Sleep Schedule

[375Fox]

Going to Africa isn’t any different than adjusting to shift work. Sleep as much as you can when you’re tired on the plane. Once you get to Africa get wake up and go to sleep on their time. Seeing the sun rise in the morning helps reset your brain faster. It’ll be a tough first day regardless.

 

[MarkB]

Never been one to need lots of sleep, military made me that way I think. Sleep depravation training never effected me as it did others.

Sleep a few days before or on way to safari? What's that? No way can I sleep on way over, even after two Aadvin on one trip. Just to excited, and now older that dam apnea steps in.

My failsafe plan. I always go early and take 3-5 days before outfitter pickup to allow for internal clock reset, luggage catch up, relaxation and a little acclimatization.

MB

 

[JimP]

In two trips I haven't had a problem with going over, even the last time with a extra 8 hour flight.

But for me the trips home were the killers.

 

[BryceM]

You guys can sleep on a plane?

 

[375Fox]

You guys can sleep on a plane?

I can get no quality sleep on a plane. I wish I could walk off ready for the day.

 

[Javaman]

Welcome!!

 

[Vintageguy]

My first trip I felt hung over the first hunting day due to being wired on arrival and getting only about 1 1/2 hrs sleep before morning. The second time I adjusted my schedule to assure I was craving sleep on arrival. Got a good nights sleep the first night and was golden the first day.

 

[kdenn]

“SLEEPS ON A PLANE”

 

[Red Leg]

Generally speaking, the military determined that for every two hours of time change, the body requires a day of adjustment. For most people, though by the comments here not everyone, travel east is more difficult than west. Generally, the more sleep you can manage during travel - whenever - helps the adjustment. As @Philip Glass suggests, switching to Destination time upon boarding helps the adjustment. Of course, you will need a watch rather than your phone.

 

[375Fox]

Generally speaking, the military determined that for every two hours of time change, the body requires a day of adjustment. For most people, though by the comments here not everyone, travel east is more difficult than west. Generally, the more sleep you can manage during travel - whenever - helps the adjustment. As @Philip Glass suggests, switching to Destination time upon boarding helps the adjustment. Of course, you will need a watch rather than your phone.

You can choose to manually set the time zone on your phone too.

 

[Mwag]

The trip home is a piece of cake, stay out all night hunting jackals (late in the trip) don't take a nap or sleep in after the night hunt. You can sleep all the way home with out a problem

 

[Philip Glass]

Generally speaking, the military determined that for every two hours of time change, the body requires a day of adjustment. For most people, though by the comments here not everyone, travel east is more difficult than west. Generally, the more sleep you can manage during travel - whenever - helps the adjustment. As @Philip Glass suggests, switching to Destination time upon boarding helps the adjustment. Of course, you will need a watch rather than your phone.

Traveling west is far, far worse for me. Worst was Perth Australia trip!

 

[HankBuck]

We have a trip coming up soon to JNB. Talked to a couple of buddies who have been to South Africa before and they all give different advice on when to sleep on the plane. Leads me to my question for the day....what have you found works best for when to sleep and when not to sleep?

Our travels are from 10pm Chicago to 1pm London, 6hr layover, then 7pm London to 7am Joburg.

My thought is to try to sleep the first 4 hours on the first leg and then wait a few hours before trying to fall asleep on the 2nd leg. I have some go-to-sleep meds for the second flight.

@btheis13 - I’ve never had to plan or think about my sleep on a hunting trip, while traveling to - fall asleep whenever tired or opportunity presents itself. Once in Camp - hunt my ass off and so tired at the end of a hunting day my trouble is staying awake thru dinner & a beer ! Enjoy every hour of your hunt, you can sleep when you get back home.

 

[Rimbaud]

Hydrate on the plane, limit the booze and crap food, Power Nap, if needed, but get on local time when you board. when you can, get in the sunlight and walk a bit and hydrate more. Enjoy the adventure. You'll be so pumped that you will not feel tired.

 

[trperk1]

I'd want to sleep on that London to Jo'burg flight to minimize jet lag

 

[cajunchefray]

After so many trips I finally found out the answer to your question. When I get on the plane I set my watch to Africa time and attempt to sleep accordingly.

I hope this can help safari travelers plan for a most successful trip.

This method is what I practiced, based on advice from my doctor in Dallas.
Travelled in the late1990s, traveling to Europe, Middle East, Africa once a month.

My doctor treated many AA international pilots and travelled a lot himself to his home in Dublin. He studied circadian rhythms carefully and the relationship with rapidly changing time zones,

Doc had a few recommendations:

1. When you get on the plane, set your watch to your destination time zone, and live and work by that schedule. Don't take a nap.

2. Eat a small meal/dinner 2 hours or so after wheels up (departing DFW around 4PM) 7–8-hour flight to London. Business class helped provide comfort, at least when British Airways had good service.

3. Take the sleep medicine after dinner (he had a specific drug regimen for me) and drink alcohol only in moderation. Couple of glasses of white wine was good for me. Drink a lot of water before sleep. Sleep for 5-6 hours.

4. When waking for breakfast, a couple of hours before landing, have a light breakfast. Some protein (eggs) worked for me and a couple cups of coffee.

Always awakened by the smell of the coffee brewing. just like on the farm as a kid.

Landed at 7 or 8 am, then go to work, all day, don't take a nap. Connecting flights just roll with it.
Usually the first couple of nights, I went to bed early, (9-10pm).

Heading home, going West, fatigue set in, and just rested for 4-5 days at home. Dealt with the jet lag, waking up at 3AM, working for a few hours.

Throughout 20 trips over, this has worked for me.

Everyone is individual in their travel needs, adjust accordingly.

Vaya con Dios.

 

[Betterinthebush]

I hope this can help safari travelers plan for a most successful trip.

This method is what I practiced, based on advice from my doctor in Dallas.
Travelled in the late1990s, traveling to Europe, Middle East, Africa once a month.

My doctor treated many AA international pilots and travelled a lot himself to his home in Dublin. He studied circadian rhythms carefully and the relationship with rapidly changing time zones,

Doc had a few recommendations:

1. When you get on the plane, set your watch to your destination time zone, and live and work by that schedule. Don't take a nap.

2. Eat a small meal/dinner 2 hours or so after wheels up (departing DFW around 4PM) 7–8-hour flight to London. Business class helped provide comfort, at least when British Airways had good service.

3. Take the sleep medicine after dinner (he had a specific drug regimen for me) and drink alcohol only in moderation. Couple of glasses of white wine was good for me. Drink a lot of water before sleep. Sleep for 5-6 hours.

4. When waking for breakfast, a couple of hours before landing, have a light breakfast. Some protein (eggs) worked for me and a couple cups of coffee.

Always awakened by the smell of the coffee brewing. just like on the farm as a kid.

Landed at 7 or 8 am, then go to work, all day, don't take a nap. Connecting flights just roll with it.
Usually the first couple of nights, I went to bed early, (9-10pm).

Heading home, going West, fatigue set in, and just rested for 4-5 days at home. Dealt with the jet lag, waking up at 3AM, working for a few hours.

Throughout 20 trips over, this has worked for me.

Everyone is individual in their travel needs, adjust accordingly.

Vaya con Dios.

Thank you for sharing this.

This is the schedule I will follow. I asked our outfitter/PH after I received his safari itinerary to build in a day on the front for arrival, tour around Windhoek, supper then get up early for the drive north to camp. I just didn’t like the idea of being in airports (sitting), on a plane (sitting), then getting directly into the land cruiser (and more sitting) for the drive.

Furthermore, we’re not going to be buying and eating any airport food/ airplane food. We’re bringing our own home made meals freeze dried in our carry on. Too many carbs, sugar and food fried in seed oils to bring us down.

 

[HankBuck]

I hope this can help safari travelers plan for a most successful trip.

This method is what I practiced, based on advice from my doctor in Dallas.
Travelled in the late1990s, traveling to Europe, Middle East, Africa once a month.

My doctor treated many AA international pilots and travelled a lot himself to his home in Dublin. He studied circadian rhythms carefully and the relationship with rapidly changing time zones,

Doc had a few recommendations:

1. When you get on the plane, set your watch to your destination time zone, and live and work by that schedule. Don't take a nap.

2. Eat a small meal/dinner 2 hours or so after wheels up (departing DFW around 4PM) 7–8-hour flight to London. Business class helped provide comfort, at least when British Airways had good service.

3. Take the sleep medicine after dinner (he had a specific drug regimen for me) and drink alcohol only in moderation. Couple of glasses of white wine was good for me. Drink a lot of water before sleep. Sleep for 5-6 hours.

4. When waking for breakfast, a couple of hours before landing, have a light breakfast. Some protein (eggs) worked for me and a couple cups of coffee.

Always awakened by the smell of the coffee brewing. just like on the farm as a kid.

Landed at 7 or 8 am, then go to work, all day, don't take a nap. Connecting flights just roll with it.
Usually the first couple of nights, I went to bed early, (9-10pm).

Heading home, going West, fatigue set in, and just rested for 4-5 days at home. Dealt with the jet lag, waking up at 3AM, working for a few hours.

Throughout 20 trips over, this has worked for me.

Everyone is individual in their travel needs, adjust accordingly.

Vaya con Dios.

@cajunchefray - very detailed advice on “how to sleep”. Mine is shorter: if while on Safari you’re having trouble sleeping - You’re NOT Hunting hard enough ! Keep up an intensity and pace that’s somewhere between total exhaustion & death….you’ll sleep fine.

 

[Brandon.Gleason]

I sleep terribly on planes. I tend to "nap" more than sleep. I'll usually get in multiple 1-2hr naps on overseas flights. Sort of steps me through the timezones and I adjust well once I get to my destination.

On the way home, I always take one extra vacation day (or at least a work from home day) on my return to try to reset. I force myself to stay up until normal bedtime that day home and I'm usually back to normal the next morning.

 

[Philip Glass]

I hope this can help safari travelers plan for a most successful trip.

This method is what I practiced, based on advice from my doctor in Dallas.
Travelled in the late1990s, traveling to Europe, Middle East, Africa once a month.

My doctor treated many AA international pilots and travelled a lot himself to his home in Dublin. He studied circadian rhythms carefully and the relationship with rapidly changing time zones,

Doc had a few recommendations:

1. When you get on the plane, set your watch to your destination time zone, and live and work by that schedule. Don't take a nap.

2. Eat a small meal/dinner 2 hours or so after wheels up (departing DFW around 4PM) 7–8-hour flight to London. Business class helped provide comfort, at least when British Airways had good service.

3. Take the sleep medicine after dinner (he had a specific drug regimen for me) and drink alcohol only in moderation. Couple of glasses of white wine was good for me. Drink a lot of water before sleep. Sleep for 5-6 hours.

4. When waking for breakfast, a couple of hours before landing, have a light breakfast. Some protein (eggs) worked for me and a couple cups of coffee.

Always awakened by the smell of the coffee brewing. just like on the farm as a kid.

Landed at 7 or 8 am, then go to work, all day, don't take a nap. Connecting flights just roll with it.
Usually the first couple of nights, I went to bed early, (9-10pm).

Heading home, going West, fatigue set in, and just rested for 4-5 days at home. Dealt with the jet lag, waking up at 3AM, working for a few hours.

Throughout 20 trips over, this has worked for me.

Everyone is individual in their travel needs, adjust accordingly.

Vaya con Dios.

Thanks for this info. I am similar but I take Melatonin instead of prescriptions. I'll take it at the appropriate time on the plane and then for at least the first three nights in camp. If I deviate from this I suffer. I also have far more trouble with jet lag going West and it is not just the let down of going home as I've had the same going to Australia.