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If you want to keep exercise really simple, pack some resistance bands and follow this workout routine at your gate or in your hotel room. You’re right, this isn’t a tip for how to get over jet lag, it’s a way to prevent it altogether. Unfortunately, staying in your new time zone is harder than it sounds. It might feel good to eat a giant meal of junk food and open a bottle of wine , but don’t do it. Set your watch, forget what happened the day before. In the days before your trip, slowly adjust your meal schedule to match when you’ll be eating at your destination.
If you have a trip coming up, check out these top seven tips for getting over jet lag. Get our daily email for the latest in travel, flight deals, and how to save on your next trip. We both know your short nap is going to turn into a deep sleep, and you'll wake up at 3 a.m. Buying water at the airport isn't cheap, but it's worth it. And don't be afraid to stop your flight attendant or press the call button to ask for another cup. Instead, a person should choose light meals or snacks if they are hungry, as these are easier to digest and less likely cause a disruption in sleep.
Use Food to Trick Your Body
Stick to a routine and work out at the same time as you would at home. When we exercise both before the flight and after arriving, we seldom feel the effects of jet lag. Or, if it’s night time in your future time zone, pop a melatonin and put your face mask on to sleep while the rest of the plane watches movies. Melatonin is the hormone secreted to tell your body when to go to bed and when to wake up. When in need, take anatural melatonin vitamin around 30-minutes before bed. Studies confirm that melatonin up to 5 mg minimizes the effects of jet lag.
When traveling between time zones, a person should try to increase the amount of time they spend in the sun when they get to their destination. This can include going outside and opening window shades and blinds. Specifically, the National Sleep Foundation recommend avoiding alcohol and caffeine for around 3–4 hours before bedtime. Find out the causes, treatments, and some tips for prevention.
What Is Jet Lag?
Although it is hard to avoid jet lag when flying to Europe there are things you can do to try to minimize its effects. Your brain’s body clock will then adjust easier as it knows it is daytime, even though it may feel it should be nighttime. One of the reasons is that your brain doesn’t produce melatonin during daylight and that is the hormone that makes you feel sleepy. If you absolutely must get some sleep then take a 20 minute nap or two and last until the evening before going to bed properly.
Make sure to moderate or eliminate caffeine in the afternoon and evening. You don’t want to have difficulty sleeping from a combination of too much caffeine consumption and jet lag. Long-distance travel may cause dehydration, and you may even reduce water consumption during travel to avoid bathroom breaks. Proper hydration may help manage jet lag symptoms and travel fatigue.
Consider taking sleeping pills
On that note, don't overdo it with alcohol or coffee on the plane either. My rule of thumb is to have at least one cup of water for every alcoholic drink I have onboard the plane – if not much, much more. The best sleeping pill will depend on a person’s sleep patterns and needs. Learn about the types, effectiveness, and safety of sleeping pills here.
Some people may not notice any problems adapting to a new time zone. You can minimize your jet lag symptoms by taking the proper steps both before and during your trip. Below, you’ll discover what jet lack means and how to get over jet lag on vacation. With these top tips, you’ll be able to maximize every single day of your trip.
Don’t get to sleep using alcohol or sleeping pills
Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. Keep in mind that sleep aids have side effects, so discuss the pros and cons of this solution with your doctor. Jet lag is worse as you travel from west to east — it may last longer than if you travel westbound. Some of these tricks might work better for you than others, and that’s okay! Every individual is different when it comes to jet lag.
Thus, if you crossed five time zones, the body will typically adjust in four to five days. But, it also depends on your age, general health, and stress management. On a long flight, across multiple time zones, your body goes through a great deal of stress – little sleep, sitting for long periods, dry air etc. On the other hand, I’ve had trips where it’s taken me a few weeks to fully adjust!
Jet lag symptoms can vary significantly in severity, depending on how many times zones you cross. In general, the more times zones you travel across, the higher your chances of experiencing jet lag. Although jet lag symptoms usually go away within a couple of days, they can linger if you crossed numerous time zones, especially in an easterly direction. Sleep when it's bedtime, or as close to bedtime as you can. Wake yourself up when it's morning in your destination.
You can also use a special lamp to expose yourself to light. The types of lights that may help decrease your jet lag can be in the form of a lamp, a light box, or even headgear. You may find these types of lights also advertised for seasonal affective disorder. Jet lag is a very common occurrence, and there are several ways you can try to make the transition to a new time zone more quickly and with fewer symptoms. You may also be more susceptible to jet lag if you travel frequently and if you’re older.
While it’s not good to supplement your sleep every night, it’s essential to supplement while traveling across time zones. Break eastbound overnight flights into two short “days”. If you’re doing a big flight east, heading over the Atlantic or Pacific to new lands, it will generally be an overnighter.
You can take Melatonin supplement tablets to help you sleep after you arrive at your destination. Generally you will only need these for the west to east leg of your journey . I do not drink tea, coffee or things like cola as I find anything containing caffeine doesn’t help me with beating jet lag. On a long flight I only drink water, and lots of it too, with perhaps the occasional orange juice. Jet lag is worse when traveling east so if you can do this you should help to prevent jet lag or at least reduce it.
Tips to Help Get Over Jet Lag
Try not to go to sleep as soon as you start to feel tired. Instead, get ready for bed at a time that’s appropriate for your current time zone, not where you were staying before. On a similar note, try to time your breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks at times that line up with your current schedule. As you will be flying west then you may not be affected by jet lag too much as you will just have a longer day. You are more likely to be affected when you fly back again, particularly to the east coast, as your day gets shortened which can affect your body clock more.
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