Good news to the 6 of you in the US who have seen this blog, I'm state-side! New York is my home for the next 5 nights. Now from just this day I have learnt many things about sleeping and planes and generaltravel.....
This may contain consumer advice, I warn you now.
First, if you are the sort of person who worries about jet lag, I have a handy tip for you. Sleep as little as you can the day before the flight, and as little as possible on the flight. Eat when the airline gives you food, and no other time, and then immediately act according to the time of day when you arrive. For instance we got here this evening, so decided it was a good idea to be lazy.
Second up, sleep as a general subject. It's never done anyone any good to be honest. All it does is make you feel you need more sleep. So really this proves that point one is totally logical; thats the only reason for point two.
Thirdly, a flight from London Heathrow T5 to JFK new york takes roughly 7 and a half hours. More than enough time for you to allow a clot to form in your leg, causing a strain on your heart. Unfortunately this can lead to very serious health issues, so the idea is to be the boring one and read in flight journals on how to stop the effect. This is actually a very very clever thing to do, don't neglect thyself.
Fourth and last, entertainment. This is possibly the most important aspect, forget potential pulmonary edema, boredom will kill you first. So, I took... A netbook, an SLR digital camera, an HD camcorder, a PSP, a book, a phone fully loaded with apps, an iPod, and most importantly two maths papers!
Maths papers are essential to keep your mind working, it is actually a common flaw that people will neglect their brain and will end up with much worse jet lag than those who look after their mind during flights.
Flying will never be an enjoyable experience, but follow these tips and you'll survive nicely.
Are you fully aware that you just wasted precious minutes of your life reading this awful drivel... I promise the next one will actually be about New York, if you're lucky you might even get some photos.