How Do You Beat Jet-Lag????

[Guest]

UPSer, thanks for the info. 8000ft is nothing to sneeze at. This would mean getting discombobulated by pressure changes when flying into Denver fer chrissake. Any guesses [or *gasp* factual info] on how long it takes, on average, between descending through 8000 to arrival at the gate? Seems to me to be not more than a quarter hour usually.

 

The only interesting cabin pressure story I've got to tell was from a HNL-SFO flight few years ago. Was a Hawaiian Air DC-10 or MD-11 as I recall and we were two and and a half hours late taking off. Apparently there's a widget on each engine that uses engine thrust to drive a compressor and pressurize the cabin -- and one of them broke. Seems that it's one of those deals where you can fly with it broken, but not take off with it broken, so they had to fix it, fly the plane to test it and then we went.

 

Long story short, the Hawaiian ground staff were really nice about it -- even the captain got on the mike in the departure lounge to explain the situation -- and they got us all a free lunch before we left. Very professional.

 

Wait, I lied. I said it was an interesting story. Sorry.

[Old Hippie]

hmmm...a lot of good sugestions here. Maybe we can combine them? drugs (ambien etc...), a few drinks, a few girls, a bender and some sleep. One way or another, that outta do it!

[Guest]

I've found getting over jetlag gets easier with age, strangely enough, though I'm only 34. It could be just my tecnique has just gotten more refined though. I learned my tricks from my mother. She flys international a lot and she's almost 60, but has little problems! On my last few trips, both east and west, my jet lag has been pretty easy and over in 2 days. And I don't even sleep much on the trips - never have been able too.

2 things I've found that REALLY help, and I think are the most important. One is sunlight. This is critical. Get out as much as you can for a few days. If you can arrive in the day time you are at a huge advantage, because you can just stay outdoors for a few hours, force your 'clock' to reset, have dinner (the digestive rythm also works on a daily cycle - avoid eating at the wrong times), and go to sleep a few hours later. Taking malatonin before sleeping seems to help too. I don't bother, but some people swear by it. And make sure the room you sleep in is very dark and quiet to encourage deep sleep.

Another big one. Do not nap! This only prolongs the jetlag. Instead, get your metobolic rate up: exercise, take drugs like caffine (one poster mentioned ritalin) in the morning.