Favorite jet-lag remedy?

[CabinForFour]

As East Coast residents, we'll experience a six-hour time difference when we travel to HI. Just the four-hour time difference in Alaska last year zapped all of us for the few two or three days of our trip.

 

Since we're traveling to HI with two young children and two senior adults, I want to do whatever I can to make sure that we adjust as quickly and easily as possible. We are flying in three days earlier to allow ourselves some time to adjust, but I welcome any other tried-and-true remedies that fellow CC posters may have found helpful.

 

Also, has anyone here actually used the No Jet Lag tablets? It says they're fine for all ages, but do they really help?

[Ottawa_Guy]

I would like to know this as well ?

 

I can NOT sleep in a plane and want to be wide awake to enjoy Hawaii .

 

It is now 2.21 PM in Ottawa Canada and 9.21 AM in Hawaii .

 

Much thanks .

[Spikesgirl]

We were getting ready for our 10 /1/2 flight to England and I was worried about jet lag. Ordered something called 'No Jet Lag" from Travelsmith catalog and I gotta say it worked great for me! Everyone else (there was five in our party) were dead upon arrival and I was ready to go. Also had no problems the next day with feeling groggy or slow. It worked equally well on the trip back to California. Sure wish I'd had this when we flew to Bangkok last year!

 

Probably won't work for everyone, but I'm so going to use it from now on.

 

Charlie

[ehough]

One thing that DH and I have found is that the first day you really need to push yourself to get on local time. For example, on Friday we land in Honolulu at 6pm...11pm our time. We'll be very tempted to go to bed right when we get there, but then we'll be off local time. It helps, painful as it is, to STAY UP until a reasonable bedtime- say, 9pm- and then the next day you'll be up at a reasonable hour instead of 3am or so. It will be way easier that second day to go to bed on local time if you were up at 7am instead of 3am, if that makes sense.

 

So, the best advice I can give is to do whatever you have to do to stay up that first day, and you'll become acclimated much quicker.

[CC Help Michell]

One thing that DH and I have found is that the first day you really need to push yourself to get on local time. For example, on Friday we land in Honolulu at 6pm...11pm our time. We'll be very tempted to go to bed right when we get there, but then we'll be off local time. It helps, painful as it is, to STAY UP until a reasonable bedtime- say, 9pm- and then the next day you'll be up at a reasonable hour instead of 3am or so. It will be way easier that second day to go to bed on local time if you were up at 7am instead of 3am, if that makes sense.

 

So, the best advice I can give is to do whatever you have to do to stay up that first day, and you'll become acclimated much quicker.

 

I agree with that. We landed in Oahu at 2 PM local time, and stayed up until 10 PM local time (4 AM to us! as we are fellow east coasters). We still woke up early the next morning (5:00 AM Hawaii time) and fairly early the next two days as well, but we were fairly acclimated. Another tip I would add is to keep hydrated -- drink a lot of water on the plane; if the circumstance presents itself, take a bath after you get to Oahu -- flying is very dehydrating. Also, set your watch to Hawaii time as soon as you board the plane! :)

 

The jet lag coming BACK was much tougher for us -- flights to the east coast from HNL are all pretty much red eyes, and for about a week I felt draggy because somewhere I lost a "night" -- I got on an airplane in the afternoon, got off it in the morning, and somehow missed a night in there! :)

[jimc_usa]

Although no anti-let-lag protocol is completely effective, these techniques will help you minimize the inconvenience. All of these techniques will work better if you also:

* Exercise regularly during the two or three weeks before your departure to build up your resistance to fatigue.

* Schedule your flight so that you arrive in the late afternoon or evening and are not faced with a full day's activities.

* Get a good night's sleep the night before your travel.

* Take a nap on a long flight, preferably during the hours corresponding to nighttime at your destination.

* Don't smoke, drink alcohol, or take unnecessary medications during your flight.

* Get up and walk around during your flight.

* Drink plenty of fluids on the plane.

 

Another technique uses light to reset the body clock, because light has the ability to inhibit the production of a brain hormone that triggers sleep. If you are traveling from east to west and arrive during daylight, go outside and take a walk in the sun. If you are traveling from west to east, avoid the sun for the rest of the day. The next morning, no matter which direction you have traveled, take a walk outdoors in the sunshine. Avoid wearing sunglasses when outdoors during the first few days, and keep lights on indoors during the daytime

[shell03]

It is terrific that you will be able to have some time to adjust.

 

Getting some sunlight, eating healthy and drinking a lot of water helped us. We started the day with oatmeal and fresh fruit instead of waffles and syrup :( (which we would have preferred) and it really seemed to help.

 

We found the time difference actually worked in our favor. At 6:00am Hawaii time, it is noon on east coast time. So we were up and out of the room early without any trouble, which was great. We also went to sleep fairly early (usually by 10pm, Hawaii time).

 

Have a great time!!