they're for. But if you don't want to, fair enough.

In theory you switch to the time at your destination as soon as you get on the plane. This means that if you normally go to sleep at midnight, you'll be falling asleep at 5pm New York time. I usually try to stay awake just a few more hours, have a good dinner, then go to bed whenever - maybe 8-9pm NY time. That may mean waking at 5am, but I can live with that. Then try to stretch the next day out a couple of extra days as well. If tired, you can always have a siesta.

As coccinelle says, it's flying eastward that always scrambles my brain. That's when I need the sleeping pills.

[grasscarp]

I read that sunlight helps you to adjust and particularly if these can be at the back of the knees. I dont know how practical this is for what you are doing. As others have said west bound should be easier than eastbound.
Takes about one day to each one hour of time difference to adapt. Takes time to reset your body clock with all it's circadian rhythms of body temperature, digestion etc
Ld

[iloveglee]

strangely enough i asked my gp the other day if she knew of anything and she mentioned that she had heard about shining a torch on the back of your knees? something to do with light receptors there. thing is, that would be ok to help you stay awake when you're sleepy due to the time difference, that tends not to be my problem which is being unable to sleep even though very tired, just because my body thinks its morning. i understand the biology of jet lag very well, natural secretion of melatonin which is the sleepy hormone. what i need is to secrete the sleepy hormone at a time when i am secreting the wakey hormone!!! i think out of desperation sleeping tablets may have to be the answer. i hardly think it possible to get dependent on them after only taking a few.