Not getting over jet lag - does anyone have any tips?

[Troubler]

I had to do a trip to the US with a -6 hours time difference. Got there last Saturday and it was only on Thursday that I got into the time zone and I flew back that day. I struggled the whole time I was there with the time zone.

I have to go back in the office on Monday but I cannot fall asleep till 2am and I’ve been waking up at 10am argh! Last night I took a nytol at 10pm in the hope that it would reset my sleep and it did but instead I slept from 11pm till 9am 😂.

does anyone have any tips? I usually fall asleep around 930pm/10pm and I’m up at 6am but I’ve been comatose at that time since I got back and I HAVE to be back in the office tomorrow and I am meeting a friend after work so would quite like not to be a zombie.

Melatonin and a strong antihistamine and magnesium an hour before bed with a hot bath.

No artificial light for a few hours before bed - ideally after sunset.

Blue light blocking glasses if you must watch TV/look at screens etc but phone never in the bedroom (applies every day for me jet lag or not - makes such a difference)

Normal bed time.
Normal wake up time and when you do wake up get natural light.

Basically general.good sleep tips!
You'll be fine in a few days.

(If you don't have melatonin or blue light blocking glasses obviously skip these)

Thanks - I do have some melatonin so will take it tonight!

I go back and forth on this route a lot and, in all honesty, the best thing to do is suck up a night of not nearly enough sleep. I would take a melatonin, but find Nytol or antihistamines make it worse because they make me groggy the next day.

I'd take a warm bath or shower (preferably by candlelight), take a melatonin with a cup of warm milk with Ovaltine and read in bed until you feel sleepy. Get up at 6, muddle through the day. You'll be reset by Tuesday.

Adding, unless you're a neurosurgeon or commercial airline pilot, you should be able to get through a day or work without endangering anyone, even if you're tired. Or that's what I tell myself anyway 😁

Yes I think that was my mistake. The Nytol has made me groggy today which is what has got me worried!

will try the melatonin tonight

I did a 14 hr flight with an 8 hrs ahead time difference last Saturday and I had my first decent night sleep last night . I didn’t think it would take a week to recover .

I usually say 1 day per hour of time difference to get over jet lag, although I found melatonin an enormous help the last time I came back from California (8 hours difference).

Sunshine also helps to reset your body clock, so try to get outdoors in daylight as much as you can.

Particularly afternoon sun.

For any future trips, try a jet lag calculator (just google it, theres loads). Useful to help get on the new time zone as fast as possible by telling you when to sleep and when to get sunlight