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Jetlag

Discussion in 'Misc. Vegas Chat' started by Vegas_Marauder, Jun 24, 2012.

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  1. Vegas_Marauder

    Vegas_Marauder Tourist

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    Got a 4-day/3-night trip planned. This will be my first trip to Vegas and my first trip across multiple time zones. I would like to enjoy myself, but I am concerned about jetlag. Anything I can do to prevent it? I am off a few days before my trip so I was thinking about setting up a sleep schedule based on PST. I do not want to down energy drinks and caffeine the entire time I am there and I don't want to be tto tired to play poker. Thanks for the advice.
     
  2. Bruinfan1

    Bruinfan1 Tourist

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    The standard advice from "experts" works well for me:

    1. Make minor adjustments to body clock in advance if possible - one hour two or three days before; two hours the day before. In summer it's harder because of the extra daylight, but every little bit helps.
    2. Day-of-flight, operate on PDT where possible. Eat, exercise, etc. as if you were in Vegas. Try to spend time near windows or outside. If you can't sleep that morning, at least stay in bed and keep your eyes closed.
    3. Avoid caffeine & alcohol on flight days, and preferably wait until you're adjusted to the new time zone. It's only 3 hours - most people hardly notice. Drink lots of water - I have no idea why, other than avoiding dehydration on the plane.
    4. First night, you must try to sleep at the right time locally. After that, your body will hopefully be adjusted, and you're good to go. Don't try to overstimulate the body on Night 1 - it's confused enough already. Good time to find a chair, slouch into it, and play slots until your eyes can't stay open. Brain should still work reasonably well if you want to try poker.

    Repeat upon return...but don't bother to wake up in Vegas until near sunrise. The light bit makes a significant difference, at least for me.

    Having said all of that...there is a much easier solution for a 3-night trip with a 3 hour change. Just stay on East Coast time. Especially if you don't get to sleep until 12:30 or 1:00 normally. Don't know what you have planned for evening activities. And if you're young enough, my answer to jetlag when I first went to Japan (-9 hours) was very simple - don't sleep (i.e. 3 hours/night). Worked very well the first 4 days. Last day was a disaster....
     
  3. ATXTX

    ATXTX VIP Whale

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    Not to sound like Yogi Berra but -It's going to be earlier when you get out there so it's like gaining 3 hours of play time on the first day... You might get up too early the first morning but you'll adjust, trust me its the jet lag when you get back to EST that will hit you.

    Have fun!
     
    When we Were Young
  4. Vegas Dave

    Vegas Dave Newbie

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    How old are you? 20's-early 30's, have a good time and don't worry about the change.

    This being your first trip to Vegas, I will doubt you sleep a whole lot if you are anything like me or the rest of the degen gamblers on the board. Then again, there are some very conservative people on the boards as well. To each their own, but don't over think it unless you have some kind of set schedule for the whole trip.
     
  5. rdunc311

    rdunc311 Low-Roller

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    I agree with the last couple posters in that you should just have fun and go with whatever happens. And if you decide that at 1 PM you need to take a nap, then do so. You're in Vegas! But yes, you will probably sleep very little.
     
  6. Nevyn

    Nevyn VIP Whale

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    Just flying from NYC? I would not worry too much.

    East coast to west coast tends to be an easier adjustment, and Vegas tends to give a shot of "adrenaline" that overcomes the rest of any issue.

    Avoid connecting flights or other travel delays, get yourself a nice big meal when you land in Vegas, and crash a bit earlier the first night.

    Its when you fly back that you'll really pay the price. You may want a full day off before returning to work.
     
  7. shifter

    shifter Degenerate Gambler

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    from the east coast it's only 3 hours, which is nothing. when you get in it will be earlier than it feels like, so you may feel like going to bed a little early. however, i know when i get to Vegas i'm up late even if it is 3 hours later. but Vegas is open 24 hours so it doesn't matter when you sleep and when you're awake.
     
  8. NickPapageorgio

    NickPapageorgio OG of the Sal Sagev Hotel

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    That's not really jet lag.... When you return to EST after a short trip, that is just being tired.

    Jet lag is when your body's internal clock is still on your home time zone. By returning to your home time zone before it has time to adjust, you don't experience jet lag, you are tired from lack of sleep and traveling in general.

    Nick:beer:
     
  9. Dean Martin

    Dean Martin VIP Whale

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    I kind of adjust but still always end up waking up about 6 and going to bed about 12 Vegas time. We don't night club so hitting the sack at 12 is no big deal....like Shifter said, Vegas is open 24/7 so you can gamble when you want so unless you're clubbing, make Vegas fit your schedule. We go to the pool every day too from 8 to about noon so I can usually catch a nap there too if I need it.
     
  10. wigwam_salesman

    wigwam_salesman VIP Whale

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    3 hours isn't really enough to induce jet lag, although you might feel tired earlier in the Vegas evening. If you do suffer with it, it will be going back home. Jetlag is far worse west to east than east to west. I wouldn't worry about it though.
     
  11. LV_Bound

    LV_Bound VIP Whale

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    We tend to tend to stay on East Coast time.
    This results in getting out in the morning about the time many people are getting back to their room, but it also gives us the pick of machines and empty tables. No crowds on the sidewalk.

    For meals, this results in eating during off hours so most of the places we go to have no lines.
     
  12. celticnoel79

    celticnoel79 Low-Roller

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    Ahh good old jet lag! I would echo what most are saying, i think your worrying about nothing, i wouldnt change my schedule at all and if you hit the right poker rooms late in the evening youll be buzzing from taking money off the drunken fish that you wont feel tired! I travel from Scotland to Vegas once a year and although jet leg can be somewhat of an issue its really when i return home it hits me really hard, but maybe thats just because my body wants to be back in Vegas every bit as much as my mind!
     
  13. Nikkid21

    Nikkid21 High-Roller

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    We deal with the 8 hour lag by making sure that we stay up until 10pm on our first night even though it means that our bodies think that it's 6am the following morning.

    I tend to drink enough on the plane (and take a pill) to make me sleep for the last 5 hours of the flight which helps too.

    If we wake up early it's no biggie - we have walked the strip at 4am before. It's great seeing the staggering masses.
     
  14. RPMCanes

    RPMCanes VIP Whale

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    Invest in a good pair of earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones. The reason you're so tired after a long flight is that your brain is constantly processing all that white noise. They definitely help.
     
  15. zoey11

    zoey11 Mid roller and Vegas fanatic

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    I agree, but I have a hard time sleeping the night before we leave, I am also on EST, and by the time our flight gets into Vegas, I am tired. But once we hit the strip and all the excitement, unpack, go down to play a little, the energy and excitement kicks in for a couple of hours and then we crash.
    My worst is when we come back, we are so drained and tired, I always schedule a day off work the next day to recoup and wash all the clothes!
     
  16. thespiritoftruth

    thespiritoftruth Tourist

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    Another eastern time zone poster. Heading to Vegas has never been an issue, whether we are arriving in Vegas at noon or 10 PM (Vegas time), but the return trip has been brutal in the past, usually because we took the redeye back home so we could save a few bucks and try to upgrade to first class. However, last trip we had a flight out of Vegas at 6 AM (Vegas time), and got back home at about 4 (eastern time). I was able to head home, eat dinner at pretty much a normal time, and actually went to bed about the same time as usual that night. For the first time I was able to go to work the next day and not feel all screwed up time wise at work, so I'm going to go with the 6AM flight out to shock you back into eastern time might be the trick.
     
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