dthk@mhuxd.UUCP (D. T. Hawkins) (08/02/84)
We recently returned from a trip to England and found the Argonne National Laboratory recommendations for overcoming jet lag to be extremely useful. They are detailed in the book "Overcoming Jet Lag", by C. F. Ehret, which is available in many large book stores. Briefly, you abstain from caffeine for 3 days, then take a large dose at the appropriate time. You also adjust your diet to a feast-fast routine during the 3 days before the flight and have high protein breakfasts and lunches and high carbohydrate suppers. We had few effects of jet lag on the eastbound flight, and they lasted only one day instead of the usual week. On the westbound flight, we also proved the worth of the diet, although we didn't stick to it as rigorously; our symptoms were significantly lessened and of shorter duration. Don Hawkins AT&T Bell Laboratories mhuxd!dthk (201)-582-6517
warren@ihnss.UUCP (Warren Montgomery) (08/03/84)
<Light to moderate flame> My best advice is unless you are either going to phase shift by nearly 1/2 day or really must for some reason be absolutely positive of being perfectly fit the minute you arrive, ignore it. It amazes me that people who wouldn't think twice about staying up a couple of extra hours for a good party or sleeping in a couple of hours on Sunday morning get all up tight about the effects of Jet lag. Unless you are unusually susceptible, 3 hours won't make much difference, and I doubt that the effect on your life, whatever it is, will be as severe as several days of special diets, and eating, and sleeping patterns beforehand. The worst effect of long distance travel happens when you fly overnight on an eastbound flight, and usually wind up going almost 2 full days with no sleep. Even there, however, I suspect that most people will be perfectly functional after the first night's sleep. If you are still worried, try this. Simply shift your schedule by one hour in the appropriate direction before you leave. (Going east to west, start getting up and going to bed an hour later). When you get there, adopt a schedule shifted an hour in the other direction, which on a coast-to-coast trip is only one hour away from what you were on. You never move more than 1 hour in any day. -- Warren Montgomery ihnss!warren IH (8-367) x2494
jeh@ritcv.UUCP (Jim Heliotis) (08/06/84)
I'm sorry, but I think some people are overemphasizing the effects of jet lag. >> We had few effects of jet lag on the eastbound flight, and they lasted only >> one day instead of the usual week. One week? From New York to London? I only felt funny for two or three days, going all the way to Greece (2 hrs. more), and I wasn't on THE diet. Jim Heliotis {allegra,seismo}!rochester!ritcv!jeh rocksvax!ritcv!jeh ritcv!jeh@Rochester
ajs@hpfcla.UUCP (ajs) (08/09/84)
Once upon a time, my family travelled from Tokyo to Miami in 21 hours as part of a military PCS (permanent change of station). That's a 12 hour time difference, if I remember right. As I recall, we all were back to normal (?) within three days. I think the trick was that we didn't get enough sleep. You get exhausted enough, you'll sleep 14 hours regardless of your biorhythms. And when you wake up you'll feel good, though perhaps out of phase. The rest is easy. Alan Silverstein