- 8 hour time difference. Help!

[Sober Lark]

Fri 23 Sep DUB 11:20 CLT14:50 CLT 17:50 PHX 19:19 PHX 19:59 FLG 20:49 Problem = I have to hit the ground running on Sat 24 and Sun 25 by waking at 06:00 and keeping awake until at least 19:00 local. There is an - 8 hour time difference. I'd appreciate any advice anyone could offer me on how to reduce the effects of jet lag to give me the best chance. Thanks in advance for any assistance offered.

[ExXB]

Get on the new time as soon as possible. Use sleeping tablets to get to sleep at the right time. You'll feel like **** for a day or two, but it will improve m

[esa-aardvark]

Hello, you are traveling west which is the best direction
for avoiding jetlag. In principle the day is getting longer
and your body can tolerate this (a bit). If it is a business trip,
back in my working days my employer would have specified a
day extra to de-stress. Modern businesses do not seem to care
about knackered employees. I travel each year from NZ to Europe
and back, the Eastward journey is always the worst.

[MathFox]

In my experience going west is not that hard.
My prediction is that getting to your hotel at 9 pm plus an 8 hour time difference will be the hard part.
Set an alarm clock at 5, go to bed and take your shower in the morning... You might get a little grumpy about not finding breakfast at the time you wake up (before 5)

Expect to be pretty broken the week after you return to Europe.

[DaveReidUK]

You'll get some sleep on the bus to Flagstaff when you've missed that tight connection at PHX.

[Lance Murdoch]

Try to prepare a few days in advance. If flying west go to bed progressively later and get up later if possible. When going east do the opposite. When flying west try to get a flight that leaves in the afternoon so you don't have to get up early and push your body clock the wrong way. When going east get an early morning flight if possible.

If you want to sleep avoid caffeine and try to be in a completely darkened room. Alcohol may or may not help, its different for different people.

[Twiglet1]

Sober

As Lance suggests start adapting at home early. When you arrive stay up as long as you can or nap

[farci]

To the OP - your nom de plume suggests you don't drink much alcohol - that will also help along with keeping hydrated on the flight

[Sober Lark]

Thanks a million everyone.


Mathfox - will go to bed on arrival and set alarm for 5am. Suits me to be on the road ASAP to drive 130km.
DavidReidUK - I am worried about that connection. Its the one American came up with so I booked it. It would be hell to be on the bus.
Exxb - will set my watch, try to sleep and adjust meal times to -8 hours as soon as I board.
Farci - An odd time ;-) Googled the water suggestion and came up with 1 litre every 5 hours.


Thanks once again, you've all been a great help.

[TCU]

West is Best
East is a Beast
Bottle of red wine both ways works for me