Dealing with Jet Lag in Europe?

[Chelly]

How do experienced travellers deal with jet lag? My upcoming cruise will be my first trip to Europe. I am flying from US and spending one full day and night in Barcelona before boarding. A little concerned about being a jet lagged zombie, I'd love some advice.

[Gsel]

Try to take a all night flight and sleep. Also stay hydrated, no coffee and drink lots of water, not soda or tea, water. If you need help sleeping try Tylenol PM or Advil PM. Once you arrive at your destination try to stay up as long as you can and adjust to the local time. Take a short nap if you must, but not too long. Shower and try to revive yourself and then go for a walk. We try to eat fruit and veggies if we can, not a lot of meat, seems to help us adjust. I change my watch immediately to the local time, for some reason that helps me, I am sure it is mental, but my brain works that way. Relax and have fun!

[Druke I]

We do pretty much as "gsel", the poster above.

 

Jet lag can be tough - but it seems to work itself out in a day or two (at least for me, usually).

[momatibm]

The other thing to remember -- no alcholoic (sp) on the plane -- and then eat the meal for the time zone you are in -- if it's 8 am -- have breakfast == etc, been doing the jet lag problem for a long time -- west to east is easier == I know Iknow -- the east to west is harder -- I've always found going to Europe easier than going to California -- don't know why.

[sparkle56]

I bought jet lag pills from Magellan's and was quite skeptical about them. They worked extremely well. We left Minneapolis at 9 p.m., arrived in Barcelona at about 3-4 p.m. the next day Barcelona time, took a 30 minute nap, and it was as if we were magically on Barcelona time. It was truly amazing. So we ate dinner at 8 ish, which would have been 1 p.m. our time and it made perfect sense to be having a dinner meal at that time. I swear by these now. You chew one tiny pill 2 hours before leaving and then every so often while in flight and it's all good.

[genmasjoy]

I think by arrving a day before your cruise you will be fine. Don't push yourself too much. I usually try to do something outdoors my first day in Europe, the fresh air helps a lot. For example, first day in Paris, we toured the Eiffel Tower and took a boat ride on the Seine. Barcelona is a good walking city, Las Ramblas, the main street, is lined with shops, bars and restaurants.

[LVSue]

Experts say it's important to get exercise and sunlight the first day. Evidently the sunlight helps "reset" your clock. I usually have to have a short nap—otherwise I hallucinate.

 

I'm usually fine except that I wake up in the middle of the night, starving (it's my normal dinnertime) so I make a point of having a little something handy (peanut butter crackers). After about an hour, I go back to sleep.

[Copper10-8]

Most flights from the U.S./Canadian mainland to Europe will cross the pond at night. Try to sleep when they crew dims the lights (yes, easier said than done for some). Those flight will arrive in the morning/day light hrs in Europe. We take a nap as soon as we can at the hotel. Wake up around 3 PM and take a shower. Grab a bite to eat and go outside to check out the neighborhood. Then try to sleep around 10:00 PM (you will probably wake up in the middle of the night at least once).

 

Jet lag heading east is easier to deal with than coming back home

That day in Barca before the cruise is going to help you a lot! Take the 'hop on, hop off' double-decker. It will take you by all the sights in the city, get off wherever you want and het back on when done! If you can, make a reservation for a flamenco dinner show, you won't regret it! http://www.partner.viator.com/en/733/tours/Barcelona/Barcelona-City-Hop-on-Hop-off-Tour/d562-2512BBUS

 

http://www.barcelona-on-line.es/eng/reserves/bus_turistic.htm

 

http://www.tablaocordobes.com/

 

Barcelona is a great city and you've got a lot of great advise on this thread

[Pam in CA]

We try to tough it out arrival day in London or wherever but go to bed earlier than we would otherwise, about 10pm if we can. I take a little melatonin to help me that first night because even though you're exhausted, you may still be too wound up from traveling and excitement. Drink lots of water, as has been said.

[RuthC]

I have no trouble west-bound, but east-bound! :eek: Ouch.

 

I try to take a little nap as soon as I arrive, although it's kind of fitful. Then I head out for a couple of hours and get a bit active. Another short nap late in the afternoon, up for dinner about 8-ish, then a shower and an early night. By the next morning I'm pretty well adjusted.

[PatsyAnne]

When I can, I sleep with the blackout curtains opened so that the light in the morning will enter the room. This doesn't work for everyone, and can make for a short night in the summer. Trish

[BeachFan53]

Gsel described what worked best for me. I did take a sleeping tab and wore ear plugs and eye shade, using a neck pillow & light blanket (my husband listened to light music) to sleep on the plane going over. We landed mid-afternoon London time and checked in then headed for a long walk (march) through Hyde Park then to a pub for a high protein lunch (all you can get in London!). Fell asleep easily, wore ear plugs & eye shade again. I think adrenaline gets you going at the start of your trip, but I truly fall apart after I am home and need days to recover - so be kind to yourself on the return trip and plan at least a day or two to get it all back together again!

[Ship's Wake]

Many good suggestions here. One I can add - set your watch ahead to the time in Spain once you get on the transatlantic portion of your flight and mentally adjust to the new time.

 

Instead of watching a movie or reading on the plane, get some sleep once your watch indicates 11pm or midnight. When you arrive in Barcelona you will at least have had a few hours of sleep and be able to get some good sightseeing in before you get too tired.

 

I like to take a nap on the first day around 3pm or so for about two to three hours, then shower and head back out to explore. Once 10 or 11pm rolls around, you'll be ready to crash for a deep sleep.

 

You'll also likely find yourself rising early each day on your cruise as your body adjusts to the new time - if you're normally not an early riser you will be;).

 

Joe

[brucory]

Get onto the timezone of where you are going before you go..

 

Its harder than what it seems, but for me, it works well...

 

I have read so many articles about jet lag and how it takes 1 day per hour time change to catchup...

 

If you can reset your clock before you go, more power to you - You will be leaping off the plane ready to go, while the rest are headed for the pillow...

 

:D:D:D

[swalm22]

If possible, try to addjust your time 1 or 2 day's before.

Set one clock to European time and start to live like you stay already there.

 

This way you will have 100% no jetlag.

[K&RCurt]

I think that the extrat day pre cruise you will be fine.

 

I travel to Italy quite a bit as the company I work for is owned by an Italian company. I usually take a melatonin pill just as I get on the plane on the way over. As soon as the are done cleaning up dinner I try to get some sleep.

 

Most of the time I leave on a Sunday afternoon and get in to Europe first thing Monday morning. I usually have to head into the office and put in a day of meetings that is VERY hard to get through. If I push through and keep going until after dinner I am tired enough to sleep well Monday night. By Tuesday morning I am pretty well adjusted, I just seem to get tired earlier in the evening than I normally do.

 

Coming back to the states is another matter entirely. It usually takes me almost a week to feel like I have adjusted back.

[INSIDERS CABIN]

Based on many years of experience, we also agree that hydration- still water only--really does the trick, plus walking and getting some daylight on arrival. Amazingly, we hardly miss a beat and feel good! (No alcohol, coffee or soda allowed in transit!)

[ShenValleyGal]

I agree with the above. The best thing we do is make sure (weather permitting) that we are outside as much as possible the first day there. I've read that the sun helps reset our internal clocks. By the time we've finished our evening meal, we're ready to collapse and then after a wonderful nights rest, are pretty much back to normal.

 

Rachel

[grsnovi]

On our most recent (Baltic) cruise, we left Portland late Saturday afternoon for a non-stop out of Seattle to Copenhagen. I had never had any luck sleeping on planes on trans-atlantic flights so I had my MD write me a script for some Ambien.

 

I slept for five hours going over. We arrived in CPH in the early afternoon, checked into our hotel. Went out walking around for three hours or so, back to the hotel, cleaned up some, ate a meal and then went over to Tivoli for a couple of hours.

 

Slept like babies Sunday night - got up fresh Monday and headed to the pier and we were good for the entire ten days.

 

Our problems started when we got home, it took us five or six days to get back in sync with our own time zone - we would just always run out of steam mid-afternoon.

[Sue from Canada]

How do experienced travellers deal with jet lag? My upcoming cruise will be my first trip to Europe. I am flying from US and spending one full day and night in Barcelona before boarding. A little concerned about being a jet lagged zombie, I'd love some advice.

 

There has been a lot of research on the use of melatonin to combat jet lag. I'd tired Melatonin in all three forms (pill form, film strips that dissolve on your tongue and liquid suspension). The liquid form works like a charm. In Canada a bottle costs about $10. Good luck.

[jwds]

Whatever you do, DON'T eat an early dinner and go to bed. We've found that forcing ourselves to stay up until at least 10:00 on your our first night is the best way, for us, to adjust. In many ways Barcelona is great for this since most places for dinner don't open until 8:00 at the VERY earliest, many don't open until later.

[suse]

Pretend it's not happening. Sometimes that works.:)

[Chelly]

Thanks for all the practical advice. I'm usually able to sleep on overnight flights, although my head bobs all over the place. I'll keep busy the first day touring Barcelona. I'm a hiker so all should be well. Suse, I like your philosophy. Mind over matter. Thanks again!!!!

[harrodsfan]

many good suggestions...

Turn watch ahead as soon as you get on the plane.

I take 1/2 of an ambien and have one glass of wine on the plane.

Also fly business class on a lay flat seat. This helps a lot.

Lay down to sleep as soon as possible after dinner. (Dont take ambien until right before I want to sleep. It works fast.)

Have breakfast on airplane and coffee.

Go to hotel, leave bags and get outside in the sun..

Walk Walk walk. I find that spending time shopping..or looking keeps me occupied. Eat lunch at arrival lunch time.

If feeling tired in late afternoon stop and have a coffee and snack...Sugar helps a lot.

Back to hotel...no nap ever.

Long Shower.

More walking and dinner at around 8 pm.

Walk a bit more and to bed at around 10 pm

Take 1/2 an ambien...(next two nights take a 1/4 ambien).

Try not to drink a lot of beverages after 6.

I do the same when I get home.

Still seems to hit me more coming home...agree with the adrenilin comment.

[sillysailor 1955]

Did this cruise last December. We tried to sleep on the plane (mind you I said TRIED), but I found when we got to Barcelona we were so excited jet lag reallly wasn't an issue (we arrived in Barcelona the day before we sailed and I think that helped) Cruise was fun but we really were jet lagged flying back from Barcelona to NYC:p