Avoiding Jet Lag

 I am sitting in the airport waiting for my flight to New Zealand. When I get there, it will be Thursday sometime and I will have almost skipped a day by crossing the International dateline. I have noticed that if the change is only an hour or two, things aren’t bad but if you go toEurope or the South Pacific, it is more noticeable.

Jet lag or jet lag disorder is defines as a temporary sleep disorder people experience when they travel across several time zones. Most people have an internal clock that tells them when to sleep and when to be awake. So jet lag occurs because your body is synchronized to your original time zone when you are in a different time zone. Jet lag can cause you to feel t unwell, experience daytime fatigue, stomach problems, or just feel unwell. The nice thing is that jet lag is temporary. In general, one feels these symptoms more as you travel further east. The general rule of thumb is that it takes day to recover for every time zone crossed.

Today, we will look at ways to make jet lag less noticeable so you are not trying to catch up on sleep the first few days.  If you are traveling for business, arrive a few days early, otherwise plan to take the first day or two off so your body has a chance to recover. In addition, make sure you are fully rested before you begin your trip. When you are sleep deprived, you are more likely to experience the jet lag more. 

If you have the ability, begin changing your personal sleep schedule to closer match the one in your final location. If you fly east, start going to bed one hour later each night to help you better adjust. If you are flying east, go to bed one hour earlier each night in preparation for your trip. 

When you get to your destination, expose yourself to light because your body relies on light to help your internal clock. If you have flown east, expose yourself to the morning light so your body knows it is in a different time zone. If you have flown west, expose yourself to the evening light to help you adjust. The exception to this rule is when your trip takes you across 8 or more time zones.

In this case, wear sunglasses and avoid early morning light if you’ve flown east. Instead, expose yourself to the late afternoon light, otherwise your body might mistake the early morning light for dusk. If you travel west, avoid late afternoon sunlight because your body might perceive it as dawn.

Make sure you stay hydrated before, during, and after the trip help keep the symptoms from becoming as bad. In addition, set your watch to the new time before you leave. When you land try not to go to bed until the clock says it’s time no matter how tired you are. Finally, try to sleep if it is night at your destination. This can be done using an eye mask, ear plugs or head phones. If it is day where you are going, resist the urge to sleep.

Have fun on your next trip and follow these guidelines to help you avoid experiencing jet lag as much as possible. Let me know what you think, I’d love to hear. Have a great day.