There are so many amazing moments and memories that come with a traveling lifestyle, but one of the not-so-amazing parts of traveling is jet lag. It gets even the best of us, and sometimes it lasts for days. It’s not even just the tiredness that affects us, in fact, it can even cause indigestion, tummy troubles, loss of appetite (which is a real shame when you’re in a new place with new food), and lack of concentration. And the worst part is there seems to be no getting around it! But, there are some things you can do (or not do) to get over it as quickly as possible. Here are 25 do’s and don’ts to help you defeat the dreaded jet lag.
The Do’s
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Do set your watch to your destination’s time before you take off
Before you’ve even taken off, start getting used to the new time zone. Set your watch, and/or the time on your digital devices to the time zone of your destination. The sooner you start getting used to it, the sooner you’ll get over the jet lag that comes with it. This will also help you plan when to sleep or not sleep on the plane.
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Do eat healthy foods
Both on the plane, and afterwards, when you’re feeling the effects of jet lag, eating healthy foods can help you overcome symptoms of jet lag. Stay away from heavy, carbohydrate-rich foods, especially on the plane, as these are just going to send you to sleep. Protein rich foods, and fruits and vegetables are always a good idea. They’ll give you the energy you need to stay awake.
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Do get some sleep at the right time
If you want to make the most of the days you have at your destination, or if you want to get back on your feet as quickly as possible after coming home, you’ll need to make sure you’re getting some sleep at the right time. It might be a little difficult, and you might find yourself waking up during the night, but do your best to get as much natural sleep, at the right time, as possible.
This also applies whilst you’re on the plane. If you’re flying during your destination’s night time, try and get some shut eye, even if you’re not all that tired.
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Do pack a sleep mask
This is essential if you want to get some good sleep on the plane. If your flight is during your destination’s night time, it’s important to try and get some rest in then. The only trouble is, the lights are often on, or the light is shining in from the outside, or someone next to you is using a particularly bright laptop. Any small detail like this, and you’ll find it near impossible to get any sleep at all. So pack a sleep mask, and you’ll be able to shut out all of the distractions, and create complete darkness – exactly what you need to get a good rest.
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Do pack headphones
You’ll also want to block out noise, as well as light. Noise can be just as distracting, if not more. Whether it’s a screaming child, the dinging seatbelt sign, or the tipsy chattering of a hen party, any noise is going to keep you up when you should be sleeping.
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Do get enough water
If you don’t drink enough water whilst you’re struggling with jet lag, this dreaded tiredness will start to resemble an awful hangover. The last thing you want when your body clock is already messed up, is the added symptoms of dehydration.
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Do get out in the sun (and wear sun screen)
By getting out in the sun, your body will soak up all the goodness and vitamin D that comes with each ray of sunshine. Plus, the more natural light you expose yourself to, the less likely you are to start feeling like it’s time for a nap. The natural light will reduce your body’s melatonin levels, melatonin being what makes you feel tired of an evening.However, if you’re going to get out in the sun, make sure you wear sun screen. The last thing you want when you’re already feeling jet lagged is
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Do keep busy
Keep yourself busy and you won’t have time to worry about feeling jet lagged. On the day you arrive in your destination, and the days afterwards, pack your days full of fun activities. If you’ve only got a limited number of days at your destination, you don’t want to waste them nursing the symptoms of jet lag, so keep busy and don’t let jet lag ruin any of your precious holiday days.
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Do keep active
Sometimes getting active is the last thing you want to do when you’re feeling jet lagged. But a bit of exercise is one of the best things for getting over the awful timezone tiredness. As well as taking your mind off your adjusting body clock, the more active you are, the quicker your body will adjust to the new timezone.
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Do use caffeine strategically to keep yourself awake
Sometimes, jet lag hits you hard, and you might need a little help keeping yourself awake. Most of us are fans of coffee or at least tea, and these caffeinated drinks can be a God-send when you can barely keep your eyes open.
Obviously don’t go overboard, as caffeine isn’t great for you. But a few coffees throughout the day can be the perfect solution to staying awake until it’s time for bed. Another bonus to using caffeine strategically is the ‘caffeine crash’. Normally, this is the bane of every coffee drinker’s life, but you might actually welcome it when you’re jet lagged. By the time it reaches bedtime, your caffeine crash will have kicked in, and you might just sleep like a baby, despite your adjusting body clock.
The Don’ts
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Don’t drink alcohol when you’re feeling jet lagged
Jet lag has a tendency to feel a bit like a hangover, so you really don’t want to add an actual hangover on top of it. Plus, alcohol dehydrates you, and if you want to get over your jet lag as quickly as possible, you need to stay hydrated.
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Don’t drink the night before traveling!
The no drinking rule also applies to the night before you travel. If you want to be tactical about getting over jet lag, you’ll need to start helping your body adjust on the plane. But if you’re hungover and dehydrated when you fly, your body is going to be focused on recovering from the previous wild night. And trust me, it’s going to take a lot longer to recover from a hangover AND jet lag, than just jet lag.
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Don’t forget to eat
To get over tiredness, jet lag in particular, you want your body to be at its strongest. And to be at its strongest your body needs fuel – food. Otherwise, you’ll be running on empty, and your body is going to struggle to adjust.
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Don’t eat junk food
Whilst making sure you eat enough is important, that’s not to say that you should scoff down anything and everything that takes your fancy. Try and steer clear of junk food, as tempting as it can be, and instead have a healthy alternative.
Junk food doesn’t do your body any favours. You’ll actually feel more tired and unwell after eating it, and your body won’t have the nutrients it needs to effectively battle the symptoms of jet lag.
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Don’t just stay indoors
If you stay indoors when you’re feeling jet lagged you’ll end up giving in to your tiredness. It’s difficult to stay active and busy when you’re indoors. In fact, it’s much more tempting just to slob out on the sofa, and maybe have a nap. So rather than staying indoors, get out and about! That way you’ll recover from jet lag much quicker.
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Don’t arrive at night (where possible)
If you can choose what time you fly, try and avoid arriving at night. Arriving during the night can make jet lag much worse. The first thing you feel when you get somewhere new is excitement, and the last thing you want to do is sleep. So if you arrive at night, the chances are you’re probably not going to get a great night’s sleep.
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Don’t take sleeping pills
Sleeping pills can actually make you feel more jet lagged in the following days after you land. Your body needs to adjust naturally, and sleeping pills can cause confusion in your body’s adjustment. So if you can get to sleep without them, it’s often best not to take them.
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Don’t drink too much coffee
Whilst coffee can be used strategically with jet lag, it’s important not to overdo it. Drinking too much coffee can interfere with your body’s adjustment. It can make it difficult to get to sleep, or if you have a caffeine crash in the day time, you might just end up falling asleep before it’s even dark.
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Don’t have a nap on arrival
If you arrive during the day and have a nap, you’ll find it much more difficult to get to sleep at the right time later on. If you want to get over jet lag as quickly as possible, you’ll need to get used to the new timezone as soon after arrival as you can. The best way to do this is to get a good night’s sleep at the right time. So if you nap, and then can’t sleep at night, you might just drag your jet lag out for another day.
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Don’t think about it too much!
You know when you get a cut, or a graze, and you know how it hurts more when you think about it? It’s exactly the same with jet lag. The more you think about it, the more you’ll feel the effects. So do your best not to think about it! Don’t count the amount of hours you’ve been awake for, or think about what time it is back home. Just tell yourself that you’re already used to this new timezone. It’ the age old remedy of ‘mind over matter’.
So to sum up…
There are a whole load of things you can do to get over jet lag as quickly as possible, or at least make the symptoms a little more bearable. From thinking a little more carefully about your diet, to getting active, and avoiding having a nap, you can easily overcome the dreaded jet lag without it affecting your travels too much. You’ve read the 20 tips, so now it’s up to you to take action and defeat this timezone tiredness!
I live in the UK, in the country’s most uneventful city, where the most interesting story in the local paper is about banning dressing gowns in supermarkets.
I travel and I write, because surely there are more interesting stories than that to write about and share.
