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Original poster

The worst jet lag you've ever had?

32 replies

ILikeDinosaurs · 09/07/2023 23:24

Came back from the US over a week ago and I haven't been able to sleep normally at all. Surely it should be back to normal by now? It's been at least 5 days and I'm averaging about 3 hours a night. I literally am wide awake till 5am. Never had this before.

OP posts:
beeonmybonnett · 09/07/2023 23:28

I felt absolutely terrible when I came back from the US a few years ago. I had an overnight flight and I am not exaggerating when I say that I felt l was going to collapse as by the time I arrived at my house I hadn’t slept in 24 hours. Really felt weak and ill.

I did feel fatigued and sluggish for a few days after that, but that said, I still slept OK from what I remember.

If it doesn’t improve, I think you should probably speak to your GP .

wonderstuff · 09/07/2023 23:33

DH felt terrible after our last US trip, vowed never to fly long-haul again he was so tired. As it happens we were getting regular Covid tests as part of the ONS survey, turns out it was in fact jet-lag plus Covid. By the time he found out he was mostly better and was upset he powered on rather than resting. Worth considering whether you have picked up a virus on the plane?

mrsneate · 09/07/2023 23:34

Went to vegas last month, took me about 10-12 days to recover from the jet lag. It was awful!

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beeonmybonnett · 09/07/2023 23:37

Take it you didn’t get any sleep on the flight home, @ILikeDinosaurs ? I think that’s why I felt even worse, most people sleep on long haul flights but I can never get comfortable enough to do so. That flight home from the US was full of screaming kids so it was just a horrible experience. Was awake the entire time.

cherryassam · 09/07/2023 23:39

San Francisco to London without any sleep on the flight, with a cold. That was the worst. Was probably 2 weeks before I felt back to normal.

beeonmybonnett · 09/07/2023 23:41

cherryassam · 09/07/2023 23:39

San Francisco to London without any sleep on the flight, with a cold. That was the worst. Was probably 2 weeks before I felt back to normal.

Oh no! A cold and no cold would just be horrendous! I thought my flight was bad and that was without a cold so you have my sympathies!

beeonmybonnett · 09/07/2023 23:41

beeonmybonnett · 09/07/2023 23:41

Oh no! A cold and no cold would just be horrendous! I thought my flight was bad and that was without a cold so you have my sympathies!

Show quote history

That was meant to say a cold and no sleep.

cherryassam · 09/07/2023 23:46

It was grim! I didn’t have screaming kids though, which was a blessing. Annoyingly DH slept like a baby the whole time and had recovered from the cold he had given me a few days earlier!

FrangipaniBlue · 09/07/2023 23:47

I've never had issues coming home from the US but the worst I've ever had was flying UK to Australia.

For the first 48hrs I didn't know what planet I was on and it actually made me physically sick! On day 3 I had to go to bed in the afternoon, slept right through to the following morning and was ok after that.

For 2/3 days after flying home I didn't particularly feel ill or even tired as such, but it was like I had narcolepsy - literally falling asleep on the sofa mid conversation with DH 😂

DyslexicPoster · 09/07/2023 23:49

Going uk to Singapore. I think we went for a kip at midday and woke up at 8am the next day. Just list a day.

I think the key is to eat at normal times and bed at normal time once you arrive even if it means having a day time sleep for few hours, get back up so you go to bed at a normal time.

Obviously not easy as we just didn't wake up. When I came back from NY I got in about 10am. Had a bath feeling like death. Went for a sleep at 11am snd got up at 3. I was feeling fine a few days later. I think it works. But it's a horrible feeling

Original poster
ILikeDinosaurs · 09/07/2023 23:49

beeonmybonnett · 09/07/2023 23:37

Take it you didn’t get any sleep on the flight home, @ILikeDinosaurs ? I think that’s why I felt even worse, most people sleep on long haul flights but I can never get comfortable enough to do so. That flight home from the US was full of screaming kids so it was just a horrible experience. Was awake the entire time.

No, I didn't sleep much and I barely ate (6h) because they didn't have a meal that I could choose as I have food allergies.

I've taken Nytol in the hope it'll go back to normal but not sleepy yet. Gah, it's horrible!

OP posts:
backinthebox · 09/07/2023 23:49

Long haul pilot here. I cover up to 9 hours time zone difference several times a month. You have to work to a plan to shunt your body clock back to where you want it. It’s more of a struggle if you just sit there waiting for the jet lag to go away. We are taught that if all other things are equal, you will readjust by 2 hours on the first day and then 1 hour a day. So a 6hr time zone difference will take about 4 days to be fully back to normal. You have to make an effort to go to bed at the right time - there are plenty of jet lag calculators online to help you plan the right sleep times for optimum recovery. Also make sure you eat at the right times too. The absolute best thing you can do though is sleep on the flight. Take one of those neck cushions with you, your own blanket, ear plugs, eye mask - whatever it takes. But get as much sleep as you can. You can watch the movies on Amazon once you get home! (Plus they look better on a bigger screen than the ones you get on board.)

HappiDaze · 09/07/2023 23:51

When I flew back from Bangkok. I was walking around like a Zombie and leaving my purse behind in shops by mistake - took me 3 days to be more coherent and 2 weeks to be back to fully functioning

mastertomsmum · 09/07/2023 23:53

Used to travel a lot pre kids. Trips to Oz or NZ are a total time flip over so the jet lag is more manageable. NYC or LA is when I’d be more likely to get jet lag. Also, it’s never so bad on the way there, it’s after the return leg it kicks in the most. Identifying the worst time is easy: we went to Melbourne for an academic conf. It was their winter, our summer and I’d only ever visited before when it was a spring/autumn or autumn/spring difference. I really bought into the ‘it’s winter here’ thing even though it was 16 degrees and hadn’t been more that 19/20 at home. I even bought furry boots. But, the jet lag thang was that we flew on via Los Angeles to Seattle f I r another conf. The reverse navigation confused my digestive system but I was wide awake for an opera and not in need of dinner. When we got home I thought it was freezing cold after hot USA temps and I woke up in the middle of the night and rearranged the bookcase.

bellsbuss · 09/07/2023 23:54

Las Vegas was a killer , took me days to feel normal

Labtastic · 09/07/2023 23:57

NZ to London, flying via LA. Absolutely appalling and took days to get over it

EBearhug · 10/07/2023 00:03

Cape Town to Perth I found a struggle, but generally, I find forcing myself to work yo the current timezone, while it might be hell for the first day, means it passes quicker. I am prone to insomnia at the slightest hint of stress, though, so I am quite experienced at resetting my body clock.

mrsfollowill · 10/07/2023 00:05

Mine was flying back from Florida to UK - I was like a zombie for a week- fine going there but coming back was truly awful. Never been back and never will! (to be fair- I didn't really like it there but was newly married and we went to visit some of DH's family)

cantstaymadatyou · 10/07/2023 00:09

Going to the US was fine. Just felt like a long day. The overnight flight back from NYC was awful. Couldn’t sleep at all and felt like death by the time I got home. Slept from about 9am into the evening, got up and ordered a takeaway and fell asleep on the couch while sitting up waiting for it. Took a good couple of weeks before I stopped feeling under the weather.

littleyellowarrow · 10/07/2023 00:12

Flying to Australia (via Dubai) and didn't get a wink of sleep the whole time. By the time I arrived, I felt incredibly ill. I remember collapsing into the hotel bed and slept for a solid 12 hours.

StillMedusa · 10/07/2023 00:23

UK to Adelaide Australia... I kept falling asleep mid sentence. It also affected my balance..I have ataxic episodes, and the flight really set me off, so I was lurching and wobbling for a week.

Going back next feb to visit my son ... not looking forward to the jet lag!

Original poster
ILikeDinosaurs · 10/07/2023 00:28

backinthebox · 09/07/2023 23:49

Long haul pilot here. I cover up to 9 hours time zone difference several times a month. You have to work to a plan to shunt your body clock back to where you want it. It’s more of a struggle if you just sit there waiting for the jet lag to go away. We are taught that if all other things are equal, you will readjust by 2 hours on the first day and then 1 hour a day. So a 6hr time zone difference will take about 4 days to be fully back to normal. You have to make an effort to go to bed at the right time - there are plenty of jet lag calculators online to help you plan the right sleep times for optimum recovery. Also make sure you eat at the right times too. The absolute best thing you can do though is sleep on the flight. Take one of those neck cushions with you, your own blanket, ear plugs, eye mask - whatever it takes. But get as much sleep as you can. You can watch the movies on Amazon once you get home! (Plus they look better on a bigger screen than the ones you get on board.)

Very useful to know, thanks. I usually can't sleep on flights, but I've never had this reaction before. filing away info for future use

OP posts:
alwaysmovingforwards · 10/07/2023 00:37

Flying east I find harder than west.
My work takes me to Tokyo and Sydney once a quarter.

SeaToSki · 10/07/2023 00:42

I use benadryl for the first few nights at the new place to help force me to sleep at the correct time. It helps. But I also try hard to stay awake until at least 8pm local time when I have landed and eat at the new meal times.

evtheria · 10/07/2023 00:43

Did a lot of long haul travel when I was a kid, so my parents raised me to sleep/stay awake appropriately etc... and never really struggled with jet lag. Then one summer, aged 19 or so, I had to fly from med Europe to SE Asia then to the southwest of the US within 5 or so days. It was awful, to the point I kind of felt like I was floating around. Went to the States for a family wedding and I honestly barely recall any of it.