Have you ever experienced jet lag?
Have you experienced this? Do you want to learn how to overcome jet lag?
Then this article is for you!
Ah, jet lag. The dreaded post-travel zombie feeling.
You’ve been super excited about your trip to Paris since you booked it months ago.
On the flight, you could barely sit still. Your adrenaline is high and you can’t wait to get off the plane to start exploring the city.
After getting off the plane, you start exploring local sites. But, something doesn’t feel right.
You order the local cuisine, but you just don’t have the appetite.
You’re exhausted, can’t focus, and your mind is fuzzy. You feel like you’ve had a few drinks and are now hungover.
You feel cranky and your coordination is off.
When you head to bed, you’re tired but just can’t fall asleep. The next day, you feel fatigued.
That my friend is jet lag.
Although it’s only temporary, jet lag is a sleep disorder worth understanding. Additionally, with the right practices, you can definitely overcome jet lag.
What is Jet Lag?
Jet lag usually occurs when you travel across two or more time zones.
The more time zones you cross, the more intense you feel the jet lag. Additionally, the longer the symptoms may last.
But what does crossing timezones have to do with my body?
When you travel and your time zone shifts, this confuses your body’s biorhythm.
Here’s how to know if you have jet lag.
Symptoms of Jet Lag
Here are the most common symptoms and effects of jet lag.
- Disturbed sleep
- Fatigue
- Loss of appetite
- Mood swings
- Difficulty concentrating
- Stomach problems
- Difficulty with coordination
- An overall feeling of not being well
The symptoms differ for each person as well as how long the trip was. Luckily, there are ways to overcome the dreaded jet lag.
Keep reading to find out our top tips to overcome jet lag.
How to Overcome Jet Lag
1. Prepare Before You Depart
Even before stepping on the plane, there are ways to help lessen the symptoms of jet lag.
One way is to adapt your body’s rhythm a few days before your trip. If you’ll be flying east, try sleeping a few hours earlier than usual.
On the other hand, if you’re headed west, try to stay awake for one or two extra hours.
You can also try to schedule your trip to arrive in the afternoon or evening. This way, you only need to stay awake for a few hours before heading to bed.
You can do some light exploring around the city, get something to eat, then head to bed.
2. Gradually Adjust Your Sleeping and Eating Schedule
This second tip is similar to the first one.
Adjust your sleeping schedule gradually.
When you are on the plane, depending on whether you are flying east or west, know when you should take a nap or stay awake.
It’s also important to start practicing eating your meals closer to the time you’ll be eating them when you reach your destination.
This will help with your stomach and appetite.
3. Regulate Your Exposure to Bright Light
Exposure to light is one of the biggest factors that influence your body’s circadian rhythm.
Thus, regulating and adjusting your exposure to light will help you overcome jet lag.
Here are our tips you can consider:
Try to expose yourself to light in the evening to help adjust to a later timezone than your usual one (typically traveling west).
On the contrary, try to expose yourself to as much sunlight to help you adjust to an earlier time zone (typically traveling east)
When you get outside and expose yourself to sunlight, this wakes up your body by releasing melatonin. Melatonin is the hormone that makes you feel sleepy.
4. Stick to Your New Schedule to Overcome Jet Lag
Our previous tips touched on what to do before the trip. What you do when you arrive at your new destination is also crucial.
Before arriving at your new destination, it’s good practice to set your watch to the new timezone even before leaving.
Upon reaching your new destination, try your best to sleep during the local nighttime, no matter how sleepy you are. t’s also good to avoid taking naps if you arrive during the day. This will make it difficult for you to sleep at night.
If your trip is during the nighttime, make sure to get some sleep so to help regulate your body’s internal clock.
However, it may not always be easy to get quality rest while on a plane. Here are a few tools you should bring during your trip:
- Noise-canceling headphones
- Earplugs
- Comfortable travel pillows and blankets
- Eyemasks
Additionally, in order to help regulate your appetite, try to schedule your meals at the same time as the local mealtime.
5. Drink Lots of Water
Traveling for a long distance can cause dehydration.
It’s also typical for people not to drink a lot of fluids in order to reduce their trips to the bathroom. But this is something we don’t suggest especially during long flights.
Proper hydration is essential to help manage jet lag symptoms as well as reduce travel fatigue.
6. Move Around
When you are traveling in the daytime, it’s good to add some movement to your day. Get up and walk to the bathroom. Do some light stretches on your seat.
When you arrive at stopovers, get up and walk around.
But try to avoid heavy exercises near bedtime. Heavy exercises and movements before bedtime can delay sleep.
7. Try Melatonin Supplements to Overcome Jet Lag
Melatonin is a hormone that is produced naturally in your brain.
This hormone is released in the darkness to signal nighttime behaviors to your body.
Taking melatonin supplements will help you fall asleep. But make sure to check with your doctor before taking any supplements.
8. Take a Warm or Hot Bath Before Bedtime
A warm bath can ease sore muscles caused by extended hours of travel. It’s also a good way to relax and wind down to help you fall asleep faster.
Final Tips: You Can Overcome Jet Lag
Jet lag is a common condition that a lot of travelers experienced.
The good news is that it goes away after a few days. It can be difficult to manage the symptoms in the first few days, but if you take these tips into consideration, you’ll be able to recover much faster.