How to Avoid Jet Lag: To Do's and Not To Do's
Follow these tips, and you won’t have to worry about getting jet lagged.
Jet lag can hit anyone. It doesn’t matter if you’re just traveling domestic or overseas – it is no fun. I have to say though, those longer overseas flights can give you the worst jet lag – from headache, insomnia, irritability, having flu-like symptoms or just overall tired. And it sucks to not be able to fully enjoy your trip if you get bad jet lag. I’ve been there, done that. I have been traveling for many years and I learned my lessons.
Jet lag definition: Jet lag, also known as time zone change syndrome or desynchronosis, occurs when people travel rapidly across time zones or when their sleep is disrupted, for example, because of shift work.
The body clock is driven by an internal time-keeping system, but it is affected by external environmental factors, such as the light-dark cycle of night and day.When the body clock gets out of synch and needs to be reset, jet lag results. [Source: Medical News Today]
TO AVOID:
Drinking alcohol. Avoid alcohol as much as possible. I know this is hard to resist, especially if we’re wanting to take the edge of being in long-hauled flights. And if you’re thinking it will actually put you to sleep, it just does the opposite most of the time. You might fall asleep right away, but it’s almost guaranteed to give you poor quality sleep or nap, and you wake up feeling more tired. That is because alcohol have a greater effect on you due to lower humidity and air pressure.
Hold off drinking that cup of coffee just for now. Coffee dehydrates you and disrupts your sleep. If you are wanting to drink something hot, opt in for herbal caffeine free teas, or better yet, herbal coffee alternatives such as Teeccino’s Vanilla Nut. No, don’t be giving me that “ewww” expression. I dare you to try it first. You can get sampler packet that you can take with you. Simply ask for your hot cup of water and make your caffeine-free coffee. Decaf still has some caffeine in it.
Don’t eat greasy food before, during, and after your flight. Avoid greasy foods, such as fried foods, burger, etc. They can make you so feel tired quickly.
To Do’s:
Drink plenty of water. Hydrating your body is a good thing.
Move some during the flight. Stretching is especially good for blood circulation. Do some walking along the aisles too.
When you arrive to your destination, avoid having heavy, greasy meals, and strenuous exercise.
Go outside, and get some sunlight. A nice, easy stroll will help ease your body adapt to the local timezone and new environment.
Sleep at a normal time according to your destination time zone. During your first night, avoid staying up too late. Take it easy on your first night and allow your body to adapt to the new timezone.
I hope you’ll find these tips helpful. If you haven’t traveled overseas that much (especially those 7 hours+ flights), I can almost guarantee you’re going to get jet lag. Don’t let this discourage you for any upcoming overseas travels though! Follow these tips, and you won’t have to worry about getting jet lagged.
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Hi, I'm Shar! I started the outbounder as a place to share my adventures as I explore different places around the world, my love for different kinds of food, and a passion to capture a moment in time through photography.
