TIPS FOR BEATING JET LAG

POST Craig Bright DATE November 16, 03:02

We recently published a website article in which we asked airline staff for their tips on how to beat jet lag. Which ones have you tried? Have they worked? Are there any you haven’t tried? And what other tips do you suggest for frequent travellers?

MrMichael November 16, 06:23

The one that surprises me is spicy food. It’s never occurred to me that what I eat makes a difference to how I sleep. I guess I will have to cut down on the chicken jalfrezis. The kipping one is interesting. Ever since working at sea in the early 80s I have enjoyed (time/ work permitting) an afternoon nap. The point about a nap of more than two hours being a bad idea is spot on. A couple of two-hour naps is far better than one four-hour nap.

GivingupBA November 16, 07:55

After decades of frequent east-west-east long-distance travel, I’ve finally concluded that only three things work for me: [1] the most effective – when you arrive, force yourself into the new time zone, ie get up in the morning and go to bed at night at normal times for the new time zone. [2] Slightly helpful – on the flight and after arrival, avoid alcohol and don’t eat too much or too heavily. [3] Slightly helpful – after arrival, go for a long walk/get plenty of exercise.

MartynSinclair November 16, 09:12

The strange one for me is “warm is good for staying awake” – I find so many cabin temperatures set far too high, also the closed cabin environment retains heat. To get their passengers to sleep, cabin crew should reduce the cabin temperature… Flying to the Far East, I avoid an early morning arrival. I like to arrive late afternoon, go for a run, have a drink and hope I get more than three hours’ sleep. I try to manage my time in the cabin, but have found it is far easier to “enjoy” the flight and accept that my first night’s sleep in Asia will be interrupted. Night two is never a problem. Coming home, I don’t suffer.

FDOS_UK November 16, 10:42

With all due respect, the challenges presented by time zone differences to cabin crew and business travellers are somewhat different. Cabin crew work on the flight, whilst business travellers do not. Cabin crew normally spend one or two days “downroute” (per destination), whereas business travellers may spend a short or longer period there So cabin crew are unlikely to adjust fully to time zone differences, whereas business travellers might.