How to best avoid jetlag

[FizzyPink]

Travelling to Australia next week from London, flying out 10pm Wednesday night and arriving 7am Friday morning. And then coming back leave Australia 7pm Saturday night and arriving in London 7am Sunday morning.
Flights are 14 hours, then 7 hours stopping in Singapore and then the opposite on the way back.
When is best to try to sleep on the flights to avoid jet lag as much as possible?

Apparently not eating much before flight worked for me but I'm not a frequent flyer!may not work for you but worth a try?

If you are really only staying in Australia for 36 hours I think I would try as much as possible to stay on UK time. So basically sleep all the way to Singapore, stay awake for the layover, sleep to Oz, stay awake for your madly short trip, and then do the opposite on the way back. And be ruthless - try to sleep as soon as you get on, if possible. Hopefully you're flying solo!

I don’t think napping on the flight will make much difference as your body clock is wired to be on (presumably UK) home time regardless of you sleeping in between times for a few hours. Having a nap won’t retrain your body clock, it will just mess you up more!

My DP really struggles with jet lag when he travels as he keeps napping and can’t get his body clock back in any sort of rhythm.

I managed it by staying awake for a solid 36 hours (as I was unable to sleep on the flight), then slept for 16 hours when I got home and I was right as rain!

I do think that staying as close to your natural sleep pattern as possible helps (we’re not night owls so will get up early and go to bed early to stay closer to UK time if that’s works where we’re staying) and then I try to stay awake as much as possible until I’m back in a normal pattern, but I struggle to sleep anywhere other than my bed at night, whereas DP could sleep standing up!

This is a difficult one as you're only in Australia a few days but on the flight, I would try to start adjusting to their timezone as much as possible - so sleep (if possible) if it's bedtime in Australia. Once you get there, try to push through it - get up (set alarm if necessary) in daylight hours and do stuff, then try to go to bed at a reasonable time.

Also, you could try to start adjusting before you travel - go to bed later/earlier etc

Don't eat big meals before/during flight- little and often if need be. Avoid too much alcohol/caffeine

Same on the way back.

Jet Lag advisor from British Airways

www.britishairways.com/travel/drsleep/public/en_gb

I've done this kind of trip a few times and have never worked out the best solution ;-)

Realistically, I would probably end up staying up for a few hours on the first flight (it'll be noisy for a bit as there will be a meal service), napping for a few hours, then awake again for 3 hours or so. Next flight I'd try to nap again so arrive 7am and desperately try to stay awake for the day, getting LOTS of fresh air. Then sleep when I felt like it on the way home, you'll be wired and shattered at the same time tbh so you may not have much control over it!

Lots of fresh air and sun ideally wherever you can always helps me.

Sorry I realise that sounds totally confusing, actually staying for 2 weeks!!

My sister lives on the east coast of USA but comes to UK frequently for around 3-6 weeks. A few weeks before travelling she starts moving her day by half an hour and then an hour etc, so she ends up going to bed, getting up and eating etc at UK time by the time she is close to flying. Luckily she does not work and so can do as she pleases, but it would seem odd to me to be going to bed at 6pm and getting up to have breakfast and start the day at 2am. Works for her though.

Wow @twospaniels that is dedication! Unfortunately I’m working the day I fly out and day after I fly back and not sure my boss would appreciate me turning up at 3am to fit with my sleeping schedule!

You can't avoid jet lag, but you can work it out of your system quickly. Sleep if you can on the flights. When you get to Oz, do everything on Australia time. Eat breakfast even if you don't feel like eating. Jet lag is not just about sleep, it's about your whole body clock, so eating at normal times will help.

DO NOT NAP! In those first few days you'll be exhausted, but don't nap. Go outside, go for a walk, go shopping - do anything! But do not sit down on a comfortable chair or bed!

Stay awake on the first day until (ideally)9pm Australia time. It'll be tough, and you might not make it, but stay awake as late as you possibly can. 7pm at the absolute earliest for bed.

If you wake at 4am, don't get up and watch tv, eat or anything. Stay in bed and try to doze. If you wouldn't eat at 4am normally don't do it there.

If you can do all that on your first day, it'll be easier on the 2nd day. I've been flying back and forth to Oz for the last 17 years. I know it's heard but it will get better and you'll enjoy your time so much more.

Good luck!

Frequent business traveller here. The only thing that works for me is to power through when you first arrive and sleep on their time.

Thanks for the advice on napping. I’m meeting a friend for dinner/drinks on the first night so was thinking of doing a walking tour until lunchtime and then having a nap until I get ready to meet her around 6 but absolutely will not nap now and will find something else to fill the time instead. Just hope I’m not horrible company for her that night!

You'll probably need to have an early dinner on that first night, but meeting with a friend is a great way of powering through and not falling asleep. Have a great time!

Power through on the new schedule. I also take melatonin for three days to adjust to sleeping in new time zone.
You can't buy it in UK, not sure about Oz.

You tend to get more jetlag going forwards in time zones than going back. So you will probably feel all your jetlag in Australia and be fine when you return to the UK. I suggest trying to slowly get yourself on Aussie time as you fly there.