Jetlag theories 101

I wrote a blog early on about jetlag and how I go about dealing with it with my little bubs. Mostly I went on about how I don't actually believe in jetlag. What may have become clear from reading it was that I simply choose to ignore it and hope it goes away. What I need to make clear is that in said blog I was really only talking about long haul flights (ie London to Melbourne).

But recently we went from LA to New York (3 hours ahead) and then 4 days later we went from NY to London (5 hours ahead). Neither of these flights should be that bad.


Should be...

In NY we simply all went to bed later. Easy. On the flight to London bubs slept the entire way (we left at 9pm and it was a 6 hour flight). But as we landed in London at 9am Bebe didn't get to sleep her normal 12 hours straight so I let her sleep lots during the day. But we had to go to a wedding the next day so I then made some decisions purely to personally get through the day when I should have stuck to my rules. So although she was great during the day we had two pretty full on nights (see my 3am blog). But on the third night I broke it by sitting with Bebe on and off for two hours between 10pm and midnight as she fussed and whinged and generally tried to not go to sleep. I shushed and patted (see The Baby Whisperer), I rocked and I sang but I never left the bedroom and I didn't relent and go and sit with her on the couch and watch The Daily Show on catch up tv for an hour until she fell asleep through metaphor overload (we did that the first night I must admit).

Now we are on a 4 hour eating day starting at 9am which is actually awesome - why can't we always be on that! I get to sleep in and we can take her out to dinner with us. I love it! Bebe and I are flying back to Australia in a week so I am not going to fuss too much at all with the extra feed in the night and I am certainly not going to get her to wake any earlier anytime soon!

So here are my new theories:

Length of flight versus time difference.


When the flight is only 6 hours and the time difference is 5 there are going to be problems getting our brains around it all. A 24 hour flight with a 10 hour difference is much better in a way because you can make up sleep and just get to your destination a bit tired or wired instead of wrecked.

and 

Why sometimes the easiest flight = the hardest recovery.

Bebe slept for 5 1/2 hours of the 6 on the last flight. Easiest. Flight. Ever. 

Horrid for two nights afterwards....

I have no real theory about this. Just an observation.

So next week is the last big flight for Bebe & I for 6 MONTHS!! (Well, there is a bit of around Australia action but the worst that will be is one to Perth and that is months away - yay!)

I will let you know how much more difficult flying long haul with a 5 1/12 month old is in comparison to a 3 month old. I am told it just keeps getting more difficult - joy!


Keep the feedback coming - I would love another guest blogger so if you or someone you know is a traveller with babies then please send them my way.


x Ali
ps I tried the ear pressure thing again and it worked again - all you need is a boob or bottle, olbas oil on a tissue and a distracting lullaby - easy!