Flying home to Melb from Colombo all in J on Ek and still jet lagged and shattered

[kongteh]

Re: Flying home to Melb from Colombo all in J on Ek and still jet lagged and shattere

I used to fly monthly between Sydney and Basel with stopovers in BKK and Heathrow (22-24 hours in total). On arrival in the morning, I was able to attend meetings and do a full days' work without feeling jetlag. Granted I was younger then However, a tip that I received from a colleague is to start adjusting to the destination's time zone the moment one boards the plane at point of departure, e.g. I adjust my watch (and mental state) to Switzerland time the moment I board the plane in Sydney, the transits in Thailand and UK notwithstanding.

 

[Steve Harris]

Re: Flying home to Melb from Colombo all in J on Ek and still jet lagged and shattere

I am a shift worker so am used to the effects of jetlag just in my everyday job. I am then able to sleep all times of the day.
We have block out curtains installed throughout our apartment. I've been at this for 27 years.

Some tips:
Don't drink anything with caffeine in it after 10:00 am.
Set a second timepiece (ie phone, watch ) to 'simulate' a day. So if you go to bed at 7:00 am make that time your normal bedtime time
on your timepiece.
When you rise. Go outside and walk for at least 30 mins. The sun will reset your body.
When I change from night shifts to day work or come back from overseas I can reset within 48 hrs using this method.

 

[Pushka]

Re: Flying home to Melb from Colombo all in J on Ek and still jet lagged and shattere

I've come home from the last few OS trips with a heavy cold so that will aggravate the sleep patterns as coughing disrupts sleep even when exhausted.

 

[mel1]

Re: Flying home to Melb from Colombo all in J on Ek and still jet lagged and shattere

Over the counter melatonin preparations are herbal. The good stuff comes from overseas.

You can buy 'the good stuff' online from places like iherb.com . I have a friend who swears by it, but it gives me heart palpitations. Horrible. I tried 10mg, then 5mg, then half a 5mg tab! Anyway, we are in our late 50s and now stop over for 1 or 2 nights in Singapore, HK or other Asian city on way to Europe, because we are lucky enough to have the time. Last trip we arrived in Singapore at 6.30am, I had booked the Ambassador airport transit hotel, so we walked off the plane, turned right and checked in. Had some food then a shower then went to sleep for a few hours before our flight onward at 10pm that night. Worked a treat.

 

[Pushka]

Flying home to Melb from Colombo all in J on Ek and still jet lagged and shat...

After reading this thread I tried Phernagen last week as a trial before our trip in a couple of weeks. Took it well before going to sleep. I'm not sure if I slept any better and I had the most disgusting headache during the early morning and for the next day - that only lightened about 24 hours after I'd taken the tablets (20mg). Threw the stuff away and so pleased I did a trial run at home. Would have been dreadful if away. Guess I'm allergic to it.

 

[Tassieoptom]

Re: Flying home to Melb from Colombo all in J on Ek and still jet lagged and shat...

My thoughts on this are simply to have a dual zone clock, and on the way home i look at the Home clock and try to time my sleep and wake up points to match the normal rhythm i have at home. I agree with a couple of other posters about the odd meal times on SIN. e.g. Paris to Singapore to Melbourne in Y we get 2 breakfasts 1-2 light lunches and no dinner over about 24hrs travel, just odd.

 

[JohnMcC]

Re: Flying home to Melb from Colombo all in J on Ek and still jet lagged and shat...

I have had to fly to the USA and EU for business several times a year for the last 10 years and tried most of the good ideas recommended here (daylight, walking, food options etc) and it was always hard. Then a few years ago I read about the ReTimer glasses developed by a University in Adelaide. I read the news of them in the Wall Street Journal and thought - why not? A few hundred dollars but no drugs, just wearing them for a half hour each night a few days before flying and a half hour a few mornings after arriving. They are a bloody miracle. I can fly to NY, arrive in the evening, sleep most of the night and then start meetings first thing next day with a clear head for most of the day. The URL is: https://re-timer.com/ and I must say they have changed my travelling life.

 

[Tassieoptom]

Re: Flying home to Melb from Colombo all in J on Ek and still jet lagged and shat...

I have had to fly to the USA and EU for business several times a year for the last 10 years and tried most of the good ideas recommended here (daylight, walking, food options etc) and it was always hard. Then a few years ago I read about the ReTimer glasses developed by a University in Adelaide. I read the news of them in the Wall Street Journal and thought - why not? A few hundred dollars but no drugs, just wearing them for a half hour each night a few days before flying and a half hour a few mornings after arriving. They are a bloody miracle. I can fly to NY, arrive in the evening, sleep most of the night and then start meetings first thing next day with a clear head for most of the day. The URL is: https://re-timer.com/ and I must say they have changed my travelling life.

Thanks for this, I have read about them as well, so nice to hear that they do work and are useful. Many thanks for sharing.

 

[Jo145]

Re: Flying home to Melb from Colombo all in J on Ek and still jet lagged and shat...

Bit late to this but I find the time I arrive makes all the difference. Doing the gruelling (I'm 59 so it feels like hell) trip MEL-NYC I usually manage about 5 hours sleeps. Taxi into the city by 7pm and then go out for dinner and walk a lot until midnight (or later). Fall into bed and the next morning I'm good to go. Same can't be said coming home so for me "East is best". Am so pleased I'm not the only one who doesn't sleep in J or F any better than in Y.

Also recommend Restavit before bed. For me 1/4 of a tablet is good for 8 hours.

 

[Numbat2]

Re: Flying home to Melb from Colombo all in J on Ek and still jet lagged and shat...

I actually wrote a bit on a LinkedIn post on this topic a few years ago with some of the things that I have found helpful. Things like use of electrolytes to improve the hydration issue have made a significant impact for me. I tend to stay helathier and recover much faster.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/surviving-long-haul-flights-sitting-sardine-tin-chris-lawler-pfmp-

 

[Jurahn]

Re: Flying home to Melb from Colombo all in J on Ek and still jet lagged and shat...

After reading this thread I tried Phernagen last week as a trial before our trip in a couple of weeks. Took it well before going to sleep. I'm not sure if I slept any better and I had the most disgusting headache during the early morning and for the next day - that only lightened about 24 hours after I'd taken the tablets (20mg). Threw the stuff away and so pleased I did a trial run at home. Would have been dreadful if away. Guess I'm allergic to it.

I find Phenergan makes me a bit drowsy but doesn't actually help me sleep - I mainly take it for longhaul flights as a motion sickness med and I also find it helps to prevent ear problems (I've had an inner ear issue and resulting vertigo for many years, so tend to get quite paranoid about my ears "playing up" as a result of long flights).

It certainly sounds like Phenergan didn't agree with you - one thing to be aware of when taking it is that you must keep hydrated as it can REALLY dry you out - not being hydrated enough is one of my migraine triggers, so I always take that into consideration and make sure I drink lots of water when taking Phenergan.

 

[Tassieoptom]

Re: Flying home to Melb from Colombo all in J on Ek and still jet lagged and shat...

I actually wrote a bit on a LinkedIn post on this topic a few years ago with some of the things that I have found helpful. Things like use of electrolytes to improve the hydration issue have made a significant impact for me. I tend to stay helathier and recover much faster.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/surviving-long-haul-flights-sitting-sardine-tin-chris-lawler-pfmp-

Thanks for this, quite a good list of advice, I prefer the Bose over ear noise-cancelling ones(may be easier for a guy with almost no hair ), and a have to add an eyemask as the changing lights wake me, (even people waking around)

 

[althaluss]

Re: Flying home to Melb from Colombo all in J on Ek and still jet lagged and shattere

I live in Melbourne and travel (always J) to Hong Kong/Shanghai (usually once a year, with Qantas/Cathay) and to Poland (usually twice a year, with Qantas/Emirates). Wherever I can, I prefer overnight flights and prefer arriving at my destination before noon. For me, flying east to west has less of a jet-lag effect than west to east.

To cut down on jet-lag in either direction:

1. After the mid-flight meal, I try to get at least 5 hours sleep - in J on a flat bed. As I alway find it hard to sleep in-flight, I take two (over the counter) Sleepwell tablets. As I usually never take sleeping tablets at any other time, I haven't built up any tolerance to them and they do the trick.
2. I never drink alcohol on any flight.
3. I DO drink lots of other liquid - usually apple juice and water.
4. No matter where and when I land, no matter how tired I may be when I land, I never go to sleep until everyone around me is going to sleep.

I'm not saying that the above will work for everyone, but, over the years, I've discovered that it works for me.

 

[bobbyjo]

Re: Flying home to Melb from Colombo all in J on Ek and still jet lagged and shattere

Much easier solution:

Miers Labs No Jet Lag Homeopathic Jet Lag Remedy, 32 Count.

available on Amazon, just follow the instructions, I'm 70, had always suffered from jet lag, live in New Zealand and often travel to the UK, I Recommend these homeopathic tablets.

 

[IrishPete]

Re: Flying home to Melb from Colombo all in J on Ek and still jet lagged and shattere

In my (humble) opinion there are several, at least three, components to jet lag:

tiredness (disrupted or insufficient/no sleep)
dehydration - primarily from the cabin pressure, but airports confiscating your water bottle doesn't help
time change - i.e. body clock

You can deal with tiredness a number of ways, including trying to sleep on the plane, though I suspect that risks further mucking around with your body clock too. When your total journey time is 30 hours or so (Oz-Europe or v.v. plus a regional flight and several hours in an airport between regional and international, PLUS some driving at each end), avoiding sleep simply isn't practical. It may also be very unsafe.
Dehydration is easier to deal with if you drink lots of water, BUT even easier to deal with by catching a modern airline like a Dreamliner! They are so quiet and have different cabin air arrangements, so you arrive feeling much better. My limited experience suggests an A380 is also better than some of the older aircraft (even other Airbuses), but not as good as the Dreamliner for noise and dehydration (absence thereof).
Body clock is what most other commenters have addressed, so I'll leave it alone.

My jetlag has always been worst travelling east back to Oz than west to Europe, but isn't the journey home from holidays always longer and worse than the outwards journey, whether it's driving to your beachhouse or your nan's, or flying to Europe?

 

[RAM]

Re: Flying home to Melb from Colombo all in J on Ek and still jet lagged and shattere

The good news is ....

There is no one method or silver bullet - so you've got lots of trialling to find what works best for you.

Recent return from Europe in F saw me go to sleep around 10am and wake at 6pm. Small snack for dinner, some mindless TV watching and next woke up at 6.50am feeling wonderful.

On arrival home, unpacked the bags, sorted out what washing was needed, went outside watered a couple of plants, pulled out some weeds and then started on the accumulated mail. Nothing like a stack of bills to send me to sleep.

Meanwhile, the boss valiantly stayed awake, went shopping (drove) , came home and had lunch, then walked to the library and back, did some photo sorting etc etc. and then hit the bed at 4pm. Woke up as the 'walking dead' at 7pm, small snack and after a few false starts (sitting on couch before falling asleep faster than the ad breaks came and went) went to bed at 9pm. Woke up at 2am wide-awake.

The odd thing though:

• I slept around 2 hours and 1 hr in F beds
• Boss slept 4-5hrs and 3 hours in F beds
• We spent an intentional very long layover in SIN in The Private Room while I was awake the entire time, and the boss slept around 3 hours.

This trip was the best I've felt in 15 years of Europe returns. Zero jet lag the next morning, no middle of night wake-ups. The boss suffered for 6 days.

Previously I've tried the set watch & stay awake until night time in Sydney etc etc and normally takes 2 or 3 days to be back to normal. So this time thought I'd try the other approach.

THANK GOD I did!

BTW matched each glass of champagne with 400mls of water (amazing how dehydrated one afternoon in Paris can make you).

 

[wandering_fred]

Re: Flying home to Melb from Colombo all in J on Ek and still jet lagged and shattere

Thoughts from a relatively ancient traveler.

exUSA to PER has a distinct advantage with a stopover in HKG - same time zone without the need to be "serious" on wakeup time. Even worked heading in the easterly direction from the USA (via MidEast).

exSIN to PER the 3K red-eye (~0630 arrival) has the advantage of no breakfast wakeup. A window seat in the 2nd row and I sleep most of the way. Why you ask? I don't want to face a 5 hour drive with the late evening arrival of everyone else (associated with OneWorld/QF)

Happy wandering

Fred

 

[Chris Triebe]

Re: Flying home to Melb from Colombo all in J on Ek and still jet lagged and shattere

As many people have stated below, I've found flying west to east is the problem, going against the earth's rotation. We flew direct Melbourne to LAX and it crushed me though still drove LAX to San Diego. We then spent a lot of time walking around the waterfront which may have been in line with Roo's comments below. Five weeks later we flew the return journey, was awake for around 35 hours and not a problem. Where possible, I try to fly east - west.