When planning a trip to the other side of the globe, the last thing on your mind is the fatigue and restlessness resulting from long-distance travel.
Yet, when rapidly crossing time zones, around 2 in 3 people will experience the ill effects of jet lag.
The most common symptoms include trouble falling asleep, poor sleep quality, fatigue, forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating, headaches, and in some cases, nausea, dizziness, and anxiety. Jet lag can leave you feeling like a zombie during the day and wide awake at night.
With symptoms lasting from days to weeks, it can be a real vacation killer. So how can we minimize the effects?
Circadian Rhythm
First, let’s take a look at why jet lag happens. The phenomenon of waking with the sun and falling asleep at night results from an internal 24-hour clock called your ‘circadian rhythm.’ It has many functions, a key one being controlling your sleep-wake cycle by releasing hormones in alignment with daylight and darkness.
Jet lag occurs when your internal body clock doesn’t match that of your travel destination, with symptoms arising straight after your flight or even a few days later. The likelihood of experiencing jet lag increases when you cross more than one time zone, and the severity increases if you travel through three or more time zones. Luckily, there are a few helpful tips that can help on your travels.
Our first tip is to get as much natural light as possible during daylight hours and avoid blue light from artificial light and digital devices at night. The sunlight will help your body clock adjust to your new time zone, especially in the morning. Artificial light at night can confuse your circadian rhythm further.
Plan Ahead
Strategically planning your flight times can help you adjust more readily to a new time zone. For example, landing in the afternoon might be easier on your body if you’re flying east than an early morning arrival.
You can use an online jet lag calculator to plan how to adjust your sleep and wake times and when to be in light and dark conditions to get your body adjusted to the new time zone before your arrival.
Get A Good Night’s Sleep Before You Fly
Skimping on sleep on the nights leading up to your flight can increase your chances of jet lag. Getting as much sleep as possible a few days before you fly is essential. Even better, try to start aligning your bedtime closer to that of your destination. This can be tricky, but it helps to begin minimizing light in the evenings and using a sleep mask. Reduce stress around the pressure to sleep by using a sleep meditation app or a nap app that offers scientifically formulated soundscapes, combining hypnosis and sound.
On the first night at your destination, avoid oversleeping in the morning, as tempting as it may be.
Avoid Alcohol And Stimulants
Stop reading now if you look forward to your aeroplane meal and a glass of wine on your flight. Drinking alcohol or caffeine during your flight can negatively affect your sleeping pattern and worsen symptoms of jet lag.
Avoiding all stimulants like alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine in the hours before flying will be beneficial to your sleep. Instead, keep hydrated, especially when flying, which can be a very drying experience.
Fast On The Flight
Eating a heavy meal before sleep can negatively impact your sleep quality and ability to fall asleep. Going to sleep with food in your stomach diverts energy away from rest and repair and into digestion. Practising intermittent fasting by eating a light meal like soup or broth at least three hours before bed can help you sleep well on the nights leading up to your trip.
Fasting on the flight is the diet recommended by the Argonne anti-jet lag diet. Yes, that means not eating anything while you’re airborne. Eating patterns influence our circadian rhythm, and fasting might be one of the best methods to adjust your eating schedules to your destination. If fasting isn’t something you practice or isn’t safe for you to practice, you could also eat lighter, more simple meals instead.
Don’t Stress
Feeling stressed keeps you in a hypervigilant mode which interferes with sleep and can worsen jet lag. Try relaxation techniques such as having a bath, stretching gently, or meditating.
If you find flying stressful, there are apps with sounds and meditations you can listen to during the flight. There’s a vast range of apps for every mood, like breathwork classes or the mesmerize app that offers hypnotic visuals and soothing psycho-acoustic music along with guided meditations.
Move Your Body
Being on a plane and sitting in one place for long periods puts stress on your body. Before your flight, you can offset some of the tension by stretching and keeping active. Movement during a long flight is also essential. You can practice some simple seated stretches and walk up and down the plane in intervals.
Exercise can keep you alert after travel if you’re tempted to nap during the day or lie in in the morning.
Final Thoughts
The fatigue of jet lag shouldn’t dampen the excitement of travelling to exotic and exciting destinations. If these tips feel overwhelming to do at once, pick a few that can easily be part of your pre-travel routine. The difference in how you feel could be night and day.
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