We all love to travel but hate the jet lag that seems to creep up on us when we travel, especially going to a different time zone, even if it is an hour away, right?
When your travel plans involve flying across multiple time zones, jet lag can cause a real damper in your vacation plans. You can end up taking a few days trying to recover instead of enjoying your adventures. Traveling eastbound somehow makes jet lag worse because going to bed earlier is a harder adjustment for our bodies than going to bed later, which is what happens when you travel westbound. Also traveling through multiple time zones aggravates jet lag and causes more fatigue.
What does it mean to be jet lagged?
Under normal situations, our bodies are naturally programed to do things at certain times through out the day. We tend to sleep at a certain time, walk up at a certain time, eat at a certain time and so forth. These routines are known as circadian rhythms, and when we fly they get thrown into disarray. We eat at odd times on the flight, sleep is almost not without interruption and this throws the systems out of whack. Traveling through time zones can further play havoc with our bodies, leading to extreme fatigue along with indigestion, bowel problems, loss of appetite, and memory and concentration issues. These are the most common effects of jet lag but different people can be affected in different ways.
Furthermore, the time it takes to recover from jet lag and get your body back to its normal circadian rhythm varies from person to person. Thats because jet lag affects different people in different ways. Jet lag effects can also vary greatly depending on age, health and street levels.
Our circadian rhythms evolved to be linked to the solar day, which means our internal clock can be easily influenced by quantities and timings of daylight. Experienced air travelers know that flying east across time zones is harder than flying west, because traveling east shortens the days while traveling west lengthens them. It means your circadian rhythm needs to do more to catch up.
How do you get over jet lag quickly?
While it is true that jet lag affects people differently, there are some things we can do to avoid getting bogged down by it, especially when we are traveling for work or for fun and need to full functional the moment you arrive at your destination.
#1 Choose the right seat
If you are flying on an overnight flight, try to pick a window seat that’s as far away from the plane’s engines. Firstly the window seat gives you a chance to rest your head against the sides of the plane giving extra support for your head instead of just relying on the seat’s side cushions. Secondly, being away from the engines ensures a quieter ride. Thirdly, you can control the window shades. If the sun is shining and you want some shut-eye, you can close the shades. And lastly, if you want to get a good night’s sleep and rest up, you don’t have to worry about being woken up by the person sitting next to you wanting to use the bathroom.
These days most flights give you a seat map to see how full the flight is and where the empty seats are. If possible, try and pick your seat right when you book your flight. If you want to move your seat for any reason, check out the open seats and ask a flight attendant after the doors are closed so you can change your seat to something more acceptable, if possible.
#2 Opt for a layover
While we are big fans of direct flights to destinations, sometimes having a layover especially for a long International trip around the world is beneficial. Splitting up the trip to include a stopover helps your internal clock and body better adjust to the time change. This is especially true of you are traveling westward. Most airlines don’t charge extra for longer layovers and sometimes even a few hours helps. You can adjust my sleep schedule and that makes it easier to adjust to the new time zone.
#3 Plan out the departure and arrival times
When flying across several time zones, try to book flights that leave in the early morning and arrive in the evening. That way you are able to get a good night sleep the day before your trip and also reach your destination in time to go to bed local time. Sometimes you might have to force yourself to get out and about just so that you can go to bed at a regular time at your destination.
If you can choose the best plane to travel in that increases the chances of a smooth comfortable ride further reducing jet lag. It is a known fact that the Boeing Dreamliner 787 planes are meant to curb jet lag due to their design aesthetics. The Dreamliner’s cabin pressure is equivalent to an altitude of 6,000 feet. Most other planes make it feel as if you’re breathing at 8,000 feet, and because less oxygen reaches the bloodstream at higher altitudes, you’re more susceptible to headaches and fatigue. This means that in the Dreamliner cabin, the passenger will get more oxygen in their bloodstream and hence less chances of experiencing symptoms of altitude sickness and jet lag.
Now you cannot always choose your flight based on the aircraft and there’s always the chance the airline could end up switching to a different plane after you make your reservation. But when booking long-haul trips, it is worth it to see if you can find a viable Dreamliner option.
#4 Adjust to a new time zone in advance
If you are traveling somewhere with a time difference anything more than three to four hours, try and get yourself on the new schedule ahead of time, even before you leave. Sometimes it is in the small things like adjusting the time you go to bed and the time you get up a few hours sooner or later depending on where you are going.
#5 Eat right during the flight
It is no surprise that airline food is not the best, most tasty and healthy option there is out there. While airline meals have come a long way there is still a lot to improve. You can help minimize the effects of jet lag by eating and drinking right before, during and after your journey. Avoid a pre-flight alcoholic drink. Alcohol during the flight is worse because alcohol at altitudes will increase tiredness and cause dehydration, making it even harder to beat the inevitable jet lag.
Similarly don’t rely on sleeping pills to help you sleep during the flight is a bad idea. Instead they will leave you groggy and tired when you land.
Avoid caffeine-heavy beverages such as coffee, soda, and energy drinks. These artificial stimulants will affect your ability to sleep and increase jet lag recovery time. Your body functions best when it is hydrated correctly. So opt for water and drinking plenty of it to help offset the effects of jet lag.
Practical tips from the travel community on getting over jet lag
We asked our community of travelers for tips on fighting and recovering from jet lag and here are some practical tips from them.
Karen Rudner Bennett : I fly cross country twice a month, I was able to do red eyes and loved them until a few months ago and then it all just became exhausting. On my flight last week I spent more on the comfort size seat, packed pretty light, wore compression socks, drank extra water, used my noise cancelling headphones during the whole flight, flew in the morning but was able to wake up at my normal time, and brought a healthy meal with me. It all made a HUGE difference in how I felt once I got off the plane.
Lis Sowerbutts : Eat to the timetable of your destination – particularly avoid eating between midnight and 6am destination time. Eating times are closely tied to our sleep wake cycle. And avoid drugs.
Nancy Stanley ; I try to set myself to the destination schedule little by little a week out if it’s a work trip.
Althea Bashford : I try to schedule my arrival time in the morning, so when I arrive I put my luggage away and begin my adventures, also I go to bed at 7-8 pm so I can get my body clock on their time
Sherry Eldridge Gradually work your schedule at home to get closer and closer to where you are headed. I try not to sleep much on the plane so I sleep well my first night.
Chris Megos : For a day or 2 before the flight, eat cleanly – fruits, veggies, protein. Avoid fried, processed, and sugar foods. Drink lots of water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine. I love my cake, but the cleaner I eat, the better I can deal with aches, pains and jet lag. My legs also puff less.
Leonora Grande : At age 60 and 61 after about twelve hour flight, I kept to the routine of where I was. Get outside. Drink water and eat something nourishing. Eating healthy and taking supplements is something I recommend. Try to relax and embrace whatever you are feeling and also to feel the joy of arriving at the other end. In the most recent case, I ended in Heidelberg. I purposefully booked myself right adjacent to the castle, had a very short rest, washed up and walked around the castle right away for a few hours, sitting in between of course, snapping photos, sat outside for my dinner up there. The occasion before, a friend had me out on a bicycle in a town near Munich. I had a very sore butt but my brain HAD to kick in as I had not been on a bike in a while. She made a lovely healthy bbq and vegetables after… we ate outside. Fresh air and walking are essential. Nap as needed of course… but not at the expense of the routine of the new time zone.
Rawan Chehab Here is the trick. Have 2 clocks. One of back home and one of destination. Know a night before the time difference so you can tire yourself out to be able to sleep on that flight if needed or whether you need to stay awake for most of it.
Amie J. Woeber Get on the timezone you will be in 24-48 hours ahead of time if you can. Stay up at night, sleep on the plane, whatever you can do. And force yourself to stay awake when you get there until a close to normal bed time – those are my tricks.
Liza Murphy Enough water on the flight to need to get up every 69-90 min, as much daylight as you can get once there, more water, try to eat on the new time zone times before you go, melatonin for first 3-4 nights, more water and exercise
Pat Bunyard Power through and also do what your body tells you. I am 75 and refuse to submit to the idea that “it has been a long day and I should be tired”. I power thru to eat light and bed early
Lynne Schuyler Not everyone will want to do this, but on a 30 hr flight from Vancouver to India (with one stopover), I couldn’t sleep, so I kept walking during the flights, while others were sleeping. It was fairly easy to do as the flight service was over and most were conked out. A few people were doing tai chi in the back. My jet lag was pretty manageable.
Jane Watson What worked for me going from UK to Japan and back was… regular sips of water, getting into new time zone over journey, exercise every couple of hours.
Have you experienced jet lag on your travels? What did you do to recover from it sooner so as to enjoy your time away.
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