Jetlag

Jetlag in general:

• the body's timer is regulated by UV/sunshine and activity
• in theory, going to bed early before you leave works, but no one is really able to do this in practice
• going to places with sunshine and/or in summer is easier than to grey places (like England in winter)
• overall it takes around 1 day to get over 1 hour of jetlag, but you can influence this
• the kidney, body heating etc is on the timer, so don't be surprised to feel hot or cold at strange hours and that you have to go the bathroom at unusual times. Always having a sweater, deo and shorts with you can be helpful for these reasons.
• it's easier to go late to bed than to get up early - flying West is much easier than flying East
• the following tips are mostly for going East.
• When going West, you'll go to bed early and wake up early, which is actually quite nice, depending your usual habits

Jetlag alone:

• do not sleep on the plane, try to go as long as you reasonably can on the first day, e.g. until 7-8pm, then sleep as long as you can
• do not get up right away when you wake up, just relax and stay in the dark. Computer work on the first night is not very efficient anyways
• I have a belief that books are better than the computer screens, in the first night, but YMMV
• as soon as you can reasonably get up, around 5am-6am, go jogging, swimming, any activity to signal to your body that you're awake
• the first afternoon is tough. You can have a quick nap, coffee or just take it easy. Plan work breaks during the first afternoon, if possible.
• at the end of the first day, do a little exercise again and/or get some sun, if possible.
• the worst days are day 2 and 3, as on day 1 you'll be still tired enough from the plane so you'll sleep longer
• with enough exercise and sun, you can reduce the jetlag to 3-4 days
• some people swear by sleeping pills on the plane and melatonin afterwards:
  • Sleeping pills do not induce a normal sleep. In addition, using them on a plane means that your body does not move for hours in a sitting position. Not good for your veins and the thrombosis risk.
  • Melatonin had no effect in a placebo controlled trial. Just because it follow the circadian rhythm does not mean that it can change the rhythm.

Jetlag with kids:

• this is the opposite of what you do when traveling alone: you try to NOT get over the jetlag quickly, you just follow the 1-hour-per-day rule and go with the flow
• whenever the kids sleep, at least one parent must also sleep
• the reason is that while you can get over the jetlag quickly yourself, the kids won't, so chances are that you have not slept during the whole day, but the kids will be running around at 3am and you will suffer a lot if you only get 3-4 hours sleep for a few days
• while kids cannot be forced to sleep, they can be convinced to lie in bed and listen to stories, read books, etc. Anything dark without UV at night time will help
• the first day is somewhat easier, depending on well you managed to keep them awake on the plane
• on the second day, they may not sleep at all during the night. This is OK, as long as you napped together with them during the day.
• plan to need warm food during the night. The kids will be hungry. Many places do not have late-night restaurants and your AirBnB kitchen may be empty.
• try to find a hotel where noise at night is not a huge issue.
• I have heard of parents doing stopovers in Barcelona, London and Berlin, because these cities have a nightlife, especially that can be explored in part with kids. I have never done this but it sounds better than getting kicked out of playgrounds by guards at 3am.