January 15, 2024
If you’ve ever traveled by air, chances are you’ve experienced jet lag. This temporary condition occurs when your body struggles to adjust to a new time zone.
Jet lag is notorious for disrupting people’s sleep, but it can also affect your digestive system, mood, energy level, and ability to concentrate. Most travelers need a day to recover for each time zone they cross.
While some amount of jet lag may be unavoidable, there are things you can do to reduce the severity of its effects.
Adjusting your sleep schedule before your trip can help reduce jet lag. Try going to bed an hour or two later than usual if you’re traveling west, and an hour or two earlier than usual if you’re traveling east.
If you can’t do that, start acting as if you’re in the time zone you’re traveling to from the moment you step on the plane. If it’s daytime where you’re going, don’t sleep on the plane. If it’s nighttime, try to get some sleep by using ear plugs, wearing an eye mask, or taking some melatonin.
Once you reach your destination, do your best to stay awake until it’s bedtime there.
If you can’t make it to bedtime without a nap, set an alarm so you’re only asleep for 30 minutes or less. Napping too long or too late in the day can throw off your sleep schedule even more.
Another way to minimize the effects of jet lag is to act like you’re still at home. If you’re only crossing a few time zones and staying at your destination for a short period of time, stick with your normal sleeping and eating schedules.
Another approach is to not sleep on your flight and, once you reach your destination, stay up until it’s time to go to bed there. That could leave you so tired that you start sleeping fine your first night away from home.
Air travel can cause mild dehydration, which can make a case of jet lag even worse.
To avoid becoming dehydrated, drink plenty of water before, during, and after your flight. You should also steer clear of alcohol and caffeine. Both promote dehydration and can affect your sleep.
Keeping your body moving during your flight can be helpful. If you’re awake, you should get up and walk around periodically and do some exercises in your seat.
Light can help your body adjust to your new time zone. If you’ve travelled eight or fewer time zones, try to absorb some morning light if you’ve gone east and evening light if you’ve gone west.
If you’ve gone more than eight time zones east, wear sunglasses and avoid bright light in the morning. Then get as much sunlight as possible in the late afternoon.
If you’ve gone more than eight time zones to the west, avoid sunlight a few hours before dark for the first few days.
Since jet lag can disrupt your digestive system, show your stomach some mercy after your flight. Eat small meals until you’re used to your new time zone, and don’t try new foods until your stomach has settled down from the trip.
Pack comfortable sleepwear and any accessories you may need to help you sleep, such as an eye mask or earplugs, and make sure your sleep environment is cool and dark. A warm bath before bed may help, as may taking melatonin.
If you’re travelling for work, try to arrive at your destination a day or two before your first scheduled meeting to give yourself time to adapt to your location. If that’s not possible, plan out your schedule so you don’t have to make any important decisions during your first day there.
While you may not be able to avoid jet lag entirely, following these suggestions can help make the transition to your new time zone a smoother one. Safe travels!
