Advice on being fit to work the next day

Has been a little whilst since last posting but I do have a couple of trips planned between now and the end of the year!

The first trip is to Las Vegas and I was lucky to have bagged a G on the way back, direct from LAS as well. I wanted to find out what tips you have for actually getting a good night sleep on the way back, ie what should I take? Have only ever managed a good nights sleep once (in PE but I had a heavy cold and was taking flu medicines). I am also thinking of taking extra bedding, pillows or is that something they will help me with on board?

Going to post another question about LGW separately

Thanks

My tips would be:

adjust to UK time as soon as you get to the airport
do not drink alcohol
drink plenty of fluid to stay well hydrated
eat a light meal before you board, do not eat much or at all on board
get to sleep asap
tell the crew you do not wish to be disturbed
get a seat in a quiet area of the cabin
wear a good eye mask and ear plugs/ noise cancelling earphones
avoid sedative medications

Personally speaking I would never consider going to work on the day of arrival back in the UK. Largely because I never follow the above rules (when I fly I am on holiday and eat and drink far too much whilst watching films all the way) and as a result I am pooped when I arrive back home

I am with maximus, know all the sensible rules, I tried not drinking once on a flight from Hong Kong & didnt feel much better when I arrived home so now always follow the tried a trusted routine of several drinks in the CH & several in the air.

oldboy

depends on how long you are going for. Everyone is different. I have tried everything but I always struggle to sleep on a plane. Usually takes me about 2 weeks to fully recover from Jet lag. Worth remembering that if your there to party hard - then your body clock will probably end up about 12 hours out, rather than the 8 hour time difference.

Dunno if not adjusting your watch to the full 8 hours will help or not. When I go to Europe, I stay on UK time. Works quite well because I get up early for work in the UK & it balances it out when in Europe as to me, I am not getting up an hour or 2 later. Bonus for winter sports is you beat all the lift queues!

You could try some sleeping tablets or night nurse/benellyn.

Melatonin helps me sleep when i get back.

Maximus' list is very wise! Everyone is different, but we're usually good for nothing when arriving back after a flight. We're young (ish), reasonably fit (I think!), I hardly drink and my OH doesn't drink at all, we stay well hydrated and try to eat sensibly and sleep at decent intervals. Despite this, when we fly east (either back to the UK, or out to Asia), we are totally ruined by the time we arrive, and need a while to recover. We now almost always book a hotel at LHR for the night we land as the 4 hour drive back to Yorkshire is a killer; we've done it a few times and decided it's just not worth it; any time we save by getting home earlier just means we're worn out the following day. If we book a hotel and sleep that night, the drive up the following day is a breeze and we actually might get work done in the afternoon! Flying west is usually much easier, we just stay up longer, go to sleep at a decent time and then start the following day like nothing happened.

I feel like you won't need extra bedding in Upper; the duvet is very warm. The pillow is decent, but if you like to sleep with lots of head/neck support, you might like to take another. I'm always happy with one, though.

Finally, congratulations on the G from LAS!

I used to do shift work and towards the end of my career some bright spark came up with weird shift patterns that included a quick turnover: finish at 6 am after a week of nights and start work again the same day at 2 pm.
It was a very similar feeling to flying East jet lag.
Initially I hated it until someone pointed out: You are going to feel like rubbish when you change shifts so do it on the jobs time.

So follow all the tips about no alcohol, a non disturbed flight etc. You'll still feel rubbish, but go to work and feel rubbish on their time not yours.

Dick D

I used to work in the USA and often travelled back to the UK when it was a working day next. I never took the day off, mainly because 1) I used being in the office as justification to fly business class and 2) if I was going to feel like death warmed up I was going to do it in their time not mine.

I have to confess I broke most of the rules maximus suggested too!

I find a Baileys does the trick!

Flying East is always the toughest one - I'm barely able to walk the day after an Economy Flight but I've found that after an Upper Class flight and some synthetic melatonin I am fine.

Works better if you are flying from the West Coast and not the East Coast as well as the flight is much longer, a 6 hour flight doesn't offer enough actual sleep time IMO.

Thanks for the replies, have decided not to go straight into work. I think the temptation of the bar in Upper will be too much and expecting not to have the best night sleep as well! As I only get to fly a couple of times a year seems a shame to waste it sleeping!

Agree that the above 'check list' is very sensible but would completely remove the pleasure of air travel - and you would end up thinking too much about it to be able to sleep anyway.
Eat, drink and then go to sleep. Avoid watching movies as they will stimulate you more than you need and keep you awake while you wait for the ending !
I have always been a good sleeper on a plane but travelled with a colleague regularly for a few years who had convinced himself he could not sleep on a plane and therefore he couldn't. Having seen me sleep like a baby he tried it and stopped thinking 'I can't sleep' and also slept like a baby. I know easy to say but it can be done.

Few people have time to spend a day resting after a flight these days so sleeping (or at least napping) on a plane is the only way to handle it.

As you've bagged a G (congratulations), head for Revivals, a shower and decent breakfast should improve the inevitably jaded view of the world that follows any night flight even in UC. And ignore Maximus's staid and sensible advice, life's too short!

And ignore Maximus's staid and sensible advice, life's too short!

Absolutely, the above was my professional advice which I never follow myself

My "advice" is to drink lots of whiskey based drinks then sleep. It's the only way I've been fit for work following a inbound flight in any class ! Actually feel worse if I don't do that - which does lead to me needing to be chaufferred to airport in both ways.

My "advice" is to drink lots of whiskey based drinks then sleep. It's the only way I've been fit for work following a inbound flight in any class ! Actually feel worse if I don't do that - which does lead to me needing to be chaufferred to airport in both ways.

In fact why limit it to when you take a flight - it sounds like great advice generally !

Melatonin is your answer- I have used them for many years. Get home, sleep for 2 hours, force yourself up, eat in UK time, early night, take a melatonin, and you are fit to dance the next morning- I take 1 for first 3 nights after I arrive home- and I'm usually stateside for 6 weeks.