To the Seasoned Traveling Professional - Help!

Published 05 September 07 06:55 AM

Apparently, my internal clock really sucks when it comes to travel.  Every single time I travel from Seattle to New York, my first night in New York is tortuous (even without the food poisoning).  Why?  Because the 3 hour time change is apparently just enough to keep me from being able to go to sleep until at least 2 or 3 AM - which is pretty rough when I have to get up at 7:30 to head over to the office.

So, for those of you who have somehow gotten used to travel over the years - what are some secrets/tricks for rapidly adjusting to a new time zone - particularly when going from west to east (I don't seem to have as much of a problem when going the other direction)??

by hdierking
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# aaron said on September 5, 2007 10:07 AM:

I traveled a bit in my last job and found taking along a few over the counter sleeping pills (like Tylenol PM) to be really helpful.  For trips to Europe I'd usually take a dose on the plane so I could get some sleep knowing that I'd be facing a full day once we landed.  Making sure to take it early enough so that it had worn off by the time we landed was the tricky part.  For a trip to NY from the West coast, I would try to take some the first night to forcibly set your biological clock.

# Reeve Fritchman said on September 5, 2007 12:20 PM:

I get groggy going from Bainbridge Island to Redmond!  

The solution for going "far" east is: make sure you're caught up on your sleep before you leave, eat moderate portions of a high-protein meal beforehand, stay hydrated with water (not beer), travel in comfortable clothes, don't even think about working during the flight (read a fluff novel), don't arrive late at night, and try to doze during the flight.  

If you have Company-generated frequent flyer miles, use them to upgrade to first class.  Avoid red-eye flights until you're thoroughly experienced with jet lag.

If you're prepared for the flight and handle it properly, you'll be tired but functional your first day (although I wouldn't want to do a BillG).  Eat well and get plenty of sleep and you'll adjust in a day or so.

# Bruce Johnson said on September 5, 2007 1:10 PM:

When I used to make that trip every other week, my solution was to make sure I slept on the plane on the way out. I would still not get to sleep at the hotel until 2-3am, but because I had slept for a couple of hours on the plane ride, it didn't impact me nearly as much.

Now if you can't sleep on a plane.... ;)

# Mike Azocar said on September 6, 2007 5:35 PM:

I have one word for you, Melatonin.

I used it when I travel (which I do a lot) and I sleep like a baby.  A huge baby, but a baby non-the-less.

;)

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About hdierking

I am currently the Editor-in-Chief for MSDN Magazine. I joined Microsoft in 2006 as a product planner with the certification team at Microsoft Learning. Prior to that, I spent my career as a developer and later as an architect. My main technology passions include pretty much anything on language theory, agile development, and service-oriented architecture.
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