As a result of crossing several time zones, many travellers experience jet lag. As a result of having one’s internal body clock thrown off by travelling between time zones, jet lag is a common phenomenon. Fatigue, sleeplessness, and irritability are just a few jet lag symptoms that may dampen your vacation. Nevertheless, there are techniques to lessen the impact of jet lag and allow you to arrive at your destination feeling refreshed and eager to explore. This article tells you about the five tried-and-true strategies for beating jet lag and getting a new start upon your return.
Adjust your sleep schedule before your trip
One of the best methods to lessen the effects of jet lag is to adjust your sleeping habits before you go. Adapting to a new time zone requires shifting your sleep routine gradually. Some suggestions to help you readjust your sleeping habits before you leave:
- Think ahead: Depending on how many time zones you’ll travel through, you should readjust your sleep routine three to five days before leaving.
- How to Calculate the Time Gap: Find the local and destination times and adjust your travel plans accordingly. To change your sleep and waking schedule accordingly, go east or west, depending on your destination.
- Before an eastward journey, adjust your sleep schedule by 15 to 30 minutes daily. You should change your sleep and waking schedules by 15 to 30 minutes daily to get the most out of your westward journey.
- Maintain a routine: Maintaining a regular sleep pattern is helpful to your circadian rhythm, especially on the weekends.
- Exposure to a strong light the first morning improves your circadian rhythms. This will help you go to sleep and get up at more reasonable hours. It may help to expose oneself to natural light by utilizing a lightbox or going for a stroll first thing in the morning.
Adjusting your sleep routine before leaving on vacation might lessen the effects of jet lag. Further, you may be able to alleviate jet lag by remembering to drink plenty of water, exercise, shift your meal times, and expose yourself to natural light.
Stay hydrated
Maintaining an adequate water intake before, during, and after a trip is crucial for reducing the severity of jet lag. Caffeine and alcohol are diuretics, so ensure you get enough water. To ensure you drink enough water throughout the journey, you might pack a water bottle that can be filled at the airport.
Get some exercise
You may prevent the effects of jet lag and arrive at your destination feeling rejuvenated if you keep active before, during, and after your trip. If you want to stay fit while on the road, consider these suggestions:
- Before you go, research whether the airport you’ll be departing from has a gym or a walking trail. If you want to exercise in your hotel room, bring gym gear and equipment, such as tension bands or a jump rope.
- Avoid being stiff and increase blood flow by stretching before and throughout your flight, even if you can’t complete a complete exercise. If you’re feeling cramped or tense, you can stretch your legs, arms, and back right where you are, or you may get up and stroll along the plane’s aisle.
- Make the most of airport downtime by checking out nearby attractions or getting some fresh air if the weather allows during a stopover. Several airports now provide workout facilities, including yoga studios and walking paths.
- Discover your new surroundings by running or strolling at your location. As a bonus, this may assist in resetting your internal clock and facilitating your transition to the new time zone.
- Incorporate exercise applications into your routine. Many fitness apps can help you locate local fitness classes, track your progress, and track your results. For those who want to stretch out in the comfort of their hotel room, some applications will take you through a series of stretches.
Regular exercise before and during travel helps avoid the effects of jet lag and ensures that you arrive at your destination feeling refreshed. To further lessen the impact of jet lag, you should also readjust your sleep routine, remain hydrated, shift your meal times, and expose yourself to natural light.
Adjust your meal schedule
As your eating pattern is intimately tied to your body’s internal clock, shifting your meals around may help you adjust to a new time zone. In the days preceding your trip, consider eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner a bit earlier each day. This will help you adjust to the time zone change. If you’re travelling west, you should adjust your mealtimes accordingly. By making the change gradually, you give your body time to acclimatize and reduce the likelihood of experiencing the adverse effects of jet lag.
Use natural light to reset your body clock
Be sure to get enough sunshine throughout the day and stay away from harsh lights at night to reset your body’s internal clock with the help of nature. You should aim to get as much early sunlight as possible and as little as possible in the evening if you’re heading east. If you’re travelling west, you should spend more time in the dark in the morning and more time in the light in the evening. Jet lag will have less of an impact on your body if you do this.
Conclusion
Jet lag may be a severe obstacle for travellers, but there are ways to lessen its effects. Several tried-and-true methods for overcoming jet lag and arriving at your destination feeling rejuvenated and eager to explore include altering your sleep pattern, drinking plenty of water, exercising, regularly eating throughout the day, and exposing yourself to natural light. Try using some of these tips on your next vacation to make your travels more pleasant and relaxing.