Jet Lag

[Oldschool]

I have a wee trip coming up. Anyone know how best to deal with Jet Lag - going both ways.

[Hornet]

I have a wee trip coming up. Anyone know how best to deal with Jet Lag - going both ways.

A story I heard years ago about David Frost, was that he would set his watch to the time of the country he was heading for, at the departing airport, to be in, and live in that time zone. (As he flew between London and New York twice weekly at one stage in his career, it must have worked for him).

[RoboProp]

I have a wee trip coming up. Anyone know how best to deal with Jet Lag - going both ways.

Alcohol my good sir. Sleep on flight inducing alcohol

[future international]

I know a lot of players use a sort of portable oxygen mask when flying long haul, don't know if they are commercially available though.

[sheepshagger]

Presumably long haul?

Set your watch to the time at your destination when you board and sleep according to that time (readjusting your body clock).

Go easy on the booze, only makes it worse.

[The Doc]

Agree with setting your watch - as soon as you get on the plane

Also - dpends on how long the flight. For < 6/7 hours (e.g. here to New York) then going West (i.e. going to NY) do nothing - just stay up when you get over there and go to bed about 10 / 11 - bit like a late night. Coming East (i.e. NY to Dublin), eat / drink before you get on the plane and try to sleep as soon as you take off.

For longer flights (8+ hours), have the first meal on the plane and I would say have a glass of wine or two with the meal - but don't overeat (I usually skip the desert bit) - try to get the post-meal drowziness and catch a sleep then - as long as you can. However I find I tend to nap rather than full on 8 hours sleep. Personally I avoid the TV / movies (unless I wake up with an hour to go and then maybe) - but I use headphones with music / podcast and doze off on that.

When you arrive get into the local timezone as quickly as possible. So if you arrive in the morning - don't go for a nap - push on through to the evening - it can be painful but gets it over quickly rather than dragging on for days.

One exception tot eh local timezone / set your watch thing - if you are doing quick trips (i.e. NY for a day etc) then it can be better to only adjust slightly and keep as much as possible to your home timezone i.e. if NY go to bed at 8pm and get up at 5am for example - only a slight difference to home which saves on teh way back. Only works if you are there one or two nights.

[Darce]

Forget setting your watch and Oxegen masks and blah blah blah.

Don't sleep too much on the plane and when you get to your destination, go to be at a reasonable bed time. Then get up at your normal time, say 7 or 8 am. Bang, body clock reset

[TerenureJim]

What Darce said above, works a treat.

Just remember if you're flying to take in an office Christmas party on the West Coast whatever you do, do not take off your shoes and make fists with your toes.

[Hornet]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01ms1zn

[RoboProp]

What Darce said above, works a treat.

Just remember if you're flying to take in an office Christmas party on the West Coast whatever you do, do not take off your shoes and make fists with your toes.

Karl...shoot...the....glass.

Why didn't Karl understand him at first when he said it in German? Surely a German can understand Schieß dem Fenster?

Still a f**king awesome movie mind

[Dave Cahill]

What Darce said above, works a treat.

Just remember if you're flying to take in an office Christmas party on the West Coast whatever you do, do not take off your shoes and make fists with your toes.

Karl...shoot...the....glass.

Why didn't Karl understand him at first when he said it in German? Surely a German can understand Schieß dem Fenster?

Still a f**king awesome movie mind

Maybe Karl was more used to hearing 'plié, jeté...' en russe

[TerenureJim]

What Darce said above, works a treat.

Just remember if you're flying to take in an office Christmas party on the West Coast whatever you do, do not take off your shoes and make fists with your toes.

Karl...shoot...the....glass.

Why didn't Karl understand him at first when he said it in German? Surely a German can understand Schieß dem Fenster?

Still a f**king awesome movie mind

Maybe Karl was more used to hearing 'plié, jeté...' en russe

I've long suspected Karl was Bavarian and Hans more of a Saxon/Prussian (which tallies with his half brother working with the East German army), so possibly a dialect thing in the same way most of us on here wouldn't have a clue what a Healy-Rae was saying.

[johng]

Karl...shoot...the....glass.

Why didn't Karl understand him at first when he said it in German? Surely a German can understand Schieß dem Fenster?

Still a f**king awesome movie mind

Maybe Karl was more used to hearing 'plié, jeté...' en russe

I've long suspected Karl was Bavarian and Hans more of a Saxon/Prussian (which tallies with his half brother working with the East German army), so possibly a dialect thing in the same way most of us on here wouldn't have a clue what a Healy-Rae was saying.

I can understand Healy Rae fine. Haven't a rashers what you are on about though.

[Oldschool]

Thanks for all the advice although the references to alcohol as a solution seem somewhat dubious.
I think this is a topic worthy of further investigation.
Some of the inputs that can aid minimising Jet Lag would appear to be:-

1. Melatonin - Worth investigating what foods boost levels. Supplements are available.
2. Bright Lights and/or sunshine
3. Exercise - probably also related to 2.
4. Short term diet - A feeling of hunger is an issue.
5. Direction of Travel.
6. Duration of Trip.
7. Clocking.
8. Sleep adjustment - Going to sleep at an appropriate time.
9. Possibly Depression and Seratonin.
10. Avoid alcohol - A definite.
11. Morning/Evening person?

One little nugget I've picked up for example is that there is a sunlight sensitive area behind the knee which helps to reset a person's bio clock.
Apparently our internal bio clock is slightly longer than 24 hours and has to be reset regularly.

[The Doc]

One little nugget I've picked up for example is that there is a sunlight sensitive area behind the knee which helps to reset a person's bio clock.
Apparently our internal bio clock is slightly longer than 24 hours and has to be reset regularly.

Wearing "short shorts" on the plane may not be very popular - just sayin'

[RoboProp]

Thanks for all the advice although the references to alcohol as a solution seem somewhat dubious.
I think this is a topic worthy of further investigation.
Some of the inputs that can aid minimising Jet Lag would appear to be:-

1. Melatonin - Worth investigating what foods boost levels. Supplements are available.
2. Bright Lights and/or sunshine
3. Exercise - probably also related to 2.
4. Short term diet - A feeling of hunger is an issue.
5. Direction of Travel.
6. Duration of Trip.
7. Clocking.
8. Sleep adjustment - Going to sleep at an appropriate time.
9. Possibly Depression and Seratonin.
10. Avoid alcohol - A definite.
11. Morning/Evening person?

One little nugget I've picked up for example is that there is a sunlight sensitive area behind the knee which helps to reset a person's bio clock.
Apparently our internal bio clock is slightly longer than 24 hours and has to be reset regularly.

I can't believe you didn't take my advice regarding the booze. I hope you enjoyed your pilgrimage