How to combat jet lag?

kbmartin

DIS Veteran
Joined
Apr 20, 2014
We are most likely going to fly out of LAX on a non-stop flight to Haneda or Narita. I cannot wrap my head around how to avoid jet lag on the way there. We would arrive in the afternoon in Tokyo (around 2:30ish). Is it better to just try to stay awake and then crash the night we arrive?
 
Yes, it is better to keep yourself awake and then sleep that night. It will be hard, but it's the easiest way to get on track with your new location. Plan something that will keep you up and walking. That is easier said than done when jet lagged. If you stop to rest, you're likely to fall asleep. I once almost fell asleep on a bench at the National Palace Museum in Taipei because I just wanted to rest for a moment on my arrival day. Thankfully, the friend I was visiting didn't allow that to happen.
 
I do the same as Twilight Sparkle: only sleep a little on the plane to rest a bit and when you get in Tokyo, keep moving! Are you planning on going to Tokyo Disney Resort right after landing? Figure 30-45 minutes to get out of the plane, clear customs and then make your way to the arrival hall.

I made sure to stay awake last January when I did a quick 4 day trip to Tokyo by booking a restaurant on my first evening. It was at 8:30 pm so by the time I got to my hotel at 6pm, I unpacked my things, booked my bus for Fuji-Q Highland (amusement park near Mt. Fuji) and then walked to my prepaid restaurant. I slept very nicely that night and was up by 6am the next day to get to Shinjuku.
 
Yes, I'm going straight to TDR right away. I thought about getting an after-6 pass to one of the parks or maybe visiting Ikspiari after getting settled in our hotel.
 


We had a similar flight time. Departed SFO about noon, arrived 2 pm. The time on the flight was our usual awake time anyways, so I think I only napped a little. I didn't have to purposefully keep myself awake. By the time we got our luggage, through customs, on the train, to our hotel, it was sometime after 4 pm. We unpacked, had dinner nearby, then early to bed about 8 pm. The flight time worked out well for us.

The kids woke up at an unholy hour of 3 am, but I was able to get them back to sleep eventually. The first day, I planned it to be easy, just walking around Asakusa, where we were staying. Everyone needed a nap in the afternoon, we had dinner, then early to bed again. I think if you're adults only - you can probably power through this day. The next day, everyone was fine, except I had a bout of tiredness in the evening.

I was worried about the jet lag too, but it turned out way better than I expected. Coming back was a whole other story though! Our flight home arrived at 8 am. When we got home, I was soooooo tired, I was asleep the whole day. :faint: It took me a long time to get over the jet lag - so that would be what NOT to do. :laughing:
 
We are from the west coast and often have a similar flight. YES stay awake as late as possible on the first night. We do the same thing every trip to stay awake....grab our bags, get to tokyo and check into our hotel. We change and then head out to shibuya to see the crossing at night and have dinner. We shop and wonder around until we can't keep our eyes open any longer. We still wake up too early the next day, but we have an afternoon nap, and by the end of that second day we have adjusted.
 
I agree with everyone else - stay awake until at least 9pm. Possibly 10pm if you can survive that long.

Ikspiari would be a pretty good choice for the evening. The After 6 pass is also a valid choice, but I'm not sure you want your (first?) experience of Tokyo Disneyland to be when you're barely awake. That could potentially unfavourably colour your impressions of Tokyo Disneyland.
 


I deal with the LA to Tokyo time difference a lot because of work. My advice is to stay up till at least 8:30 pm the first night. Best way to do that is like others have mentioned: get to your hotel, unpack, shower, and go out to dinner. By the time you get back, it should be late enough that you can go to bed. The next day you will probably need a nap mid day, but don't let that go too long. Increase how late you will force yourself to stay up (9/9:30 ish?). You should be okay after a few days.

I do not recommend doing the after six passport your first time. Honestly you are probably going to be miserable after the flight and just want to shower and eat. I think your money is better spent on a nice dinner rather than running around the parks.
 
And since no one else has said this yet... take advantage of jet lag to get out and about early! Waking up at 3 or 4 am in the morning is pretty miserable, but being up and dressed by 6 or 6:30 am, depending on your plans not so much. We always try to stay awake until 9 or later if we can manage it, and then just be a morning person. When we got up at 6, we had no problem being ready for breakfast at 7 and getting to the park by 8 for 8:30 opening. We also used our new morning hours to catch and earlier train from Kyoto to Hiroshima. I always have jet lag for around a week or so in Japan, but it's never really a huge issue because it's nice to get up super early to start our day and there isn't really anything I want to do after 10:00 at night.
 
I second the Ikspiari idea. Look around the stores, grab a bite to eat and seek out the music store. The reason why is simple: it has the best Disney music collection in Japan and you can find out of print albums and things the resort doesn't even carry anymore. I picked up the amazing two CD music soundtrack from Tokyo DisneySea and its amazing. They finally included the haunting theme of their Tower of Terror...

For souvenirs, I have a very out of the box suggestion: head to "Nakano Broadway" west of Tokyo and find the Mandarake store that stock Disney items. I was there last January and the selection was quite surreal to say the least. Mandarake Special 3 on the third floor has a few glass displays with the Disney stuff and they even have a Disney pin folder for sale!
 
I agree with everyone else: try to stay awake until at least 9 or 10pm local time. I usually try to get at least a short nap during the flight to help with staying awake longer than usual.

Try to stay in bright light. Daylight is best, but even in the evening, pick a brightly lit restaurant over one that is dark and cosy. Light will help you to adjust to the new time.

Don't drink any caffeine during the afternoon. Yes, it might help you to stay awake, but it might also prevent you from sleeping once you go to bed.

Try to pick up a snack for the room. Waking up at 4 am totally hungry because your body thinks it is lunch time is not fun! Even worse when there is no food available.
 
Thanks for the tips. We are going to China & Japan in October. Out flight out of SFO to PVG is 13 hours, leaves at 1:15 pm on Tuesday and gets in at 5:25 pm on Wednesday. We are going straight to SDL to check into Toy Story Hotel. I expect to get there around 7:30/8. Depending on the park's hours, we might try to catch parade or fireworks, but will probably need to eat before heading to bed. We are only at SDL for another 1.5 days, before taking an afternoon train to Beijing on Friday for a weekend at the Wall before heading over to Tokyo on Sunday for 4 nights at Disney's Ambassador hotel.

I am hoping I am not going to be waking up so early every morning like I did when I went to Aulani (6 hr time difference, I am on the east coast). We will be gone for 2 weeks. Had dinner with Riker'sMom last night and she filled me in on her experience going to Japan for 2 weeks this past February. It sounds like coming back will be an issue, especially since my flight out of Narita leaves at 5:30pm and will arrive at 10pm here in Orlando...so that is 17 1/2 hours of flight & layover time, plus an estimated "up" time of 8 hours before the flight leaves....:upsidedow
 
Going there isn't so bad. You'll be tired from traveling, but you probably won't be in that zombie-like jet-lag stupor. Plus, you'll be wide awake bright and early the next day, which is nice if you normally struggle with mornings like I do. It's coming back where the crushing jet lag gets you -- I slept 23 hours straight once we got home. :eek:
 
Going there isn't so bad. You'll be tired from traveling, but you probably won't be in that zombie-like jet-lag stupor. Plus, you'll be wide awake bright and early the next day, which is nice if you normally struggle with mornings like I do. It's coming back where the crushing jet lag gets you -- I slept 23 hours straight once we got home. :eek:

I agree. Coming back home is the killer. It usually takes me 2 weeks to feel fully back on schedule. They say about 1 day per hour time difference to get adjusted. But for me the first day or 2 isn't bad, it's the day 4 and 5 that it feels like I've been hit by a train. Your body is just trying to catch up on sleep, your immune system is still recovering from the different foods (just like any vacation) plus the travel germs. I try to plan those day to happen on the weekend.

Going there isn't too much of an issue, since you can power through the few hours and go to sleep at a normal time. I tend to get tired around dinner time, so I try to stay busy after dinner, and it usually isn't an issue. Lots of coffee and lots of water. Staying hydrated while I'm there helps alot with jet lag. Also helps there's drink vending machine every 20 steps in Japan.
 
One advice about getting up early: staying at the Ambassador Hotel is useful as you can get in 15 minutes before the posted opening time. This will be a great help to score the coveted Fast Pass for Nemo, Tower of Terror at TDS and Monsters Inc. at TDL. Still, arrive 30-45 minutes before so you can clear security and be among the first to come in. You will be amazed at the thousands of people patiently waiting to get in!

Funny fact: The Monorail at Tokyo Disney is considered a public transit system and as such, it is listed on all transportation maps like the JR trains. In that respect, you need to purchase tickets to ride. The Ambassador hotel has cute buses called Disney Resort Cruiser to take you to both parks.

Need an ATM? Ikspiari has a 7-Eleven ATM that accept international cards. Japan Post ATM's also take international ATM cards, but there are none near Maihama station (Tokyo Disney Resort JR train station).
 
I come form the east coast, but IIUC flight times are pretty similar. I try to sleep on the plane. of course it's not a full night's sleep, but it is enough to get me there feeling a bit rested, and then I can continue with my normal pattern. I've been twice, and neither time was jet lag a problem going there. Coming back could be a different story.
 

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