So let's time-line this out. I got into Dusseldorf, Germany at about 7pm on Tuesday. Nancy D picked me up at the airport and we drove back to my dear friend Puppy's adorable brick farm house out in the country. That night we just grilled steak and chatted and went to bed around 12:30am. Now, I had already been up for 2 days straight, minus the 2 hours I slept on the plane while they showed The Bounty Hunter with Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler (I think passing out right that movie was a defense mechanism), so it was only natural that I woke up at 5:00am the next morning. I did manage to fall back asleep, but knowing full-well that it was a mistake. Morning sleep is always hard sleep, riddled with messed up dreams, and I woke up at 10:30am groggy and feeling like I was made of lead. Which is always how one hopes to present oneself to their hosts.
That night we decided to go to Amsterdam the next day and stayed up till about 1:00am chatting and making plans. I went to bed, checked my email, snuggled under the covers, closed my eyes . . . and they sprang open. I was wide-flippin'-awake. We had to get up early to head out and no one likes hanging around a tired, grumpy traveler, so I tried everything to get to sleep. I read, I played hangman on my iPod, I got up for a few minutes and then tried again, I closed my eyes and counted in Japanese, I learned the alphabet song backwards, I got a drink, I went to the bathroom, I let my mind drift; and with each thing I tried, SPRING, my eyes popped open. I will admit that I did finally drift off at about 6:45am, which allowed me about an hour of solid rest before Puppy knocked on my door telling me it was time to get up.
I hate jet lag.
I have been asked how long it takes for me to get over jet lag. And the answer is, of course, that I have no idea. Nevermind the fact that I've flown overseas 7 times, I have absolutely no idea how long it takes for me to adjust. You only pay attention to it when it's making you miserable, you don't usually note the day you feel just normal. There are a lot of opinions out there about jet lag remedies and I have found them to generally be a mix of old wifeyness and youthful optimism. Here are a few theories I've heard, followed by some light scoffing:
- Some say that all you have to do is not go to sleep the first night; just stay up all night and then you're all set. This might work if you happen to be an energetic 20 year old who thinks nothing of all-nighters. However, the last time I stayed up all night and tried to go to work the next day, I thought I was going to die.
- Others say that you should get on a schedule as quickly as possible and stick to it. This is a great idea and if we could get airports, train stations, hotel clerks, and tourist attractions on board I think it could really work.
- People will corner you with lots of theories about drinking water and taking a variety of vitamin supplements. Which is never a bad idea, but not likely to actually prevent you from turning into a dragon lady.
- You could change your daily schedule at home before you leave. In fact, you already do, staying up late trying to get ready for your trip and lying awake at night worrying!
- There are a lot of expensive products on the market that claim to cure jet lag, and if you think that sounds like a promising option, then I have a magic wand you might be interested in . . .
- And my favorite; Just sleep on the plane. It's really quite simple, just pretend you are lying down and not sitting up, get over your qualms about lying your head on a stranger's shoulder, clear your mind of the screaming children and coughing passengers, develop the ability to immediately fall back asleep after the flight attendant wakes you up to make sure your super-effective seatbelt is fastened, become deaf to the pilot's completely unintelligable tidbits, and you're all set. And if you are one of those people who actually can just "sleep anywhere," then I hate you.
*SuperNova Travel Tip: Do not kill the people you're traveling with/visiting.
Now, I'm going to take a nap.
I always wonder, what do "quit yer whining" mentality-types have to talk about??
ReplyDeleteAdditional comment:
ReplyDeleteOne of my goals last year (or perhaps it was this year, I forget) was to become one of those people able to sleep anywhere. I suppose living in Japan it was a natural point of attraction since everyone around me seems able to do it effortlessly. I'm happy to report (and happier to know that by doing so I'll be driving you nuts) that after a bit of practice, I can pretty much fall asleep anywhere and anytime. This may be a result of not getting enough sleep at night, but I'd certainly never admit that all my hard work has been for naught.
Also, here's one more remedy (or prevention, more accurately) for jet lag which I haven't tried yet but intend to when I head back for Christmas (you'll be around, right??):
http://www.wisebread.com/how-to-naturally-reset-your-sleep-cycle-overnight