How long do you give yourself to get over jet lag before going back to work?

[atleastimtryin]

I'm going to America next year which is the furthest place I've ever been, and I've never experienced jet lag before.

I'm going for a week, and will return early Saturday morning and am due to start work on Monday morning but I was wondering whether I should book a few days off for once I'm back (e.g. the Monday and Tuesday?) to give myself time to rest and recover? Or can I just go straight back on the Monday and push through?

What do you tend to do?

Ime the jet lag lasts longer if you don’t go back to work. Because as soon as you’re tired on Saturday or Sunday or even Monday with no commitments and nothing you have to get done, you’ll find yourself having a little nap
so it’s better to power through a rubbish few days at work and get it over and done with
and also not lose you Al

Push through. You’re more likely to fall asleep during the day if you’re off work and that will delay you getting back into a normal routine.

If I go long haul for a week at half term, I am back to work the next day usually. Land early Sunday and back teaching on the Monday.
Dh is the same, back to work the next day usually as he uses his whole holiday leave for the actual holiday.

It's fine, just a bit weary that first day back.

I've arrived back Sunday night and worked Monday morning. We do transatlantic a lot because of family I actually find it better to get straight back into the time zone you are in. Eat local, sleep local and change your watch as soon as you get on the plane.

I find that I actually 'get over' the jet lag more quickly when I'm straight back the next day. When I go long haul in the summer holidays, I'll often have a week or more off after so it takes me much longer to return to normal patterns, as I can lay in, etc

I returned from Sydney 9am the Sunday. Went to work 6am Monday but i was knackered

I fly to NY from time to time for work and normally try to give myself a couple of days on the other side (the return is always worse than going out due to the time difference) - my ideal trip is a Sunday afternoon flight out and return flight on a Thursday evening. I'll still be running on mostly NY time on Friday, but I then have the weekend to get back to normal.

It takes a few days after that to be totally 'up to speed' and I will try to schedule Monday and Tuesday to be a bit lighter-touch (i.e. no 9am Monday morning calls or meetings!), but generally speaking, 48 hours or so is sufficient to get over the worst. .

Also, where in the US are you going to? EST isn't too difficult, but there is a more significant time difference between the west coast and GMT.

Depends how much you need to concentrate to do your job. If you can manage at 80% then I’d say don’t take any time off.

I couldn't agree more. Having done several UK to Australia flights in my time, I was back in the classroom the next day. What I did do was to ask my GP for Valium to get me back into sleeping on the return. It worked a treat.

I'm retired now and the jet lag on my return from the UK this year lasted ages, and not, I think because of my age. It was the not working, no schedule, so easy to nap.

We arrived back from Florida on a Monday morning and went back to work and school on the Tuesday. Felt tired on the Tuesday but far better to get straight back to regular routine than drag the jet lag out longer.

Done it several times. Arrived home Saturday morning and back to work and school Monday. We stay up all day the day we arrive home and go to bed about 6pm. feel grotty all day but that's quickest way to reset your body clock. Sleep for 12 hours and feel fine next morning.

I did it myself once and didn't need to go back to work for a week so took several days to acclimatise and it was much worse!

I travel a lot, all over the world, and I've never had jet lag in 40+ years. Its not automatically something everyone gets. I don't know whether I'm just lucky, but I have always just dived into the time zone I'm in. So for example if I land at 3pm local time but that would make it, say 11pm where I left, I just try to stay awake until my normal bedtime no matter how shattered I am. Our bodies are best attuned to a day/ awake and night / asleep cycle, and I have thought that jet lag may be worse if people try to " catch up" with missed sleep out of the best natural cycle.

I did that once. I was drooping over my desk like a wilted flower by 2pm and manager sent me home 😆

Wouldn't give any time at all. Just push through it. Best way to regulate

I've been to the US twice last year. First time I had 4 days after to Recover and frankly felt like crap for a week. I was sleeping until midday then wide awake at 1am. The second time got in early Weds morning and back in work Thursday. Much better reaction. I think forcing yourself back into your usual routine is definitely better. Going again next year and will be back in work the day after I get back.

None.

I went to New Zealand for two weeks (friend's wedding) and flew back in to Edinburgh on Sunday afternoon. I was teaching Primary 1 the next Monday morning.

Depends what your job is. I've had colleagues do this (nursing staff) and they've been bloody useless on the shift as they come straight back in the following day and try to do a long shift. But if you have arole for example where you can sit down and have tea coffee whenever and it's only an 8 hour shift I'd say go straight back to work the following day.

I've always wondered how airline staff cope longhaul do they get jetlag are they constantly lagged ?

Getting straight back into my normal routine helps me get over jet lag faster. Forces me to get up, stay awake, tire my mind and body out, be awake during daylight hours etc. Just do it, it’s not a big deal. Save your holiday days for another holiday.

Depends on your job, how well you sleep, the time difference and how much you adjust to US time while you're there.

We generally don't adjust much more than half way to the US time zone even in a fortnight (somewhat intentionally - to reduce jet lag and because we're only really there for outdoors exploration not the nightlife). Keeping hydrated helps.

Going from west to east you'll be fine for work on Monday.

I wouldn't bother with any time off, you'll be fine after a weekend.

Buy a big tub of melatonin when you're there, it's a sleep miracle and much easier to get there than here.

I landed at lunchtime from West Coast where I'd had horrendous jet lagged and was expected to work that afternoon, that was tough and I kept an eye on emails before heading off for a snooze. I was totally fine and at a party the next day.

Impossible to tell. Depends massively how well you sleep on planes and if it's a 8 or 11hr flight. If it's a red eye I would sleep on that, get home early possibly have a nap but try my hardest to just go to bed early, say 8/9pm. I'd be completely fine to go to work on Monday.

No time off needed. Resuming your normal routine is the best way to get over jet lag. I’ve done many a weekend trip to the US and gone straight to work from the airport.