when it comes to jetlag which way round is easier or harder?

Hi All
As most of you have maybe been travelling over the summer and following on from @HULLs thread on Jetlag I wanted to ask which way around the globe is easier or harder for the effects of Jetlag?

For example all the kiwi's I have met have sworn by the LAX route to AKL as this minimises the effect of jet lag. In my experience I have suffered more jet lag going east that returning back home. Or is that a case of its always easier returning to your home country in terms of jetlag?

[Neil]

I personally find returning home from the West Coast the hardest for jet lag. Usually takes about 5/6 nights before I am sleeping properly again.

I find going to the US doesn't really affect me too much now, first morning I am awake fairly early but I find it easy to get in a routine by staying up late.

Thats interesting.
I find the first few nights in Tokyo quite tough but upon returning home to UK will be in bed a bit earlier than usual the first few nights but other than that no feeling of death warmed up or jelly legs lol Last time in Tokyo was the worst ever jetlag.

My work trip where I had a week in HK then 4 days in Tokyo was absolutely terrible. It was some combination of it being my first business trip (so I was terribly homesick, especially with the flight timings meaning I missed 2 weekends at home), the BA flight being hugely delayed (they'd just opened T5 at Heathrow) so I was awake when it would have been better to be sleeping on the flight, and that I think it's worst going east.

Had a similar, though not quite as bad, experience going to Singapore, whereas I have next to no problems going to NY or Florida.

I do think it varies from person to person though, and being able to sleep on the flight makes a big difference, as my wife has sleep problems after any flight over a couple of hours, no matter where we go.

As I said in Hull's thread I have yet to have a problem on arrival in OZ (quickly touches wood). Although there is a nine hour time difference for me, because I have been travelling for such a long time, with only occasional bits of sleep, it is as if the two things...tiredness and time change...work to my benefit.

This time, it will be just over 40 hours from the time I leave home until I get to my destination, five flights, five lounges, a couple of meetings in OZ etc etc. I will at best get a couple of hours sleep on each of the three long hauls.

I will then go to bed at normal OZ time and, based on previous trips, will sleep well and feel fine in the morning. (Fingers crossed).

I have struggled a bit more on arriving back home but not to any great extent. Just nodding off in the evenings....I know I am going to do so and cannot do a thing to avoid it. Fortunately such only lasts for a few days.

And I also now make sure that all cameras are hidden so embarrassing photographs of dozing David cannot be posted on Facebook or anywhere else! ii)

I think the flight times and ability to get sleep on the flight plus eating properly, staying hydrated etc make a big difference.

Eastbound is much worse than west.

seems to be the case so far (with the exception of HWVLover) based on Neils experience and mine.

I'm ok flying west and just stay up as late as possible the first night. Flying back east is a killer although UC helps and when flying back from EWR I find the VS001 also makes things easier.

My experience is only of flying to / from US and Canada West Coast - I'm fine outbound, slot into a routine easily with no sleep problems, but coming back it's terrible, and much much worse if I don't sleep well on the flight back, and I have always taken a night flight back. The last trip in July really knocked me for six and it took over a week to adjust when I got back so I was awake when I should have been asleep some nights, and slept ok others. In fact, first night back I slept fine and had really not slept well on flight. Second night back was horrendous and I got up around 1.30am and at 4.30am decided to go into my office and do a bit of work on emails and stuff as I was wide awake and active. At work I was like a zombie and struggled with complex tasks and had to chunk my work down and avoid distractions.

I'm flying east next year and anticipating this process in reverse! Won't that be fun!! ): ):

I have to agree with most, flying home was worst for us but I guess mainly because you have to get back into a routine - work and school whereas flying west was for a holiday and it was actually useful to be awake at 5am to hit the Disney parks
It has taken us 2 weeks to fully recover and not be awake at 2am !!!

[mitchja]

Touch wood, I don't suffer much with jet lag in either direction. I think that is probably down to working shifts including nights for nearly 20 years now.

Very little jet lag for me either, but that's thanks to melatonin.*


(* +/- placebo effect from taking melatonin..!?!)

On a previous trip back from AKL I came back via LAX with Quantas/BA in Economy and felt so good that upon arrival home in London I got in the car and drive down to Plymouth to pick my Dog up (although I was a good seven years younger) this time I came back via HKG in UC all the way and felt pretty incapable of anything. Personally I feel the HKG-LHR flight arrives too early in the morning for me 0500 with the breakfast service around 0300. Next time I will keep going east and see what happens.

My guess is that a majority of people find going west easier, because you gain time and can motivate yourself to stay awake through it. Going east and losing time is trickier, especially when you have an overnight sector.

However, I know people who have it the other way round. And I must admit, my worst jetlag was probably after flying directly back from SYD, which is westbound all the way.

HULL and AT240 your cases seem to buck the trend and I find that interesting
Maybe as Dom said it was about the actual timings as well
When I go to Japan I take the midday flight which then arrives the next day at around 0830. Ofcourse your body thinks its 0030 and time to sleep but you have to stay awake all day I usually feel pretty mashed until I get to eat a big lunch and grab a coffee but then by night time it gets tricky lol
On returning (I have been in all three class's) getting in to LHR late afternoon I stay awake as late as possible and then up at the crack of dawn for work and usually no problem

gfonk --

I think the issue with SYD is that the time difference is sufficiently great that you are going to be jetlagged no matter how much or little sleep you get. I once read a good account of jetlag which pointed out that people confuse fatigue/tiredness (and being hungover after a boozy flight!) with jetlag proper. I learned the truth of this after trying the day flights back from America -- not tired, just completely jetlagged for days.

gfonk --

I think the issue with SYD is that the time difference is sufficiently great that you are going to be jetlagged no matter how much or little sleep you get. I once read a good account of jetlag which pointed out that people confuse fatigue/tiredness (and being hungover after a boozy flight!) with jetlag proper. I learned the truth of this after trying the day flights back from America -- not tired, just completely jetlagged for days.

Lol that's a very good point actually lol
It reminded me of some of the TRs I have on here lol
Boozy flights and not getting any sleep.
I could name names but.... Lol
But yes I think what you said makes sense. Travelling a long distance simply makes you tired. Jet lag or tiredness - it's a fine line

Believe me the psycho B*tch from hell that I become for the first few days in Oz is more than tiredness! :0

Believe me the psycho B*tch from hell that I become for the first few days in Oz is more than tiredness! :0

Lol lol

Jet lag is always worse when you are coming home.

Jet lag is always worse when you are coming home.

|:) ahaaaaa but which way is "coming home" lol

To be fair whenever we have flow west its been fairly fine.

Until last year coming home from Antigua I really suffered and I have no idea why.

Going to Dubai next week is the first time we have been "east" and even though there is only a 3 hour time difference, it will be strange doing a night flight at the beginning of a holiday instead of the end.

Jet lag is always worse when you are coming home.

A good point, never mind the direction.

Believe me the psycho B*tch from hell that I become for the first few days in Oz is more than tiredness! :0

Dame Jacki.......Psycho B*tch. Now that I cannot believe. Anyway, numerous bottles of EK Dom should sort that out, one way or another!!!

Re OZ, for me the key thing is to keep going until it is normal bedtime there. With an early morning arrival in OZ it would be very easy to disappear for a mid afternoon doze but in my case that isnt possible as I generally have domestic flights to negotiate.

And anyway, I am so full of adrenalin and the excitement of it all, the travelling and arriving, that "keeping going" is not a problem. And touch wood that is how it will be on ABD5.

Don't get me wrong. I wouldn't want to perform emergency brain surgery on arrival but as I am not a neurosurgeon that seems unlikely anyway. :0

Having just come back from a California trip the same applies to me, no problems sleeping first night back,but for the last 3 nights I have been going to bed about 11 and wide awake about 2 ish.
Any pilots or cabin crew on here like to tell us how they cope?