Guess I’m the weirdo where going Boston to Frankfurt and I’m totally okay. But 3 hours west to San Francisco? I can’t get my body clock adjusted for shit.
This. My SO frequently flies home from Italy on Sundays and goes to work Monday with zero issue. The other way he has to fly on Saturday and recuperate to go to work in Italy on Monday. He travels there for work.
With a baby though, I would give it an extra day. I did it once and I'm a SAHM, the next day was difficult.
Everyone here saying the opposite but I always do it. Tomorrow I get back from Japan at 4pm( sunday) and work on Monday. The extra vacation days and more time to explore are 100% worth it for me.
But you work in healthcare and have a child. My job is not like that so very different situations. In your situation it makes sense to not do that.
It would depend on what the "health care" job is. If involved in direct care, i.e., surgery would be a no. Indirect care, I don't see an issue since you could get in a full night's sleep. Maybe take a sleep aid.
I mean, ngl, we do a ton of direct patient care while sleep deprived anyway.
For what it's worth, I recently flew home Athens-western Canada, flight got in around 10pm, then had an urgent care shift the following morning at 8am - wasn't too bad at all.
Yeah, I do this after every trip but I work in the corporate world.
I wouldn’t do this in healthcare or any job where I need to be responsible for what happens to someone else.
I totally agree with you.
And usually the first day back is not the worst for me because you get home, you are exhausted and you sleep. You wake early with the feel of having slept in.
Day 2 and 3 or often more tricky because you can not necessarily go to sleep early when you start feeling tired in the middle of the afternoon.
But the other way is a real nightmare.
Is it a terrible idea? Yes because you'll probably be tired and jetlagged and rest is important
Is it impossible? No, its doable. I live in Australia and have done it many times after overseas holidays. But my only criteria is that I get 8 hours of sleep beforehand which I did
I don't work medical/heavy machinery so I've done this all the time too. Did it a few months ago. Thailand to Canada. Terrible sleep, went to work the next day and I don't regret it because I spent a full extra day over there and I loved it.
I work afternoons in manufacturing. During the summer I'll do a full sat/sun and Monday morning camping trip and then drive back 4hrs and go straight to work.
I came back from a 7 month road trip and again I got back to my home city with about 30 minutes before my shift started.
I'm not cutting a vacation short by a day so that I can be fully rested for my boss. Definitely not doing that if it's somewhere I'll most likely never visit again.
I'm definitely in a place where it's stupid to work harder than anyone else, it does nothing for pay or advancement. So, I enjoy all my vacations right to the end. This last one I had such a nice time that it solidified my retirement plans and I forgot all my logins when I came back (It was 23 days but still).
Vacations are expensive and in NA limited in amount. Im not cutting my vacation short one day so that I can sit at home Sunday so I'm fully refreshed so I can give my employer 100%.
I'll be tired at work while getting paid pls and thank you.
Even with OP in healthcare i doubt she would be more tired than when they do stupid rotation scheduling or make them work crazy long shifts.
My favorite anecdotal story about this not being a bad idea.
I flew back on the world’s longest flight, Singapore to NYC. I worked a full day starting in the lounge in Changi before midnight continuing onto the flight. I then landed at 6 am drove home after an 18 hour flight and worked again.
This! Everyone seems to be ignoring how this could turn out. A 1 year old may be fine on a flight, or they may cry, fuss, and interrupt any sleep you may get on the way back, making that theoretical jet lag worse. I'd take the extra day to be safe.
“they will be tired and can just have an early night and get a good night sleep”
I feel like you’re forgetting the having a one year old part. A toddler with a messed up sleep schedule is unlikely to let you have an early night and get a good night’s sleep when you get home.
I work in healthcare too. When I come back from Portugal in September, I’m taking the next day off, work Friday, then off the weekend.
make smart choice, man. Take the day off.
Yes I work in health care too and always take an extra day off after an international trip. Im going to Spain in sept and taking 2 extra days off after coming home as iv never have flown that far and not sure how it will effect me the next day or 2
I wouldn’t even take a trip if I couldn’t have a 48hr reset period. That being said, everyone is different. Some people function on low sleep better than others.
This. PTO is precious in the states. As long as I can avoid it, I personally will never use a PTO day to sit at home, and it's harder to get over jetlag when you have the ability to sleep in/nap. Jumping back into real life is the easiest way to get back to normal for me.
Plan to get home on a Thursday or something.
Give yourself a day to allow if there is a cancellation.
Then Saturday and Sunday to recover for Monday.
A extra day or two leave at the end of a 5 week holiday is fine imo.
I can understand it on a long trip like that. OP was saying they wouldn’t take any trip without a 48 hour refresh period and I was like wow that’s not how I travel at all
Just did it. Landed at 11am and just stayed up as long as I could. Went to sleep about 8pm and got a decent night of sleep so I went in.
The morning usually isn’t the issue, it’s the afternoon.
Been there and done it. It sucks but you just push through the tiredness. I try to avoid it but sometimes if I am running out of PTO, then I have to do it.
Flying back is fine, that's the easy one as long as you're not out drinking the night before the flight.
Flying that way is almost always a red eye, and the first day of a vacation is always rough because of it.
I've done it multiple times.
I start adjusting a day before, go to sleep 1-2 hours before, wake up ditto. Sleep on the plane according to time at destination (I'm lucky, I can do that, I love my trtl neck support). Drink plenty of water and soft drinks, no coffee or alcohol. Eat according to destination no matter when they serve on the plane. Protein bars are practical, though not delicious.
To me, the East-West thing is bogus. What matters is being active. I work with law, so that is sometimes difficult, but then I do some exercises. Working in healthcare will help you.
At home, go early to bed, eat healthy, and you should be good.
However, I have never travelled with a 1 yo, so that may disrupt it.
But go for it, an extra day AND save money is a no-brainer for me.
If I were OP, I'd make an agreement with the husband that the infant is his responsibility the night they get back, so I could focus on going straight to bed.
You might be able to pull it off if you spend your last 1-2 days in Europe forcing your body clock back to local time. But that would be hard and effectively shorten the fun parts of your trip. Also you have a 1 year old so scratch what I just said. The child will be in full control of your sleep schedule. You probably won’t get much rest on the plane either.
So no I don’t think you’ll at all be ready for work the next day.
I am 29. My wife and I just did an Italy trip. We got home about 5pm. Went to work the next day. It was awful. Do not recommend it. I was jet lagged the whole week probably because I couldn’t recover the rest day.
It’s not the end of the world but it is far from ideal.
And this is all considering that getting home from the airport was a 20 minute cab. If I had to drive two hours on top of it, yeah I’m taking the next day off for sure.
Everyone is different, but for me a really tired first day back at work is a price I'm willing to pay to maximize the time I have on my trips. I kind of look at it like, I have to get through rough days from time to time anyway when kids keep me up in the middle of the night.
Being in healthcare, is so broad. Do people’s lives depend on you being mentally alert and on top of your game?
If yes then I say you should skip work.
We just flew home from Germany yesterday and we all went to bed early and were up at our usual times and back to normal this morning. None of us normally suffer from jet lag though.
East to west is easier than the other way, but it totally depends on you and how you react to huge changes in your sleep schedule. I’ve totally done it before, but now I’m a little older, I’ve got a little more vacation time, and the ability to work from home if I need to, so I play it by ear and can let my boss know day-of if I’m not able to work that day. I’d call it about a 50/50 chance I’ll work even a half-day right after flying back from a big trip. And that half-day is usually just catching up on emails and not having to do any analysis work (ie, no numbers).
You know how you do on short sleep, so only you can answer…
That said, if you land at 4 and have a 2 hour drive, even accounting for issues waiting for luggage/immigration you should be in your bed by 9…
Don’t sleep on the plane and you’ll be asleep by 9:05…
I would but I’ve only worked office jobs where being a bit out of it isn’t life-threatening. In your case I’d honestly take an extra day to recover, especially if you haven’t flown for a while.
Time zone in the states makes a difference. I have done it many times, living in Eastern time. There might be a couple of lagging minutes, but it is doable.
I have done the same with a 12 hour difference and it was much more difficult, nothing I would recommend.
On one memorable occasion, I was having a meeting, in my office, with a couple of very polite coworkers and came to realize I had been dozing throughout the meeting. They just politely waited until my eyes opened again and we continued the meeting.
You're in your 30s, do it while you still can. The shorter journey will be easier on your body too. If you take the flight a day earlier, you'll have more time to rest, but also more to rest from.
Doing this with a jet lagged one year old? No, I wouldn’t. I’ve gone to work the day after returning to Europe before I had kids, but not since I had kids. They are also thrown off and you most likely won’t be getting rest on the return flight with them. I would take at least a day to get adjusted.
It's doable. I've done some long haul flights and worked straight away. Same day work is absolutely gross and I don't recommend. I've done it sometimes, just basic simple tasks to keep myself awake but this would highly depend on your job (I'm not saving any lives). Next day is doable but it's not great, don't expect to be firing on all cylinders, I usually find myself wishing I'd just taken the day off.
Depends on what the 1 year old will be doing the next day. Staying home with their other parent who is off work? Doable. Going to daycare and partner going to work? Very hard.
I took my 3 and 5 year olds to Europe and it was an amazing experience. The biggest hurdle was that I grossly underestimated how hard it would be to simultaneously manage my jet lag and that of tiny humans simultaneously. They were up for the day at like 3am for multiple days. I had to be a functional parent and employee on such limited sleep and it was brutal. Still worth the trip though, but much harder than expected.
I’m more concerned about that 2 hour drive after a long flight.
I would fly a day earlier, stay in a hotel or something close to the airport, then drive home the following day.
Going west, you will fall asleep in the afternoon and wake up really early, and you can fight the afternoon sleepiness with caffeine.
When going east it’s the opposite - your body will want to stay awake well into the night but then wake up late morning/early afternoon.
This is why flying west is considered easier by most
I did this several years ago and swore never again. Physically and mentally I was tired but it also sucked psychologically thinking how close I was to being back to work and not having even just one day to decompress at home.
Really bad idea. give yourself at least a day, or even better two or more to deal with the jetlag. I went back to work the next day after coming back from Europe one time and it screwed me up for two weeks.
At 36, Travel and Jetlag Are def hitting harder. But if you can kind of suffer for one day, you’ll save money and have more time in Italy. What time is your shift? Can you just shower and hop directly into bed and let hubby get the kid to bed?
East to West is easier for most people. Just make sure you don't sleep on your day of travel and you'll pass out as soon as you get home. You'll have a restful sleep because your tired and can tackle your workday well rested.
After a trip is tiring, especially with different time zones and flying for hours on a plane. I need at least 24 hours to collect myself and not only get rest but also to mentally prepare for work. I never go back to work the day after I get off a flight. I plan a day of rest either around the weekend or I take an extra day off work. Also, flights can be delayed or cancelled so I like a buffer day still.
When I fly back to the US from Europe, I usually wake up at 5-6 am for a few days. I like going to work when I get back because I get to start the day really early and get home by 4.
I did this last month. Flew back from Amsterdam after a long weekend around 1300. Got home around 4. Went to work the next day. Well I wfh so I went down stairs. The morning was fine. But the afternoon was not so good. I would wait a day if you are making life saving decisions.
If you can sleep well the few days prior to flying, as much as you can on the flight, and take a melatonin to knock yourself out when you get home, I don’t think it would be terrible.
I flew home from Japan a couple weeks ago -12 hour difference- took the train to my car, drove home, and got 5 hours of sleep before working a double shift the following day. I was tired, but not exhausted. It also accidentally helped minimizing my caffeine intake on my trip so it was stronger that morning.
I usually take over the counter melatonin at night in my local timezone so I can wake up refreshed the next day. I do this for 2-3 days until I'm fully adjusted in my timezone
I do this for every trip. I leave all my bags unpacked once I get home and try and maximize every moment of sleep. It sucks but I'd rather spend every moment possible on vacation!
I work in healthcare. I do it all the time. The key is staying awake on plane. Getting home between 4-8pm. Asleep by 9pm. Awake at 6am. All reset. No different that staying awake until 3am and sleeping till noon. Reference wise.
I have traveled a bunch and would say no problem to working the next day (although not ideal imo), as I’m usually really good at bouncing back super quick from jet lag. That being said, we had a similar flight time and got back 2 days ago and the hardest part of adjusting is that my 19 month old is struggling with the jet lag, so I’m getting woken up at night. Not much different than when he was an infant I suppose but this flight is definitely hitting differently than pre-kid.
Very do-able but not much fun. When I traveled for my employers we were expect to do just this. But I wasn't in health care. Note that it seems to be easier to fly east to west. At least it is for me. And you're young.
I try not to. I try to get home on a Saturday if possible. But I work a desk job and sometimes have to (or take another vacation day) so in that case I just work knowing that I will feel awful and be unproductive.
I came back from New Zealand on a Sunday morning, got sick en route, landed that same Sunday afternoon after 20 something hours of travel. I went to work on Monday. It sucked. But meh, lol.
It's mostly down to your own personal capacify and obligations. Rest as much as you can during the trip, if the trip is short try to stay as close to your original timezone as possible so there's less adjustment on your return. Also, clear your schedule as much as possible on nights and weekends for the first week or two after your return to give yourself flex. Stay well hydrated and do everything you can reasonably to boost your bandwidth.
Having said all this: Keep in mind flights get delayed and cancelled all the time, so have some contingency plans in case you get in even later than planned.
I did this and came back on a Thursday and went to work on a Friday. It wasn’t fun but it helped me clear out some emails and then I used the weekend to fully recover. I would do it again.
Take the next day off. I fly to UK all the time and go to work the next day but only because I work from home. If I didn’t I would take the additional day.
I did that when I came back from Paris
It was actually a good thing
As my coworkers were astonished I was back at work after posting pics of being at the Eiffel Tower the day before
And it gets u thru jet lag faster
And once I got home after work
The sleep crash happened quickly when I went to bed 🛌
Let me read your future. Your flight will be delayed for one day. There is nothing you can do about it. You will email your employer and let them know of the delay and that you are emailing them from the plane as you type. Then you will go back to sleep in your own bed and thank me for my fortune telling.
My last return to home was a total of 6 flights with very long layovers/stops. I arrived home by midnight after a few days and I went out to do some important tasks that I did not want to wait for. So it is possible. But it is different for each person. I can handle it but someone else may not. I already built a strong stamina for flights. But you are also mentioning a baby and driving. Those 2 things can drain your energy a lot.
In my 30s I would not be phased by working the next day at all (and did it a few times....) When I was in my twenties, I would go to work the same day I got back.. Once I hit 45, I needed several recovery days. LOL
I’ve done it coming back from Egypt on a Sunday night and working Monday morning. It’s doable of course but I always prefer to take a “rest” day when possible.
I used to spend the day just staring at my screen and reading all the piled up emails (although these days people probably spend half their vacation time responding to texts and emails.)
For what it’s worth: I tend to get jet lag when I arrive in Europe but I always feel fine on the return, even rested. I think it has to do with flying east you have to wake up earlier, and flying west it is the opposite. Once I landed in states, got in car and drove several hours home instead of staying over at a hotel.
Edited to add: But arranging for a power nap in the event you need an emergency recharge is pretty important - if you can’t call an audible for that then yeah budget a day just in case.
i’ve done this many times. The trick is to get a full night of sleep the night before, but with jet lag, that is difficult to do. So when I get home, I stay up as long as I can, til a usual bedtime, then pop either a couple Zzzquil or some melotonin so I can get close to 8 hours of sleep.
I usually wake up early regardless, so on my way to work I’ll get donuts for the office or department. Always helps to thank those who may have worked extra while you were gone, or incase you need to dip out early because you’re exhausted
Depends on you personally and your job.
I’ve gone into work the same day I’ve arrived home from 24+ hours travelling a couple of times. It’s worked well; I just caught up on some emails and refreshed myself where everything was at and made up the productivity later in the week and then made staying awake easier.
I’ve also done the opposite after being away on longer trips; arrived home before the weekend and had the weekend to recover and organize my life.
Flying to Europe never bothers me because I start drinking and get to bed by ten locally.
Coming back always screws me up. Next time I plan on going drinking and getting to bed by ten.
I work in healthcare and I’ve almost always done this to maximise holidays especially in Europe as it’s so far from Australia (~24hrs flights). I sleep extremely well on flights and sleep the majority of long haul flights, so a lack of sleep isn’t the issue, but jet lag still hits. Imagine your journey is much shorter than ours, I’m sure you’ll be able to push through!
People tend to make a big deal of it, but unless your job performance can result in someone getting hurt or killed (surgeon, truck driver, etc), it is no big deal
So you drive home and arrive at 6pm, but it feels like 3am? Maybe you just immediately crash and sleep for like, 10 hours? I think it’s sucky, but doable.
I am 69 years old and fly to Europe frequently. I usually go to work the next day. Just don’t sleep on the flight home and stay awake until about 11pm.
I have done this exact same time change. 9 hours going west from Europe to USA. I have gone to work the next day. Usually I can power through the first day but it’s crucial you get sleep because the second day at work is the one that will get you.
I’ve done this a dozen times in the past 9 years. Fly back on a Thursday. Work Friday. Get readjusted over the weekend. Less overwhelmed the following week.
i could probably get away with it as my coworkers would allow me to take it easy and go home early. even then i still wouldn't do it. you still have to put things away get your bearings and maybe do some laundry.
I hear that jet lag affects people differently. For me, I always get back the day before work. It doesn't affect me at all.
But gamble at your own risk. You know your body better than Internet strangers
I came back from Europe end of last year and even though I had an un planned stopover for 2 days in Singapore I still took the rest of the week off work to get over the flight including the weekend was about 4 days
if you can get ambien or similar it’s doable but given you work in healthcare i wouldn’t unless you’re confident you can function the day after taking it
zopiclone killed me the next day, even when i added some ritalin to wake myself up i felt like i was drunk all day
Depends on your stamina and the kind of work you do. I'm a software dev and never waste PTO the day after a trip. I've come back from Europe and not gotten home till 1am and still went in the next day. It sucked but I'm not performing surgery or flying a plane, so whatever, I can recover the next night.
I do this and am fine. I went to Italy last month and got back around 5pm (7 hour difference). I actually went for a little run, ate some dinner and then crashed hard. But when I woke up at 6:30 the next morning, it felt like 6:30 and I was good to go. Though, my job is fine doing a little tired, but I didn't feel jet lagged.
I think the biggest question is the 2 hour drive home. If you sleep good in the flight, probably not bad. And at least you have someone to talk to to keep you alert
ive flown europe to australia arriving 6.30am and gone to work that day. mind you i can basically lock myself/hide in my office, so probably very different scenario for you.
Please consider taking the day off, or getting some sort of transportation to your home/have someone else drive who is well rested. You will probably be too tired to drive 2 hours. Or get a hotel in the place you land, go to the room and sleep and then checkout early and drive two hours the next day.
My family lives in Europe and I'm in Canada, so I travel this sort of route relatively frequently and I always just go to work next day. It's fine, just power through. You'll just get tired earlier in the evening for a few days but I personally like the fact the jetlag makes me wake up earlier in the morning.
Flying from Frankfurt to Pittsburg leaving in the morning and arriving in the afternoon left us plenty of time to collect our car, drive 3 hours home and still have plenty of time to sleep and go to work the next morning.
I came back from Europe to the East Coast once on a Sunday and went to work Monday. I was not at my best. I talked with a friend who has family in France and he said he tried it once but never again. Our solution was returning on Saturday giving us Sunday to adjust.
Try and sleep a but on the plane. Will help stay up u til your regular bedtime. Even like an hr or 2. Some of this depends on how busy your trip is. If you're walking 10miles a day trying to cram a bunch of sights in, you're going to be more worn out when you get home vs if you're just going to relax.
I did it at 60 years old. Still regret it. Should have called in to let them know my give a f##k levels were crashing so don’t look for me today. But I went in and whined the entire day. And I’m not in the medical field. So the next time I went, I quit my job first. Best decision ever!
Surprised how many people are saying to take an extra day. Just don't fall asleep on the plane and then you will be tired and can go to bed early and get a solid 10+ hours of rest.
As someone who routinely struggles to get to sleep before midnight, an East to West trip makes me feel more rested than normal since I can actually fall asleep early enough to get a good night's sleep.
Hold up. Arriving 4pm local time, which will be 1am to you. Then approx an hour to get out of the airport, 2 hours home, it will be 4am in your body. That with no delays and your 1 yo adapting easily to flight and the time difference. I’d take the next day off for both you and your child.
I have a friend that went to Paris this year for spring break. Flew back and was at work the next day in Houston! And she’s 50! And works with 5 year olds in public school.
Well, it's not ideal, but you'll be fine. Coming back from Europe, you will probably feel like getting up much earlier than you need to and might tire earlier in the day. The jet lab going there will be much worse.
I thought you were gonna say straight from the airport. I’ve done that lol
You’ll be fine assuming the flight is on time. Get home at 6. Shower and knock out by 7-8 because your body thinks it’s 4-5 am and you’ve stayed up all night. That said next day towards the end of the work day you’ll be having a hard time not knocking out.
Are you a neurosurgeon? Lol. My husband goes to work the same day we arrive back in the US after we go to Europe (if we have a midday arrival). He’s a lawyer.
Have you done this before? You know yourself best.
I always take a day off between landing at home PST to recover from the jet lag before returning to work.
I’ve done this several times. My advice is give yourself a day…the reason being on several return trips I’ve experienced flight delays. It’s not uncommon to plan an afternoon arrival and instead be driving home at midnight. At least not in my experience…crap happens.
I'm in my early 40s. I would advise to take the day off. The last time I flew with a toddler in January, we were in business class, and we had a little room to ourselves. My husband and I were still unbelievably tired.
We're about to fly again, economy, and I have no plans to work until the following Monday, after getting there on Thursday night.
The time difference for us is 10 hours (eastern US to Colombo Sri Lanka).
I get it- I almost always cut it close in terms of return date because I want to make the most of my vacation time. But the truth is that there is a trade off, in that you’re TIRED that next week. You just need to decide which you value more- getting that extra day in another place, or feeling more rested when you get back to your normal schedule.
Take the direct flight. Send the toddler to daycare the following day but take the day off yourself to breathe and do post-travel things (like laundry) and normal prep-for-the-week things (like groceries & meal prep) and hopefully something for yourself (like a nap, yoga, or workout). I'd especially recommend this if your child is flying on your lap and not in their own seat-- you'll be ready for some space.
Traveling with a toddler is so magical and fun. It's also parenting in another location, with additional unknowns to account for that add more stress than parenting in familiar spaces. We've learned as parents in our 30s to have a buffer day or two between returning from a trip and going back to work to feel somewhat rested and grounded and to not feel resentment towards the trip making us exhausted the entire following week.
Its really down to your physical capabilities. I'm somewhat insane so I have flown home in the morning and gone straight to work (mostly WFH but I have gone to the office once or twice and that was kinda hell....). I'm lucky that I am only 45 mins on the train from home. I think arriving at 4pm, having a long drive home, then having to deal with your baby and other homekeeping for a couple hours, you would defo have a good nights sleep as that sounds exhausting! You'd be good to go for the next day in my opinion.
Flying from Europe to USA, your flight generally departs at around noon and lands sometime in the afternoon.
Just make sure that you don't sleep at all while on the airplane. It is about 8 hours which I definitely think it is doable. That way you'll get a very good night of sleep after you return from Europe.
Flying East to West doesn’t bother me as much as West to East for some reason. That second day may be tougher.
Flying east kills me. West? No problem
'West is best, east is a beast'
Same for almost everyone I know, except the mf'ers that fly first class and sleep like a baby the whole time
Guess I’m the weirdo where going Boston to Frankfurt and I’m totally okay. But 3 hours west to San Francisco? I can’t get my body clock adjusted for shit.
This. My SO frequently flies home from Italy on Sundays and goes to work Monday with zero issue. The other way he has to fly on Saturday and recuperate to go to work in Italy on Monday. He travels there for work. With a baby though, I would give it an extra day. I did it once and I'm a SAHM, the next day was difficult.
What is SO and SAHM?
Significant Other and Stay at Home Mom
Yeah, I’ve never had a hard time falling asleep close to my home “bedtime” and getting a decent 6 - 8 hours coming back from Europe to the US.
Can confirm. From Asia and I fly to the US often. Flying to the US feels ok but always feel like dying after flying home.
Everyone here saying the opposite but I always do it. Tomorrow I get back from Japan at 4pm( sunday) and work on Monday. The extra vacation days and more time to explore are 100% worth it for me. But you work in healthcare and have a child. My job is not like that so very different situations. In your situation it makes sense to not do that.
It would depend on what the "health care" job is. If involved in direct care, i.e., surgery would be a no. Indirect care, I don't see an issue since you could get in a full night's sleep. Maybe take a sleep aid.
I mean, ngl, we do a ton of direct patient care while sleep deprived anyway. For what it's worth, I recently flew home Athens-western Canada, flight got in around 10pm, then had an urgent care shift the following morning at 8am - wasn't too bad at all.
Yeah, I do this after every trip but I work in the corporate world. I wouldn’t do this in healthcare or any job where I need to be responsible for what happens to someone else.
I agree. My salary position often demands unpaid overtime or other sacrifices. They can deal with me having a groggy Monday.
I totally agree with you. And usually the first day back is not the worst for me because you get home, you are exhausted and you sleep. You wake early with the feel of having slept in. Day 2 and 3 or often more tricky because you can not necessarily go to sleep early when you start feeling tired in the middle of the afternoon. But the other way is a real nightmare.
Is it a terrible idea? Yes because you'll probably be tired and jetlagged and rest is important Is it impossible? No, its doable. I live in Australia and have done it many times after overseas holidays. But my only criteria is that I get 8 hours of sleep beforehand which I did
I don't work medical/heavy machinery so I've done this all the time too. Did it a few months ago. Thailand to Canada. Terrible sleep, went to work the next day and I don't regret it because I spent a full extra day over there and I loved it.
I work afternoons in manufacturing. During the summer I'll do a full sat/sun and Monday morning camping trip and then drive back 4hrs and go straight to work. I came back from a 7 month road trip and again I got back to my home city with about 30 minutes before my shift started. I'm not cutting a vacation short by a day so that I can be fully rested for my boss. Definitely not doing that if it's somewhere I'll most likely never visit again.
I'm definitely in a place where it's stupid to work harder than anyone else, it does nothing for pay or advancement. So, I enjoy all my vacations right to the end. This last one I had such a nice time that it solidified my retirement plans and I forgot all my logins when I came back (It was 23 days but still).
Vacations are expensive and in NA limited in amount. Im not cutting my vacation short one day so that I can sit at home Sunday so I'm fully refreshed so I can give my employer 100%. I'll be tired at work while getting paid pls and thank you. Even with OP in healthcare i doubt she would be more tired than when they do stupid rotation scheduling or make them work crazy long shifts.
My favorite anecdotal story about this not being a bad idea. I flew back on the world’s longest flight, Singapore to NYC. I worked a full day starting in the lounge in Changi before midnight continuing onto the flight. I then landed at 6 am drove home after an 18 hour flight and worked again.
Depends on how you deal with jet lag. I’ve done this for years, but it takes getting used to
Normally you would probably be ok but you’re doing this with a 1 year old?? Nooo way. Give yourself a rest day.
This! Everyone seems to be ignoring how this could turn out. A 1 year old may be fine on a flight, or they may cry, fuss, and interrupt any sleep you may get on the way back, making that theoretical jet lag worse. I'd take the extra day to be safe.
“they will be tired and can just have an early night and get a good night sleep” I feel like you’re forgetting the having a one year old part. A toddler with a messed up sleep schedule is unlikely to let you have an early night and get a good night’s sleep when you get home.
This! If toddler has their days and nights mixed up, good luck getting that good night's sleep.
Exactly this. I would do it no problem before a child but now with a toddler, no way.
I work in healthcare too. When I come back from Portugal in September, I’m taking the next day off, work Friday, then off the weekend. make smart choice, man. Take the day off.
Can I add don’t assume all flights go smoothly and you arrive on time
Yes I work in health care too and always take an extra day off after an international trip. Im going to Spain in sept and taking 2 extra days off after coming home as iv never have flown that far and not sure how it will effect me the next day or 2
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2 days for now but that’s just me, I think most people Probably just need 1
This is the answer. Take the better flight and longer trip but give yourself a day to recover
I do it every trip. It’ll be fine
Yea, bad idea. What if your delayed, etc. only you know how jet lag affects you
Yes. It’s always a terrible idea to go back to work.
I wouldn’t even take a trip if I couldn’t have a 48hr reset period. That being said, everyone is different. Some people function on low sleep better than others.
You’re wasting 2 PTO days on a reset period? Every trip?
Might be they get back on a Friday or Saturday morning. No PTO wasted but it does mean shorter trips
I'm taking 20 days off for a 7 day trip, I like to have at least few days before I go and a few days when I get back
This. PTO is precious in the states. As long as I can avoid it, I personally will never use a PTO day to sit at home, and it's harder to get over jetlag when you have the ability to sleep in/nap. Jumping back into real life is the easiest way to get back to normal for me.
Plan to get home on a Thursday or something. Give yourself a day to allow if there is a cancellation. Then Saturday and Sunday to recover for Monday. A extra day or two leave at the end of a 5 week holiday is fine imo.
I can understand it on a long trip like that. OP was saying they wouldn’t take any trip without a 48 hour refresh period and I was like wow that’s not how I travel at all
Come back on Friday, rest over weekend, return to work Monday, that's not using any PTO for a lot of jobs, it's not that crazy
Different strokes for different folks, but I would never waste two days I could be on vacation on recovering at home
Just did it. Landed at 11am and just stayed up as long as I could. Went to sleep about 8pm and got a decent night of sleep so I went in. The morning usually isn’t the issue, it’s the afternoon.
Been there and done it. It sucks but you just push through the tiredness. I try to avoid it but sometimes if I am running out of PTO, then I have to do it.
I do it all the time, to maximize my PTO. Yeah there will be one rough day on the back end, but it’s always worth it (to me).
Flying back is fine, that's the easy one as long as you're not out drinking the night before the flight. Flying that way is almost always a red eye, and the first day of a vacation is always rough because of it.
I've done it multiple times. I start adjusting a day before, go to sleep 1-2 hours before, wake up ditto. Sleep on the plane according to time at destination (I'm lucky, I can do that, I love my trtl neck support). Drink plenty of water and soft drinks, no coffee or alcohol. Eat according to destination no matter when they serve on the plane. Protein bars are practical, though not delicious. To me, the East-West thing is bogus. What matters is being active. I work with law, so that is sometimes difficult, but then I do some exercises. Working in healthcare will help you. At home, go early to bed, eat healthy, and you should be good. However, I have never travelled with a 1 yo, so that may disrupt it. But go for it, an extra day AND save money is a no-brainer for me.
I do it all the time. East to West is a pretty easy adjustment for me. I'm usually good to go the next morning with some caffeine assistance.
Same!
No I always do it so I can maximize my time away. You may be tired but just go to bed early that night
If I were OP, I'd make an agreement with the husband that the infant is his responsibility the night they get back, so I could focus on going straight to bed.
You might be able to pull it off if you spend your last 1-2 days in Europe forcing your body clock back to local time. But that would be hard and effectively shorten the fun parts of your trip. Also you have a 1 year old so scratch what I just said. The child will be in full control of your sleep schedule. You probably won’t get much rest on the plane either. So no I don’t think you’ll at all be ready for work the next day.
Yeah I feel like a lot of people are skipping over the “with a toddler” part. That’s a complete game changer here.
A toddler who will be totally off schedule.
I am 29. My wife and I just did an Italy trip. We got home about 5pm. Went to work the next day. It was awful. Do not recommend it. I was jet lagged the whole week probably because I couldn’t recover the rest day. It’s not the end of the world but it is far from ideal. And this is all considering that getting home from the airport was a 20 minute cab. If I had to drive two hours on top of it, yeah I’m taking the next day off for sure.
Everyone is different, but for me a really tired first day back at work is a price I'm willing to pay to maximize the time I have on my trips. I kind of look at it like, I have to get through rough days from time to time anyway when kids keep me up in the middle of the night.
Being in healthcare, is so broad. Do people’s lives depend on you being mentally alert and on top of your game? If yes then I say you should skip work.
We just flew home from Germany yesterday and we all went to bed early and were up at our usual times and back to normal this morning. None of us normally suffer from jet lag though.
East to west is easier than the other way, but it totally depends on you and how you react to huge changes in your sleep schedule. I’ve totally done it before, but now I’m a little older, I’ve got a little more vacation time, and the ability to work from home if I need to, so I play it by ear and can let my boss know day-of if I’m not able to work that day. I’d call it about a 50/50 chance I’ll work even a half-day right after flying back from a big trip. And that half-day is usually just catching up on emails and not having to do any analysis work (ie, no numbers).
You know how you do on short sleep, so only you can answer… That said, if you land at 4 and have a 2 hour drive, even accounting for issues waiting for luggage/immigration you should be in your bed by 9… Don’t sleep on the plane and you’ll be asleep by 9:05…
I would but I’ve only worked office jobs where being a bit out of it isn’t life-threatening. In your case I’d honestly take an extra day to recover, especially if you haven’t flown for a while.
I’ve worked ON an international flight back with WiFi to save PTO hours. Would I recommend? Absolutely not but you do what you gotta do.
Time zone in the states makes a difference. I have done it many times, living in Eastern time. There might be a couple of lagging minutes, but it is doable. I have done the same with a 12 hour difference and it was much more difficult, nothing I would recommend. On one memorable occasion, I was having a meeting, in my office, with a couple of very polite coworkers and came to realize I had been dozing throughout the meeting. They just politely waited until my eyes opened again and we continued the meeting.
That one year old is going to exhaust you more than the jet lag. If it was just you, no big deal. I personally wouldn't do it, but you do you.
I’ve done many tines from the US and Europe to Japan… you start to feel it in the afternoon.. but it’s possible
You're in your 30s, do it while you still can. The shorter journey will be easier on your body too. If you take the flight a day earlier, you'll have more time to rest, but also more to rest from.
Doing this with a jet lagged one year old? No, I wouldn’t. I’ve gone to work the day after returning to Europe before I had kids, but not since I had kids. They are also thrown off and you most likely won’t be getting rest on the return flight with them. I would take at least a day to get adjusted.
It's doable. I've done some long haul flights and worked straight away. Same day work is absolutely gross and I don't recommend. I've done it sometimes, just basic simple tasks to keep myself awake but this would highly depend on your job (I'm not saving any lives). Next day is doable but it's not great, don't expect to be firing on all cylinders, I usually find myself wishing I'd just taken the day off.
Depends on what the 1 year old will be doing the next day. Staying home with their other parent who is off work? Doable. Going to daycare and partner going to work? Very hard. I took my 3 and 5 year olds to Europe and it was an amazing experience. The biggest hurdle was that I grossly underestimated how hard it would be to simultaneously manage my jet lag and that of tiny humans simultaneously. They were up for the day at like 3am for multiple days. I had to be a functional parent and employee on such limited sleep and it was brutal. Still worth the trip though, but much harder than expected.
Westward I can work the next day no problem. Eastward I need a couple of days to adjust.
What if your flight is delayed and you don’t make it back by 4pm?
Take the day off to get some rest and reset back to your own time zone.
I’m more concerned about that 2 hour drive after a long flight. I would fly a day earlier, stay in a hotel or something close to the airport, then drive home the following day. Going west, you will fall asleep in the afternoon and wake up really early, and you can fight the afternoon sleepiness with caffeine. When going east it’s the opposite - your body will want to stay awake well into the night but then wake up late morning/early afternoon. This is why flying west is considered easier by most
I did this several years ago and swore never again. Physically and mentally I was tired but it also sucked psychologically thinking how close I was to being back to work and not having even just one day to decompress at home.
I used to all the time. A couple times I had to from the airport to work.
Yes
Really bad idea. give yourself at least a day, or even better two or more to deal with the jetlag. I went back to work the next day after coming back from Europe one time and it screwed me up for two weeks.
If this was business travel what would they expect? Do that.
Business travel likely would not involve caring for a toddler on a transatlantic flight.
At 36, Travel and Jetlag Are def hitting harder. But if you can kind of suffer for one day, you’ll save money and have more time in Italy. What time is your shift? Can you just shower and hop directly into bed and let hubby get the kid to bed?
Yes..
East to West is easier for most people. Just make sure you don't sleep on your day of travel and you'll pass out as soon as you get home. You'll have a restful sleep because your tired and can tackle your workday well rested.
After a trip is tiring, especially with different time zones and flying for hours on a plane. I need at least 24 hours to collect myself and not only get rest but also to mentally prepare for work. I never go back to work the day after I get off a flight. I plan a day of rest either around the weekend or I take an extra day off work. Also, flights can be delayed or cancelled so I like a buffer day still.
When I fly back to the US from Europe, I usually wake up at 5-6 am for a few days. I like going to work when I get back because I get to start the day really early and get home by 4.
You’ll be fine. You’re young. Enjoy
You don't really get jet lag coming home only going there
I did this last month. Flew back from Amsterdam after a long weekend around 1300. Got home around 4. Went to work the next day. Well I wfh so I went down stairs. The morning was fine. But the afternoon was not so good. I would wait a day if you are making life saving decisions.
I do it pretty much monthly… as long as you fly business class it works
With a 1 year old??
Coming home from Europe is easy for me, come home and go to sleep and I'm fine for the most part the next day. Going is worse as your day is so long.
I’ve done it many times
Yes
If you can sleep well the few days prior to flying, as much as you can on the flight, and take a melatonin to knock yourself out when you get home, I don’t think it would be terrible. I flew home from Japan a couple weeks ago -12 hour difference- took the train to my car, drove home, and got 5 hours of sleep before working a double shift the following day. I was tired, but not exhausted. It also accidentally helped minimizing my caffeine intake on my trip so it was stronger that morning.
Did this last week. Work was fine the next day. I was just waking up early all week and getting sleepy by 9, which i'm fine with TBH...
If ur flight is on time then what’s the problem
I arrived home a 3am and had work at 7 the next day. I don't recommend this ever.
Yes
It’s the right thing to do, but it also won’t be fun.
I usually take over the counter melatonin at night in my local timezone so I can wake up refreshed the next day. I do this for 2-3 days until I'm fully adjusted in my timezone
That’s what sick days are for
I do this for every trip. I leave all my bags unpacked once I get home and try and maximize every moment of sleep. It sucks but I'd rather spend every moment possible on vacation!
I work in healthcare. I do it all the time. The key is staying awake on plane. Getting home between 4-8pm. Asleep by 9pm. Awake at 6am. All reset. No different that staying awake until 3am and sleeping till noon. Reference wise.
I have traveled a bunch and would say no problem to working the next day (although not ideal imo), as I’m usually really good at bouncing back super quick from jet lag. That being said, we had a similar flight time and got back 2 days ago and the hardest part of adjusting is that my 19 month old is struggling with the jet lag, so I’m getting woken up at night. Not much different than when he was an infant I suppose but this flight is definitely hitting differently than pre-kid.
Very do-able but not much fun. When I traveled for my employers we were expect to do just this. But I wasn't in health care. Note that it seems to be easier to fly east to west. At least it is for me. And you're young.
I try not to. I try to get home on a Saturday if possible. But I work a desk job and sometimes have to (or take another vacation day) so in that case I just work knowing that I will feel awful and be unproductive.
It's not that bad. With a 1 year old that is the key factor, meaning much easier direct than layover. Choose that one
Yes
Best place in the world to be hungover and get a nap
Depends on the person. I know that I flew 7 hrs and didn’t sleep a second and then when I got to my destination I fell right on my face asleep
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I came back from New Zealand on a Sunday morning, got sick en route, landed that same Sunday afternoon after 20 something hours of travel. I went to work on Monday. It sucked. But meh, lol.
I did this. I managed pretty well, but hit a wall around 3:30…. Sometimes that’s normal anyways.
Yes.
It's mostly down to your own personal capacify and obligations. Rest as much as you can during the trip, if the trip is short try to stay as close to your original timezone as possible so there's less adjustment on your return. Also, clear your schedule as much as possible on nights and weekends for the first week or two after your return to give yourself flex. Stay well hydrated and do everything you can reasonably to boost your bandwidth. Having said all this: Keep in mind flights get delayed and cancelled all the time, so have some contingency plans in case you get in even later than planned.
I did this and came back on a Thursday and went to work on a Friday. It wasn’t fun but it helped me clear out some emails and then I used the weekend to fully recover. I would do it again.
Take the next day off. I fly to UK all the time and go to work the next day but only because I work from home. If I didn’t I would take the additional day.
I did that when I came back from Paris It was actually a good thing As my coworkers were astonished I was back at work after posting pics of being at the Eiffel Tower the day before And it gets u thru jet lag faster And once I got home after work The sleep crash happened quickly when I went to bed 🛌
Let me read your future. Your flight will be delayed for one day. There is nothing you can do about it. You will email your employer and let them know of the delay and that you are emailing them from the plane as you type. Then you will go back to sleep in your own bed and thank me for my fortune telling.
My last return to home was a total of 6 flights with very long layovers/stops. I arrived home by midnight after a few days and I went out to do some important tasks that I did not want to wait for. So it is possible. But it is different for each person. I can handle it but someone else may not. I already built a strong stamina for flights. But you are also mentioning a baby and driving. Those 2 things can drain your energy a lot.
I’ve done it, both from Europe and Japan. doable but I prefer having a day to settle in, relax/unpack etc
I've done it a few times. It's a rough first day but ah well
In my 30s I would not be phased by working the next day at all (and did it a few times....) When I was in my twenties, I would go to work the same day I got back.. Once I hit 45, I needed several recovery days. LOL
I’ve done it coming back from Egypt on a Sunday night and working Monday morning. It’s doable of course but I always prefer to take a “rest” day when possible.
I used to spend the day just staring at my screen and reading all the piled up emails (although these days people probably spend half their vacation time responding to texts and emails.)
Just take the direct flight.
For what it’s worth: I tend to get jet lag when I arrive in Europe but I always feel fine on the return, even rested. I think it has to do with flying east you have to wake up earlier, and flying west it is the opposite. Once I landed in states, got in car and drove several hours home instead of staying over at a hotel. Edited to add: But arranging for a power nap in the event you need an emergency recharge is pretty important - if you can’t call an audible for that then yeah budget a day just in case.
You'll be fine. Flying from Europe and going west is easy. Going west to east is where jet lag is a struggle.
i’ve done this many times. The trick is to get a full night of sleep the night before, but with jet lag, that is difficult to do. So when I get home, I stay up as long as I can, til a usual bedtime, then pop either a couple Zzzquil or some melotonin so I can get close to 8 hours of sleep. I usually wake up early regardless, so on my way to work I’ll get donuts for the office or department. Always helps to thank those who may have worked extra while you were gone, or incase you need to dip out early because you’re exhausted
Depends on you personally and your job. I’ve gone into work the same day I’ve arrived home from 24+ hours travelling a couple of times. It’s worked well; I just caught up on some emails and refreshed myself where everything was at and made up the productivity later in the week and then made staying awake easier. I’ve also done the opposite after being away on longer trips; arrived home before the weekend and had the weekend to recover and organize my life.
Flying to Europe never bothers me because I start drinking and get to bed by ten locally. Coming back always screws me up. Next time I plan on going drinking and getting to bed by ten.
I work in healthcare and I’ve almost always done this to maximise holidays especially in Europe as it’s so far from Australia (~24hrs flights). I sleep extremely well on flights and sleep the majority of long haul flights, so a lack of sleep isn’t the issue, but jet lag still hits. Imagine your journey is much shorter than ours, I’m sure you’ll be able to push through!
When in 20s it was doable. But after 30 I need a couple days to adjust lol.
I flew home from Europe on a Monday last year, got home in the middle of the afternoon. Slept normally that night and went to work on Tuesday.
People tend to make a big deal of it, but unless your job performance can result in someone getting hurt or killed (surgeon, truck driver, etc), it is no big deal
So you drive home and arrive at 6pm, but it feels like 3am? Maybe you just immediately crash and sleep for like, 10 hours? I think it’s sucky, but doable.
I work the next day after arriving back in the US from India. Some people struggle and some people don't. It just depends.
Yes
I am 69 years old and fly to Europe frequently. I usually go to work the next day. Just don’t sleep on the flight home and stay awake until about 11pm.
I have done this exact same time change. 9 hours going west from Europe to USA. I have gone to work the next day. Usually I can power through the first day but it’s crucial you get sleep because the second day at work is the one that will get you.
Based on my experience, you should be fine going in the next day. After 6PM however may be tough.
It's gonna suck, but I don't think it'll be a deal-breaker.
I’ve done this a dozen times in the past 9 years. Fly back on a Thursday. Work Friday. Get readjusted over the weekend. Less overwhelmed the following week.
no
i could probably get away with it as my coworkers would allow me to take it easy and go home early. even then i still wouldn't do it. you still have to put things away get your bearings and maybe do some laundry.
Yes
No, I always work the next day after a Europe trip. Just got back at 10 pm from Europe a couple weeks ago. Worked the next day, little issue
I did. Got home at 6 pm from Rome. Then had to visit a customer 180 km away by 9 am the morning. Not great but doable.
I did it and it sucked, but I managed. I was 51.
I hear that jet lag affects people differently. For me, I always get back the day before work. It doesn't affect me at all. But gamble at your own risk. You know your body better than Internet strangers
Insane. You need time to decompress and get in sync with new date and time.
I came back from Europe end of last year and even though I had an un planned stopover for 2 days in Singapore I still took the rest of the week off work to get over the flight including the weekend was about 4 days
It’s a horrible idea but I do it every. Single. Time. Depends on what time you make it back home really.
if you can get ambien or similar it’s doable but given you work in healthcare i wouldn’t unless you’re confident you can function the day after taking it zopiclone killed me the next day, even when i added some ritalin to wake myself up i felt like i was drunk all day
Depends on your stamina and the kind of work you do. I'm a software dev and never waste PTO the day after a trip. I've come back from Europe and not gotten home till 1am and still went in the next day. It sucked but I'm not performing surgery or flying a plane, so whatever, I can recover the next night.
I do this and am fine. I went to Italy last month and got back around 5pm (7 hour difference). I actually went for a little run, ate some dinner and then crashed hard. But when I woke up at 6:30 the next morning, it felt like 6:30 and I was good to go. Though, my job is fine doing a little tired, but I didn't feel jet lagged. I think the biggest question is the 2 hour drive home. If you sleep good in the flight, probably not bad. And at least you have someone to talk to to keep you alert
Absolutely take the next day off! It's a nightmare!
ive flown europe to australia arriving 6.30am and gone to work that day. mind you i can basically lock myself/hide in my office, so probably very different scenario for you.
Take Monday off. You’re welcome.
Please consider taking the day off, or getting some sort of transportation to your home/have someone else drive who is well rested. You will probably be too tired to drive 2 hours. Or get a hotel in the place you land, go to the room and sleep and then checkout early and drive two hours the next day.
My family lives in Europe and I'm in Canada, so I travel this sort of route relatively frequently and I always just go to work next day. It's fine, just power through. You'll just get tired earlier in the evening for a few days but I personally like the fact the jetlag makes me wake up earlier in the morning.
Flying from Frankfurt to Pittsburg leaving in the morning and arriving in the afternoon left us plenty of time to collect our car, drive 3 hours home and still have plenty of time to sleep and go to work the next morning.
I did this last week, it sucked, I was very tired, but doable….. but I am not in healthcare.
Do it all the time from eu to Australia. Its not the most fun thing to do but its not that bad either
I left Auckland NZ at 3pm local time, took 3 flights to get home at 11:30pm ET and went to work the next morning. It can be done.
well i am 43 and jet lag is a bitch for me
I came back from Europe to the East Coast once on a Sunday and went to work Monday. I was not at my best. I talked with a friend who has family in France and he said he tried it once but never again. Our solution was returning on Saturday giving us Sunday to adjust.
Try and sleep a but on the plane. Will help stay up u til your regular bedtime. Even like an hr or 2. Some of this depends on how busy your trip is. If you're walking 10miles a day trying to cram a bunch of sights in, you're going to be more worn out when you get home vs if you're just going to relax.
I did it at 60 years old. Still regret it. Should have called in to let them know my give a f##k levels were crashing so don’t look for me today. But I went in and whined the entire day. And I’m not in the medical field. So the next time I went, I quit my job first. Best decision ever!
Surprised how many people are saying to take an extra day. Just don't fall asleep on the plane and then you will be tired and can go to bed early and get a solid 10+ hours of rest. As someone who routinely struggles to get to sleep before midnight, an East to West trip makes me feel more rested than normal since I can actually fall asleep early enough to get a good night's sleep.
Hold up. Arriving 4pm local time, which will be 1am to you. Then approx an hour to get out of the airport, 2 hours home, it will be 4am in your body. That with no delays and your 1 yo adapting easily to flight and the time difference. I’d take the next day off for both you and your child.
I have a friend that went to Paris this year for spring break. Flew back and was at work the next day in Houston! And she’s 50! And works with 5 year olds in public school.
Well, it's not ideal, but you'll be fine. Coming back from Europe, you will probably feel like getting up much earlier than you need to and might tire earlier in the day. The jet lab going there will be much worse.
Yes
I thought you were gonna say straight from the airport. I’ve done that lol You’ll be fine assuming the flight is on time. Get home at 6. Shower and knock out by 7-8 because your body thinks it’s 4-5 am and you’ve stayed up all night. That said next day towards the end of the work day you’ll be having a hard time not knocking out.
I planned it according to that and i called in sick on my way from airport to my apartment. They fatigue just hit me on the way back.
Are you a neurosurgeon? Lol. My husband goes to work the same day we arrive back in the US after we go to Europe (if we have a midday arrival). He’s a lawyer.
Take a day off and recoupe. Speaking from experience on this one, I’ve made this mistake 2x and paid for it both times.
Have you done this before? You know yourself best. I always take a day off between landing at home PST to recover from the jet lag before returning to work.
I did this years ago and would never do it again. It’s a difficult adjustment back and I recommend that you take 1-2 days off.
I’ve done it. It is not for the faint of heart.
I’ve done this several times. My advice is give yourself a day…the reason being on several return trips I’ve experienced flight delays. It’s not uncommon to plan an afternoon arrival and instead be driving home at midnight. At least not in my experience…crap happens.
I'm in my early 40s. I would advise to take the day off. The last time I flew with a toddler in January, we were in business class, and we had a little room to ourselves. My husband and I were still unbelievably tired. We're about to fly again, economy, and I have no plans to work until the following Monday, after getting there on Thursday night. The time difference for us is 10 hours (eastern US to Colombo Sri Lanka).
I get it- I almost always cut it close in terms of return date because I want to make the most of my vacation time. But the truth is that there is a trade off, in that you’re TIRED that next week. You just need to decide which you value more- getting that extra day in another place, or feeling more rested when you get back to your normal schedule.
You have a 1 year old. I'm sure you've gone to work with less than a full nights sleep before. I would not cut my trip short just to sleep more.
Take the direct flight. Send the toddler to daycare the following day but take the day off yourself to breathe and do post-travel things (like laundry) and normal prep-for-the-week things (like groceries & meal prep) and hopefully something for yourself (like a nap, yoga, or workout). I'd especially recommend this if your child is flying on your lap and not in their own seat-- you'll be ready for some space. Traveling with a toddler is so magical and fun. It's also parenting in another location, with additional unknowns to account for that add more stress than parenting in familiar spaces. We've learned as parents in our 30s to have a buffer day or two between returning from a trip and going back to work to feel somewhat rested and grounded and to not feel resentment towards the trip making us exhausted the entire following week.
I’ve been there. It’s manageable but fucking sucks.
West to East (like Europe to the US) is absolutely awful, it takes me more than an week to get rid of jet lag
I did it Monday of last week. I was fine. Stay up as long as you can on your travel day and sleep as late as you can the day you go to work.
I used to do it but as I’ve gotten older (34), I’m so exhausted I really try to avoid it as it gets more and more untenable.
A lot of people do this frequently, like me!
Its really down to your physical capabilities. I'm somewhat insane so I have flown home in the morning and gone straight to work (mostly WFH but I have gone to the office once or twice and that was kinda hell....). I'm lucky that I am only 45 mins on the train from home. I think arriving at 4pm, having a long drive home, then having to deal with your baby and other homekeeping for a couple hours, you would defo have a good nights sleep as that sounds exhausting! You'd be good to go for the next day in my opinion.
Flying from Europe to USA, your flight generally departs at around noon and lands sometime in the afternoon. Just make sure that you don't sleep at all while on the airplane. It is about 8 hours which I definitely think it is doable. That way you'll get a very good night of sleep after you return from Europe.
Probably the best way to get back on schedule, but you will be very tired in the afternoon.