If you arrive at your destination early, try to avoid going to sleep until night, that is, try and keep your regular sleep pattern.

A few basic steps may help prevent jet lag or reduce its effects:

Arrive early. If you have an important meeting or other event that requires you to be in top form, try to arrive a few days early to give your body a chance to adjust.
Get plenty of rest before your trip. Starting out sleep-deprived makes jet lag worse.
Gradually adjust your schedule before you leave. If you’re traveling east, try going to bed one hour earlier each night for a few days before your departure. Go to bed one hour later for several nights if you’re flying west. If possible, eat meals closer to the time you’ll be eating them at your destination.

Regulate bright light exposure. Because light exposure is one of the prime influences on your body’s circadian rhythm, regulating light exposure may help you adjust to your new location.

In general, exposure to light in the evening helps you adjust to a later than usual time zone (traveling westward), while exposure to morning light can help you adapt to an earlier time zone faster (traveling eastward).

The one exception is if you have traveled more than eight time zones from your original time zone, because your body might mistake early morning light for evening dusk. Your body might also mistake evening light for early morning light.

So, if you’ve traveled more than eight time zones to the east, wear sunglasses and avoid bright light in the morning, and then allow as much sunlight as possible in the late afternoon for the first few days in your new location.

If you have traveled west by more than eight time zones, avoid sunlight a few hours before dark for the first few days to adjust to the local time.
Stay on your new schedule. Set your watch to the new time before you leave. Once you reach your destination, try not to sleep until the local nighttime, no matter how tired you are. Try to time your meals with local mealtimes, too.
Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water before, during and after your flight to counteract the dehydrating effects of dry cabin air. Dehydration can make jet lag symptoms worse. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, as these can dehydrate you and affect your sleep.
Try to sleep on the plane if it’s nighttime at your destination. Earplugs, headphones and eye masks can help block out noise and light. If it’s daytime where you’re going, resist the urge to sleep.

I’ve never been on such a long flight! I’ve been told sleeping if you can helps. Lots of water to keep hydrated

Sleeping on the plane seems to help!

Always drink plenty of water and eat small snacks and get some rest on the plane too.

Try to sleep on the plane. Keep hydrated. Keep a watch on Aussie time and try to balance Aus time with Eng time. Not sure you can completely eliminate it

From my own personal experience … sleep as much as you can on the plane …. and it depends on what time you are landing I got in …. in the evening so I had a few hours awake then went to bed… but sleeping on the plane is the best way

there are some good comments here

I’ll be flying to Europe soon and was thinking about going to gp to get a sleeping tablet for the plane so I arrive rested. Is this a good idea?

just try to stay awake until it’s sleep time over there!

Hope all goes well for you.

Memo and mcspenny both have great answers for you and I would have said much along the same lines. Some people find it tricky to sleep on planes so it might be useful to go to your local pharmacy to get an over the counter sleep aide so you can at least be well rested. I myself find it extremely difficult if not impossible to sleep on planes.

Avoid alcohol on the plane and drink lots of water.

On the plane, make sure you have plenty of fluids and eat even if not hungry. Take a book, read, relax and try to sleep. After getting off the plane nap for a couple of hours if possible, go to sleep at the local time as this helps to adjust your internal body time clock much quicker.

i felt fine after 18 hours of flying and multiple stop overs then then next day i felt horrid wish id gotten sleep on the plane or tried to change my sleep pattern before i left oz!

I would try and sleep to fit in with their time zone, work out when your landing whether it be day or night and get yourself into their time zone while in air. you will find that cabin pressure makes it easy to sleep

Drink coffee and stay awake to reset the body clock

When I flew from Australia to Canada. the best thing I could do was, I worked out what time it was in Canada. then Keep yourself awake until you know its night time there and then sleep. I set my watch to Canadian time the minute I stepped on the plain. seemed to help me.

I don’t think you can stop a jet lag. Just let it run its course

some great suggestions for when i travel