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Jetlag
Mar 13, 2010 17:25:09 GMT
Post by spindrift on Mar 13, 2010 17:25:09 GMT
...... I am suffering from it. For me, East to West is always worse than West to East.
Does anyone have a solution or any helpful ideas?
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Jetlag
Mar 13, 2010 18:11:45 GMT
Post by onlymark on Mar 13, 2010 18:11:45 GMT
Only fly west to east.
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Jetlag
Mar 13, 2010 18:14:00 GMT
Post by Deleted on Mar 13, 2010 18:14:00 GMT
It's funny, because I am the same, but the vast majority of people reputedly have worse jetlag West to East. There is no surefire way to get over it, but the general advice is just to do your best to live by the clock where you are now, no matter how badly you want to take a nap. Go out into the bright day as much as possible, and yes, you are allowed to go to bed earlier than usual, within reason.
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Jetlag
Mar 13, 2010 20:08:48 GMT
Post by spindrift on Mar 13, 2010 20:08:48 GMT
I also wondered whether anyone had taken the hormone Melatonin with any success? Actually I think one solution might be to travel Business or First Class in a seat that unfolds into a bed
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Jetlag
Mar 13, 2010 20:26:20 GMT
Post by imec on Mar 13, 2010 20:26:20 GMT
Actually I think one solution might be to travel Business or First Class in a seat that unfolds into a bed From experience, I can recommend this. Although, I always seem to have this internal conflict - sleeping deprives one of their fair share of the complimentary Champagne...
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Jetlag
Mar 13, 2010 21:06:55 GMT
Post by spindrift on Mar 13, 2010 21:06:55 GMT
Imec - I wish! I can't yet afford to upgrade.
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Jetlag
Mar 13, 2010 22:52:08 GMT
Post by imec on Mar 13, 2010 22:52:08 GMT
Imec - I wish! I can't yet afford to upgrade. Save up your points.... the only way I can afford it.
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Jetlag
Mar 14, 2010 0:55:38 GMT
Post by cristina on Mar 14, 2010 0:55:38 GMT
I think I have the same directional problem. I say "I think" because when I am flying to a place, I am generally flying East, so the excitement of arriving at my new destination makes it easier to adapt to the new time zone. I haven't tried flying to Asia yet, which would be westbound for me. And for work, I have flown Business class to London on British Air, which has rather comfy sleeping arrangements, however I slept no better than I do in my more typical steerage class. I just cannot sleep on a plane. When I flew back from Paris in October, I flew to New York and spent the night with some family, then flew to Phoenix the next day. Breaking up the flight so that 60% of the time change occurred on one day, and the remainder on the following day was a good improvement on my previous experiences. Before, when I flew to/from Europe, I would take the non-stop BA flight to Heathrow. I don't think I will do that again. In between the time change and 12 hours on a single plane, it just isn't worth the amount of time it takes to adjust on the return. Of course, if time and money were no object, I would sail to and from wherever I was going. That is the best solution to jet lag, IMO
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Jetlag
Mar 14, 2010 15:19:22 GMT
Post by spindrift on Mar 14, 2010 15:19:22 GMT
Oh dear! jetlag has suddenly caught me again and I've collapsed into bed. It's only 3.15pm.
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Jetlag
Mar 14, 2010 19:01:04 GMT
Post by bixaorellana on Mar 14, 2010 19:01:04 GMT
East to West is always worse than West to East. It's funny, because I am the same, but the vast majority of people reputedly have worse jetlag West to East. I believe Kerouac mentioned somewhere that he is left-handed. Are you, Spindrift? I wonder if there is a correlation between "handedness" and reaction to jetlag.
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Jetlag
Mar 14, 2010 20:47:23 GMT
Post by onlymark on Mar 14, 2010 20:47:23 GMT
I wonder if there is a correlation between "handedness" and reaction to jetlag. Funny you should mention that. With advent of common trans-atlantic plane travel in the 60's a study was done, instigated funnily enough, by the interviewer David Frost and travel 'guru' Alan Whicker who were then commonly plying their trade around the world. The study was done by the British Medical Journal who placed a number of people on planes to travel in various directions and monitored their apparent jet lag. It was found that not only did it depend on left or right handedness, but also on which side of the plane they sat. Further complications arose when they included cabin staff who often sat facing backwards and this often reversed the results. They concluded with the following results - The best way to avoid jet lag is to be ambidextrous, sit in the centre aisle seats, lie across all four of them, drink as much alcohol as you could before boarding and then sleep as long as possible. You'd wake up with a dry throat and a sore head but you'd acclimatise quickly to the new time zone. One unexpected conclusion was that if you are travelling by yourself you invariably end up next to a very fat person who takes over half your space and has body odour.
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Jetlag
Mar 14, 2010 22:44:14 GMT
Post by lagatta on Mar 14, 2010 22:44:14 GMT
I am also lefthanded and also find east to west far worse than west to east. I felt very unwell for several days after landing this time, though I did attempt to follow our time zone patterns. I felt really nauseated and wound up throwing out a bit of nice, healthy food I'd bought (vegetable stir-fries, that kind of thing).
Once I was upgraded to First Class on Air France and the champagne came first, then the lovely reclining seatbed. I slept for hours and woke up fine, if slightly inebriated for someone arriving in Paris early in the morning. I was also bearing a red rose, which were given to all the ladies in 1st class.
Despite what they say, arriving in Europe from Mtl (6 hrs difference) I do like to take a short nap.
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Jetlag
Mar 15, 2010 6:03:54 GMT
Post by spaceneedle on Mar 15, 2010 6:03:54 GMT
East to west is always harder. After a tx - atlantic trip, I wake up at 4 am every day for weeks. I do get a lot done as a result, but I am wiped out by 8 pm.
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Jetlag
Mar 15, 2010 8:04:25 GMT
Post by bjd on Mar 15, 2010 8:04:25 GMT
I'm right-handed and find east to west harder too. Oddy enough, in my last few long flights to S America (15 hr to Buenos Aires or 11 to Quito) I found it much easier to get over the jetlag. When I go to Toronto every 2 years, it takes forever to deal with that 6 hour difference and I wake at 4 or 5 for ages. One unexpected conclusion was that if you are travelling by yourself you invariably end up next to a very fat person who takes over half your space and has body odour. Ha! When I flew to Kenya, I ended up with a large, Finnish missionary beside me. Not only was he large, he was left-handed so he had his large elbow in my face whenever he wrote anything down.
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Jetlag
Mar 15, 2010 8:17:41 GMT
Post by spindrift on Mar 15, 2010 8:17:41 GMT
Bixa - I am not left-handed. This morning I have woken with a stinker of a headache. Does anyone know anything about the fact that in order to save fuel, pilots can turn down the aircon on long flights so that there is less breathable oxygen? I read this somewhere and now I can't find the article. On my recent Jet Airways flight from Mumbai to London I was aware that increasingly I felt unable to breathe through my nose but felt relief if I breathed through my mouth. As it's easy to breathe in 'germs' through the mouth (without filtration) I kept it closed. First I got a severe headache and I rarely get headaches. Then my nostrils seemed to close or the lining of my nose became swollen. I won't fly by Jet Airways again. Not to mention the dodgy landing at Heathrow that might have landed up in disaster. and the filthy toilets.
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Jetlag
Mar 15, 2010 9:19:29 GMT
Post by bjd on Mar 15, 2010 9:19:29 GMT
Spindrift -- I think that was the dryness in the air of the plane. That is why they advise drinking water rather than alcohol on flights.
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Jetlag
Mar 15, 2010 9:39:29 GMT
Post by spindrift on Mar 15, 2010 9:39:29 GMT
bjd - possibly. I never drink alcohol whilst flying. I make a point of drinking water, even when I don't want to; that's why I always sit in an aisle seat on long flights! Many years ago (eons) I was an air-stewardess for Aer Lingus. Of course planes didn't fly so high then! I can't imagine what my skin would look like if I'd flown continuously for 25 years....
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Jetlag
Mar 15, 2010 10:15:23 GMT
Post by bazfaz on Mar 15, 2010 10:15:23 GMT
I wonder if there is a correlation between "handedness" and reaction to jetlag. Funny you should mention that. With advent of common trans-atlantic plane travel in the 60's a study was done, instigated funnily enough, by the interviewer David Frost and travel 'guru' Alan Whicker who were then commonly plying their trade around the world. The study was done by the British Medical Journal who placed a number of people on planes to travel in various directions and monitored their apparent jet lag. It was found that not only did it depend on left or right handedness, but also on which side of the plane they sat. Further complications arose when they included cabin staff who often sat facing backwards and this often reversed the results. They concluded with the following results - The best way to avoid jet lag is to be ambidextrous, sit in the centre aisle seats, lie across all four of them, drink as much alcohol as you could before boarding and then sleep as long as possible. You'd wake up with a dry throat and a sore head but you'd acclimatise quickly to the new time zone. One unexpected conclusion was that if you are travelling by yourself you invariably end up next to a very fat person who takes over half your space and has body odour. They neglected in this study to consider the effect of facial hair. I have found that since I started growing a beard in 1975 I have suffered fasr less from jetlag. I wnder if woman who have the misfortune to have moustaches are also less prone to jetlag? Spindrift could try growing one.
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Jetlag
Mar 15, 2010 11:41:29 GMT
Post by spindrift on Mar 15, 2010 11:41:29 GMT
Nice one, Baz ;D
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Jetlag
Mar 15, 2010 12:06:33 GMT
Post by onlymark on Mar 15, 2010 12:06:33 GMT
The contributory factor of the abundance or lack of facial hair beggars the question as to the relevance and effect of shaved armpits, legs and/or bikini line. Perhaps, baz you must keep the beard but have a 'Brazilian wax' to see how it might affect the situation (other than making you itchy when you sit down for long periods).
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Jetlag
May 4, 2015 17:32:06 GMT
Post by bixaorellana on May 4, 2015 17:32:06 GMT
Hmmm. I was going to start a thread about jet lag but now see that this extremely helpful & highly scientific one already exists.
Gimme some practical information here, please. I have a friend who recently flew to Turkey from the US. She is a very seasoned traveler, but hadn't gone anywhere far away for several years. She reports that she was wiped out, even sick, for over a week.
All my life I have suffered from sinus problems which can result in painful headaches. I don't want to get where I'm going then have to spend the time there whimpering in a darkened hotel room. Advise, please!
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Jetlag
May 4, 2015 17:47:57 GMT
Post by Deleted on May 4, 2015 17:47:57 GMT
I don't know you, Bixaorellana, but can see from your photo that you are quite young, so you should not suffer from jet lag at all. Sometimes the elderly say that they are exhausted, but they are just looking for excuses to take naps that they don't take at home.
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Jetlag
May 4, 2015 18:16:57 GMT
Post by bixaorellana on May 4, 2015 18:16:57 GMT
*cracked voice*: older than you, sonny boy!
I don't require too much sleep. If I can manage a few hours on the last leg of the trip, would that maybe help me to reset my internal clock?
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Jetlag
May 4, 2015 18:32:24 GMT
Post by Deleted on May 4, 2015 18:32:24 GMT
Changing planes a number of times actually tends to recharge most peoples' batteries rather than depleting them. Just having an hour to two to walk around does wonders for the body.
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Jetlag
May 4, 2015 18:50:29 GMT
Post by fumobici on May 4, 2015 18:50:29 GMT
I think a plane change helps me. I suffer more west to east as I guess most do. I generally can't sleep on planes although I once got a flight from Rome to Cincinnati (cheen-cheen NA tee, in Italian btw) that was blessedly about 25% full and slept like a baby on a three seat row with the armrests folded up. The FA threw a blanket over me and the next thing I knew we were in Ohio. Best transoceanic flight ever. Worst: trapped on the tarmac with no ventilation at Heathrow for three hours or something while the BA spanner spinners do jiggery pokery trying to figure out why one of the 747's engines won't light up. The tube was alive with the sounds of horrible coughing <edit> and shocking sounds from the toilets-- and tales of missionary work done in deepest Africa the whole time. Then the 12 hour flight! Sick for a week about covers it.
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Jetlag
May 4, 2015 22:50:04 GMT
Post by bixaorellana on May 4, 2015 22:50:04 GMT
Thanks, Fumobici ~ that cheered the hell out of me! Oh, did I mention I'm pretty claustrophobic? You did -- no sarcasm -- cheer me up, Kerouac, as I have a 3+hour layover in the utterly baffling Houston airport. However, that occurs very early on in the voyage, so may not be as effective.
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Jetlag
May 4, 2015 22:55:14 GMT
Post by Deleted on May 4, 2015 22:55:14 GMT
Make sure you bring your sinus medication, Bixa. I flew to London once with a bad cold, burst an eardrum and walked around all wonky for weeks.
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Jetlag
May 4, 2015 23:02:17 GMT
Post by bixaorellana on May 4, 2015 23:02:17 GMT
Wow! I don't take anything except for fizzy aspirin or paracetemol for the sinuses. Oddly, I don't usually have any trouble popping my ears in flight. Sans gum, of course -- what do you take me for?!
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Jetlag
May 5, 2015 6:12:53 GMT
Post by bjd on May 5, 2015 6:12:53 GMT
I find that I have suffered less from jet lag in the past few years. I still can't sleep in airplanes but for some unknown reason, I don't wake so early in Canada and on my return home, I manage to stay up all day until a reasonable hour before I go to bed at night.
Maybe it's because I don't sleep too well in general that I am used to not getting 8 or 9 hours sleep.
Bixa, your friend flying from Turkey may just have been a bit sick to start with. A week of illness sounds like an extreme reaction to jet lag.
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Jetlag
May 8, 2015 22:26:02 GMT
Post by rikita on May 8, 2015 22:26:02 GMT
i wish i could do a journey that is far enough to cause jet lag sometimes soon ...
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