Not-lag
All right, back in England. A little bit tired, but no ‘jet lag’. I’ve been all round the world a lot without ever getting jet lag. Here is a quick guide to abolishing it.
Jet lag is a silly idea. I’ve heard people claim to be suffering from it for up to a week after they arrive somewhere, and heard it blamed for everything from headaches to sickness to committing a string of brutal crimes.
But all you have to do, to avoid it, is switch to the time zone of your destination as soon as you’re on the plane. So for example, I boarded the plane in Sydney. It was 4.30pm, so half past nine a.m. in London. I told myself it was half nine, and I would land at 6 the next morning. I then behaved appropriately for those times, I.e. Wrote for twelve hours, went to sleep when it was night in the UK, woke up at end of flight, bang! Morning. Fine. Normal.
You only have a problem if you (a) insist on going to sleep straight away when you get on the plane, or (b) insist on sleeping as soon as you land. Use common sense and don’t do those things and your body clock will be absolutely fine.
Jet lag claimed over 1000 lives last year. Together we can stop it.
We got through the whole Oz trip with only a couple of minor blog scares. Well done everyone. And Aussies, thanks for supporting my events. Enjoy Grand Final day. See you in March.
Posted by Rachael on September 30, 2010
People just seem to use jetlag as an excuse to moan for about a month after they have travelled, It’s like a competition to see how long they can go on about it for.
Posted by Laura on September 25, 2010
Doesn’t work for me – I can’t sleep on planes. I flew to NZ and didn’t sleep a wink. Yuck. Usually, though, I am okay flying west-to-east but absolutely dreadful flying east-to-west.
Posted by deanna on September 25, 2010
thanks for the jetlag tips!
Posted by Tracey on September 25, 2010
Glad you’re safely back and that you enjoyed the trip. Traceyx
Posted by Tibbs on September 25, 2010
I’m glad to hear you got in safe! I had really bad jet-lag coming back from Edinburgh, but I think that had a lot to do with the fact that I didn’t want to accept that I wasn’t there any more; in contrast, I had next to no jet-lag when I came home from Korea (although I was really worn out for about a week).
I’ve tried to do the whole switch to the new time zone thing, and sometimes it works really well, but usually I can’t keep straight which way the time change goes, or I don’t have a watch on me, or something goes wrong to screw me up. I’m also usually not very good at sleeping on planes, which can screw me up. Hopefully I’ll have mastered the trick of it by the time I head to Australia early next year!
Posted by Natalie-Helen on September 25, 2010
I’ve also heard that eating the appropriate meal when you get off the plane helps too which, fits in with what you’re saying. So if you get in at 7pm having supper would be good. Or if you get in a 2am a kebab and a pint might be appropriate.
My mother used to try to fool us into going to bed earlier when we went on holiday on the grounds of “jet lag”. However as we’ve never flown more than one hour time difference I’m pretty sure she’s bullshitting!
Glad to have you home.
^_^
Posted by Heather Jones on September 25, 2010
Welcome back, Mark! Glad to hear your trip went well. I’m sure Emily was really glad to have you back again, after even that shortish spell of sole-parenting!
Now, what about this Jetlag business? It may be an over-used term but, in the same way as shift-workers experience ‘lag’ in adjusting to reversals in their sleeping and waking patterns, (and there are proven health risks of such workers switching patterns on too rapid a rotation, causing stress due to the involuntary hormone-controlled ‘lag’ of the inner clocks of their bodies), so too does moving from one time zone to another. So I think it may be a little blithe to be dismissive of jet-lag outright. There are, however, as Mark suggests, ways of helping your body (and mind) to adjust more quickly.
I haven’t switched time-zones for a long time, so can’t speak from personal experience, but I remember seeing a TV documentary a year or so ago where they demonstrated that if, besides resetting your watch and behaviour to that of your destination (as Mark recommends), you refrain from eating COMPLETELY while on a long-haul flight (hungry as you may get) and then first eat at a normal mealtime, AFTER you land, that helps to kick your body clock into the new timing more than most things, since the hunger/eating internal clock over-rides the sleep-wake clock and resets it. Only of interest for those who haven’t already found a way that works for them of dealing with the long-haul thing (like Mark ,of course) And it would clearly be an overly sacrificial technique for some (lovers of in-flight food, such as hornseygirl in a preceding comment, for example!) But I offer it in the spirit of QI, cos I think it’s ‘Quite Interesting’
Posted by Sarah on September 24, 2010
Good advice! I’d never quite thought of it as simply as that before, but it does make sense. The longest flight I’ve been on so far was only about 4 hours though so jet lag was hardly an issue. Still, I wondered how people cope jumping backwards/forwards 10 or so hours. I won’t wonder any more
Posted by Kathryn on September 24, 2010
I quite enjoyed having a messed-up body clock coming back from Canada a few years ago. I never normally see 5am. Sunrise is quite pretty.
Posted by SamJJ on September 24, 2010
Welcome back! Bet it is very lovely to be back with Emily and Kit. My husband is going to India for a week for work soon and I’m dreading it!
Flights to and from Oz for sister’s wedding last year were horrendous due to ‘morning’ sickness. My favourite part was when 10 or so teenagers got on flight in Kuala Lumpur with their takeaway Burger King
Posted by Suz on September 24, 2010
Welcome home!
My mother once claimed to be suffering from jet lag SIX MONTHS after she got back from Australia. She always takes these things too far, I think.
Posted by Catherine on September 24, 2010
Welcome home. Glad you had a good time. I bet Mrs WH and Master K are glad you’re home. Nap time. Bye. C x
Posted by Steph on September 24, 2010
I don’t know if anyone watches Bang Goes the Theory but they had a whole bit on jet-lag this week. You’re advice is exactly in line with what they said, only that was their conclusion after all the ‘science’ had been done about Cortisol levels. Well done Mark
Posted by Lydia on September 24, 2010
Welcome back. You should do NaNoWriMo in November since you’re already writing.
Posted by Kate B on September 24, 2010
Welcome back! I’ve only ever been on one long distance flight. The friend I went with forced me to stay awake most of the flight and I got really moody, I need my sleep! But ultimatley it was very good advice and I was absolutley fine when I arrived.
I’ve got DofE this weekend! Help! Wish me luck everyone. Please don’t rain…
England has missed you Mark!
Posted by hornseygirl on September 24, 2010
Welcome home!
I fortunately agree with you on this one and do likewise. I’ve been on two long-haul flights to NZ and didn’t feel any worse for the experience. I have to admit I love the whole experience of airplane food – it just makes me smile and I always leave a tidy tray!
I am off to Cambridge for the weekend tomorrow with my own copy of Eleven. Needless to say I am quite excited…
Good weekends to one and all. : )
Posted by Megan on September 24, 2010
Your theory doesn’t hold up (for me). When I last flew to Heathrow, my flight left at 10pm (so, 3am UK time). And I don’t sleep on planes very well. Hence my zombielike state when I went to your show in Newbury.
Posted by Simone on September 24, 2010
I’m glad you’re back. I was getting mighty jealous of you spending time in Australia. Still can’t believe you were interviewed by Noni! I adored her when I was little.
Posted by Neera C on September 24, 2010
I agree! No such thing as jetlag
)
Glad you had a safe trip x
Posted by Mariam on September 24, 2010
Welcome back!
Posted by Misha on September 24, 2010
Show off, I generally have to sleep on arrival after a long flight because I get migranes and can’t function. Alright for some eh?
Nice to have you back x
Posted by Carl on September 24, 2010
Welcome home! Was given this advice on my first long distance trip and it worked a treat.
Glad to hear you’re doing well and working hard on the writing. Time for me to quit the excuses and get back to writing too.