How to Avoid Jet Lag

For those that are new to traveling internationally, or perhaps a regular jet-setter, jet lag is something that can zap the life right out of you. After a long flight, most of us don’t want to miss any time when we arrive to our destination and are ready to roam the streets and begin our vacation. Even if you allow some time to take a nap, or arrived at night (just in time for bed), sleeping can be impossible. Your body is confused as to what time zone you are in, it’s light when it should be dark, or dark when it should be light, it’s painful.

There has been a ton of research in ways to combat jet lag, but these are the latest breakthroughs.

Dr. David Rapoport, director of the Sleep Medicine Program at NYU’s School of Medicine, said that studies show your pre-travel ritual is key. Exposure to light can help reset your body’s internal clock (for travel east, wake up extra early and take a 20-minute walk; if you’re west-ward-bound, stay up later and spend 20 minutes in a brightly lit space before bed-time). (as reported by Travel + Leisure)

But there are other things you can do as well.

Comfort is key. I can not say it enough, dress for comfort when you fly, especially for those trans-atlantic flights. You will thank me later. If you haven’t seen my previous posts for advice on this topic, read here for how to dress for comfort and yet still look stylish, as well as my travel list of items to bring on the airplane.

Stay hydrated! This is my achilles heel in life. I am never thirsty, it’s really not healthy. Not only is it a big deal to stay hydrated in general, on a flight it is that much more important. The humidity in the aircraft hovers around 15%. That is drier than most deserts! Drinking 8 oz. every hour only replaces the cup of water you’re losing from your skin surface. The Rule of thumb: Drink even if you don’t feel thirsty (NOTE TO SELF: HELLOOOO!!! I need to pay attention to this, sigh.) . A good idea is to just foot the bill and bring some of your own water bottles on the flight.

Stay away from caffeine and alcohol. Yes I know, this sucks. Sorry. Either get over it or suffer. Your choice. Just know that both will prevent you from getting the proper type of rest. Yes, I understand that if you drink enough, you will fall asleep. That is not the “right” type of sleep you are looking for. Both drinks dehydrate the body, so if you must drink them, drink a glass of water in between to help compensate.

Stick with your routine. It’s important upon your arrival to stick with your regular routine. Don’t sleep during the day, and as hard as it may be, push the time you go to sleep at night to be close to the time you would fall asleep at home. This is really difficult as your circadian rhythms are all messed up (your physical, mental and behavioral changes that follow a roughly 24-hour cycle). In addition to your sleep routine, make sure to eat at the right times of the day as well. If it is noon at your new destination (and possibly 3 am for your body), eat a small meal, same goes for the other times of day. Your body will start to line itself up to your new cycle. Push through the exhaustion and bodily confusion and you will start to level out after a couple days.

Keep active. Probably one of the last things you want to be thinking of while traveling, but make sure to keep moving during waking hours. Get up and about on the plane, meet some of your fellow squished neighbors in coach-class, use the restroom, etc. When you are at an airport, wander around and stretch a little bit. Upon arrival, get out and about. Walk the streets, find some cool places to visit, anything that avoids falling asleep during the middle of the day.

Jetlag tends to be a problem if four or more time zones are crossed (yikes!), and the effects are generally worse traveling east-bound than west-bound. (This is because the body copes better with lengthening day than a shortening day.) There are also some pills that people take, but I try to avoid those. A natural sleep-aid, Melatonin, is recommended by some, but has mixed reviews on success. 

Do you have any tricks that you recommend? I suggest bringing a cozy eye pillow or ear plugs to help sleep, as well as have a cozy throw and something to rest your head on. Sleeping on the plane sucks, but whatever you can do to catch some shut-eye during a time that doesn’t feel natural, is so worth it!

Happy traveling, even with the jet lag, it’s so worth it!

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