Jet lag often happens to people who travel through different time zones, messing up their body’s internal clock and causing tiredness, sleep problems, and irritability. In fact, 60–70% of long-haul travelers have suffered from some form of jet lag at some point in their lives.
For many, getting better fast is very important so you can enjoy your trip as much as possible and not have wasted days, tossing and turning around in bed.
These are some of the best methods for beating jet lag quickly and easily.
Adjust Your Schedule Before You Leave
The most effective way to fight jet lag is by starting to adjust your body’s clock before you travel. Some days prior to departing, change your sleeping and eating times gradually so they match with the destination’s schedule. If you’re going towards the east, attempt sleeping and getting up one hour earlier every day.
If you are traveling west, do the opposite and have meals later. This will also assist your body in becoming accustomed to the new time zone. By making these adjustments slowly before departing, the change in time zones will not be as sudden which will help with adapting upon arrival at destination.
Be sure to consider how you plan your days too, so that you’re not doing too much in the way of exhausting activities when arriving jet lagged. For example, if you land in San Diego and you’re experiencing jet lag, a San Diego harbor cruise is going to be much more enjoyable than walking for hours on a hiking experience.
Stay Hydrated
Dehydration is a factor that can make jet lag symptoms even worse, so drink enough water before your flight, during it, and also afterward. All in all, being dehydrated plus jet-lagged, is like being extremely hungover.
So, for that not to happen, have plenty of drinking water before you fly and during it, plus avoid alcohol and caffeine because they may make you more dehydrated and disturb your sleep. If you are feeling terribly jet-lagged and tired, you can even consider going for IV vitamin therapy. IV bags are filled with vitamins that will help your body replenish lost fluids and minerals.
Luckily, in this day and age, you can order everything online as there are a lot of services that will deliver you an IV bag and administer it to you.
So, regardless of where you are, for instance, in San Diego, you can find a hangover IV San Diego-based package options or jetlag ones which usually contain the same ingredients: saline solution for rehydration, vitamins (C and B-complex), electrolytes (magnesium, calcium, potassium), medications (anti-nausea, pain relievers), and sometimes amino acids for recovery.
Take Short, Strategic Naps
Another good advice is to adjust to the night schedule of the place you have arrived at, and a well-planned nap may help.
Keep these naps brief – around 20 to 30 minutes so that you don’t fall into deep sleep which could leave you feeling more lethargic and disturb your bedtime rest. Plan for these short slumbers at the start of the day so as not to cause much disruption in your sleeping pattern.
Use an alarm clock to wake up at the correct time. This helps you to get the needed energy boost without making your adjustment to the new time zone go wrong, making it simpler for you to stay awake until local bedtime.
Maintain a Healthy Diet
Changing the kind of food you eat might also reduce jet lag. Select meals that are balanced with different nutrients like vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, and whole grains.
Do not eat foods that are heavy or have lots of fat and sugar because these can make your blood sugar levels and energy go up and down too much; this makes it more difficult to adjust to the new time zone. Attempt to adjust your eating times to the local schedule as soon as you can.
Having light and nutritious meals at regular intervals, in accordance with the local meal times, helps your body’s internal clock and might aid in quicker adjustment to local time by decreasing jet lag effects.
Stay Active
Physical activity can assist in resetting your internal clock, especially when done outside where there’s natural light. Exercise boosts oxygen circulation and reduces stress, which greatly aids in adjusting to different time zones.
Try doing light to moderate activities such as walking, stretching, or yoga. If possible, attempt to do exercises in the morning or afternoon to help your body adapt to the new schedule. Prevent intense workouts near bedtime since they might enhance wakefulness and impede sleep.
Use Melatonin Supplements
Melatonin, a hormone that controls sleep-wake patterns, might be useful for handling jet lag. If someone consumes melatonin not long before going to sleep at their new location it can make them feel sleepy and assist in aligning their body’s inner clock with the local time. If you’re curious about how melatonin influences not only sleep but also your dreams, read How Melatonin Affects Dreams for deeper insights.
Normally, it is suggested to begin taking melatonin around three days before departure and continue doing so for another few days after reaching your destination to achieve optimal outcomes. But, it is important to talk with a healthcare provider before starting any supplement. This becomes more crucial if you have health issues or are using other medications.
Adjust Your Technology Use
Our electronic screens produce a type of light called blue light. This kind of light can hinder your body’s ability to create melatonin and essentially change how you sleep.
To adjust to the new time zone, try not to look at screens for at least one hour before sleeping. Instead, do calming things like reading or listening to soft music. This may assist in relaxing your body and preparing it to sleep in the current local time.
Conclusion
To combat jet lag effectively, you need to prepare and also take action. By tweaking your schedule prior to the flight, drinking enough water, finding natural light, having calculated short naps, keeping up with healthy eating habits and exercise routine as well as taking melatonin supplements can assist your body in adjusting quicker to different time zones.
It is important to understand that you are essentially helping your body align with its natural rhythm by providing the appropriate cues during the transition period.
You can adopt these techniques to lessen the unpleasant feelings of jet lag and have a more enjoyable experience during your journey.
