Are your overseas adventures being hindered by insomnia, upset stomachs or daytime fatigue? There isn’t one way to beat jet lag, but there are plenty of steps you can take to lessen its impact – and focus on making the most of your trip.
WHAT EXACTLY IS JET LAG?
Jet lag is confusion between the local time and your internal body clock, and it occurs when you travel quickly across more than two time zones.
Flying from west to east creates worse jet lag than going east to west. "West is best, while east is a beast" is a common old adage for weary flyers. Why is it hard to beat jet lag when going east? Because our circadian rhythms (our biological clock which tells us when to go to sleep and when to wake up) tend to extend a little longer than 24 hours. This means that if you fly west and land somewhere like London then you may have to extend how long you are awake to wait for 9 pm to roll on in. When you head back east, however, you may have to go to bed early, and your inner body clock struggles with this shift. This is why it can seem so much harder to beat jet lag after a holiday if that holiday was heading to Europe from Australia or New Zealand.
How long it could take you to get over your jet lag? It generally takes a day for your body clock to adjust to each hour of a new time zone, so just do the maths and buckle in.
LEARN TO ‘HACK’ YOUR SLEEP CYCLE
Healthy bodies cope better with the stress of jet lag than those in poor health, so try to eat well, sleep and exercise before your trip. If you often travel across time zones, you can move your body clock closer to where it should be at your destination.
In the week before you fly, schedule the timing of:
- Sleep and light – alter your sleeping times as the week progresses to be nearer to your expected sleep times at your destination
- Food – slowly transition your eating times to be closer to those at your end point.
You’re aiming to reduce the time difference between your current time zone and the one you’re arriving in.
CHOOSE SMART FLIGHT TIMES
Depending on your circumstances, choose flight times that work best for you.
If you’re on business travel, fly by day and sleep on arrival. If you have very young kids, fly overnight and let them sleep. If you have older kids that can enjoy the entertainment on the plane, perhaps fly by day and they’ll be exhausted when you arrive after dark.
If you’re a solo traveller, consider booking a flight that lands in the daytime as getting out into sunlight helps to reset your body clock.
Think about a stopover if you’re in for two long haul flights. Spend one or two nights in a stopover destination and you will stop jet lag from being so inhibiting later on. Shorter stopovers can give you time to adjust to the new time zone. For stopovers with hours spent in transit, see if you can:
- Take a shower and refresh
- Wander around the airport to stretch your legs
DURING YOUR FLIGHT
If you associate flying with a free feed, movie madness and drinks on tap, it might be time for a rethink. As soon as you step on the plane, set your watch or phone to the local time at your destination. You can then begin to sync sleeping and eating patterns with the time at your journey’s end. Avoid alcohol and caffeine as they can disrupt your sleep. Stay hydrated with water. Dehydration will worsen the effects of jet lag so drinking lots of water before, during and after your flight is a smart move.
Top up your sleep on the plane, even if it’s only a few hours here and there. It’ll make a difference when you arrive by helping you stay awake until evening. Maximise your inflight comfort and sleep easier with a travel neck pillow, ear plugs and an eye mask. Also wear comfy, loose-fitting clothing to help you relax and drift off. Avoid taking sleeping pills as these won’t help you adjust to new time zones and may wipe you out for hours – inhibiting your ability to get up and move around, which combats deep-vein thrombosis (DVT).
On long distance flights particularly, try to get up and around the cabin as regularly as you can. Keeping your blood circulation flowing during the flight will reduce the risk of headaches, especially those brought on by dehydration, which can make it that much harder to beat jet lag in those initial hours of landing. Stretching is also an important activity on flights to help reduce idleness and the risk of developing DVT.
AFTER YOUR FLIGHT
Your arrival routine is just as critical as your pre-flight and flight routines for minimising jet lag. Once you land, it’s essential you stay awake until an early local bedtime.
TAKE A DAYTIME WALK
Your body's circadian rhythm is largely governed by the sun's light. To help stay awake, try:
- Walking around outside in the fresh air
- Exposing yourself to sunlight
- Stimulating your mind by doing some casual sightseeing
MANAGE YOUR POST-FLIGHT SLEEP
If you’re having trouble getting to sleep, take a hot bath, put some drops of lavender oil on your pillow and block out any street lights to help your body relax and set its internal clock for sleep mode.
Resist the urge to sleep in on the morning after you arrive. Your goal should be to get off your regular circadian rhythm and become in sync with the local rhythm as soon as possible. Waking up early will also help you to fall asleep on local time the following night.
AVOID WHITE AND BLUE LIGHT BEFORE BED
The backlight displays on our mobiles, laptops and tablets prevent the production of natural melatonin – a hormone that regulates sleep. Take a break from these devices in the evening.
Talking about melatonin: you can get melatonin supplements to help you beat jet lag, but there are foods that are high in melatonin that will help you as well. These include nuts like almonds and walnuts, and fruits like cherries, and bananas.
Completely preventing jet lag is an impossible task but by following some of these tips, you’ll keep its effects to a minimum.