Just wanted to get some perspective from the seasoned Africa travelers on howw to best over come jet lag assocciated with the trip to Africa. Thanks.

7mm. guy

The best tip I've tried is to switch your watch to Africa time as soon as you get on your plane. Immediately start getting up and going to sleep based on African time (Ambien can sometimes help with this process). The flight is long enough that if you make your transition in-flight, by the time you get to Africa you will have gotten used to the new time and have few if any jetlag symptoms.

It takes one day for your body to adjust for every time zone you cross. Type "jet lag diet" and "Jet lag tips" into your search engine for some good advice.
Get a hand ful of Ambien to go to sleep when you need to and another handful of Provigil to get awake when you need to. Provigil is not an amphetamine or Ritalin type of medicine. It is a wakefullness promoter designed for narcolepsy. It works very well and is much safer than the old style "upper" type medicines.
lawndart

My wife and I both had very good success with No-Jet-Lag Pills

Drinks lots of water, limit alcohol, use sleeping pills and get some sunshine upon arrival (don't take a nap when you arrive).

Regards,

Terry

Evrery one is different and it changes with age. As I get older, I am more and mroe affected by flying east. To get your internal clock TOTALLY on a new time zone, it will take 3 weeks, regardless of who you are and what you do. THe major studies have shown that this time is the same fo rpeople regardless of how much sleep they need, or any other factors. Every study has shown this to be true.

THat does not mena you can't function on a new time zone very quickly. You can get a perscription for SOnata, a very mild 4 hour sleeping pill. You must be tired for this pill to even work, but it will help you for the first couple in the new zone. Some people do well with seratonin, but that stuff makes me sleepy 24 hours a day. The main thing is stay well hydrated, exercise and stay active, eat well, and lay off the alcohol. THese steps help you transition to the new zone.

In my experience, jet lag is a function of the direction of travel and how many time zones you cross in X hours. Going east is the worst, esp coming back from Japan. Singapore and that area isn't horrible because it takes a long time to cross 12 time zones. Australia and Africa (nonstop to/from JNB) are the easiest. Going to Europe is terrible if you are on a flight that lands in the am; last trip to Africa I went via Amsterdam, so I landed in the AM and then flew all day. Wasn't too bad.

When you go anywhere in the Southern Hemisphere from NA, it takes a long time to get there; you don't really cross that many time zones.

It does not bother me, I either ignore it or don't get it?????...the trip over and back does...

I don't drink alcohol while flying, lots of juice and water, maybe thats why I don't suffer the symtoms...

Used to travel over both oceans a lot. Have to echo the rest of the comments about lots of water and juice, and lay off the alcohol. Personaly, I find when traveling that Tylenol PM promotes sleep much better, and takes care of that slight headache from dehydration and background noise. Not a deep sleep, but restful, and have never known of anyone with an adverse reaction (un-like Ambien). Stay awake to Sal Island, sleep 6-7 hours, and ready to go.

quote:

Originally posted by Blank:
Used to travel over both oceans a lot. Have to echo the rest of the comments about lots of water and juice, and lay off the alcohol. Personaly, I find when traveling that Tylenol PM promotes sleep much better, and takes care of that slight headache from dehydration and background noise. Not a deep sleep, but restful, and have never known of anyone with an adverse reaction (un-like Ambien). Stay awake to Sal Island, sleep 6-7 hours, and ready to go.

If anyone hunts New Zealand, I would highly recomned taking the ANZ flight that arrives Auckland around midnight - stay awake on the whole flight if you can, and there is NO jet lag at all.

Going east does affect me, and this is how I deal with it:

1) No alcohol
2) lots of water/juice
3) try to wear loose clothes
4) get some sleep (I don't take anything for this) no matter where you are going when flying east. If the flight is longer than 4 hours I go to sleep after the first meal served on board.
5) get yourself a set of noise reduction earphones, and use it for the whole flight......try it, you won't regret it.

This works for me and I am always fine the first day in the new time Zone.

It's the second day where it hits me at about 6pm!

2 glasses of champagne before you take off, 2 glasses of wine with dinner, 1 cognac "night cap"...sleep the rest of the way. Wake up just before you land and let adreneline take over!! You are now in Africa! Coming home is depressing regardless..may as well blame it on jet lag.

For me, it is no biggie, and I do nothing special about it, just get on with it and get over it.
The second day on the ground I am just a little fatigued and don't have a very good appetite. By the third day, I am ravenous and bouncing off the walls. Ahndulay-ahreeba-yee-hah!

I party like hell the night before I'm flying. Drink lots of booze on the plane. Sleep if you get sleepy and don't pay any attention to the clock. In a week or two you'll be back to normal. I'm still waiting!
I got home at :30 AM tuesday. There's nine hours difference in Addis Ababa time and where I hang my hat. Uuuugh!
Rich Elliott

Living In Peachtree City, GA I have lots of buddies that are pilots for Delta Airlines. I have asked them and universally their answer is as follows:

Drink lots of water: A liter to Europe and a liter from Europe to Africa.

Avoid over doing the alcohol a glass of wine or beer with meals, but do not get trashed. You will pay dearly for it.

Try your best to get some sleep. As posted by Terry Carr Ambien is an awesome sleeping pill. Puts you to sleep fast but goes through your system quickly, so if you sleep for 7-8 hours, you will not be hung over when you wake.

Walk around the plane as best you can with out busting up your sleeping time. This is especially important if your are in coach (on SA most especially). Let that blood in your legs circulate. Nobody wants a blood clot in their calf during a safari!!!!

Do not eat gut buster meals either immediately before, during or immediately after flying. One of my best friends went to Botswana last summer, failed to follow any of these recommendations and then to add to it as soon as he met the greeter in Botswana the guy offers to take them for a great steak dinner. Carlos takes him up on a 16 oz. strip with all of the trimmings. Long story short. Three days later in the wilds of the Kalahari, Carlos has as yet not had any movements. Two days later he was med evaced to Joberg to a private hospital to have his impaction removed with count them: three enemas!!!

Yes, drink lots of water, move around, no huge meals before, during or immediately after flying.

I'm w/ Ray here, I don't get the "jet lag" thing. Tired from the 24hr flight yes, internal time clock buggered for (3) weeks, no! I think i's a lot like the folks that tell you; " I have to get at least 8 hrs sleep or I can't function". It's really a mind set. To make your trip easier, try & get some sleep, drink lots of water, try & get some laps on the plain (tough on the crappy Airbus). If you are tired when you get to your destination, by all means take a nap, but stop thinking about the "jet lag" you are going to have when you arrive. The mind is a powerfull thing grasshopper.

I've never experienced jet lag on my way to Africa. Once I've come home though, I feel like a piece of crap. I thought it was jet lag, until I came to realize it was just depression about no longer being in Africa and having to go back to work.

Hugh brings up a good point..You system takes a hell of a beating when you travel and then on Safari you whole diet will be changed from your norm..

Laugh, but there is nothing like Metamucil to tame the changes...I got that from my clients in the medical profession and they are spot on....

Saeed who eats nothing but game meat well done and a little hot sauce with bread and limited veggies and potatoes...He never gets sick, never has...

Hey,

I used to suffer terrribly from Jet lag traveling london Toronto with Work. Last year I bought a Q-Link, and one of the things it helps with is jet lag.

On a trip before Xmas we travelled out on Friday night spent 2 days drinking ata conference and back in on the Monday red-eye. The rest of the office was in peices but I and a friend bothe wearing Q-links didn't have any problems. I just felt like I had missed a couple of hours sleep the night before.

It's worth looking at if you can get one.

FB