How to Fight Jet Lag! |
Posted: August 8, 2011 |
Jet Lag! I have jet lag. It is going to ruin my vacation, is there any way to stop this from happening? Over the last two decades I have heard this over and over again from travellers beginning their trip.
How about your own experience, does this sound familiar to you?
You have been planning your trip for six months; you are excited and pumped up about your vacation. You fly across a number of time zones only to arrive at your destination…exhausted! What is the first thing you do? Take a nap! The rest of your stay you find yourself waking in the middle of the night and then dropping of to sleep during the afternoon. Eventually, your body clock starts to adjust, just before you head home. You spend the next week getting back to your normal sleep routine. If this sounds familiar, you may be suffering from Jet Lag! Well, those days are over; you don’t have to suffer with this problem if you are willing to do a little preparation. Step 1 Begin to prepare a week or so before you are going to travel. If you are entering a time zone that is ahead of yours, then start going to bed earlier and rise earlier, if possible. If you are “going back in time” do the reverse. Try 30 minutes to start and then increase to an hour or more. This will reduce the time difference from your current sleeping times to that of your destination and so reduce Jet Lag. Step 2 A few days before your trip cut down on your intake of salts, fats caffeine and sugar; eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. Step 3 Set your watch to your destination time as soon as you start traveling. Step 4 Wear comfortable clothing so as not to restrict blood circulation and deter your ability to sleep. Step 5During long flight, get up and walk around every hour or two. This will help improve circulation and help prevent muscle stiffness. Step 6 If you are travelling at night, try to sleep. Step 7 If you are travelling during the day, when you arrive at your destination, stay awake as long as you can; even if it is night time at home. If it is the middle of the night when you arrive try and sleep or at least rest, even if you are not tired. Step 8 Go for a walk out side when you arrive. Daylight is a great help to recover from a long trip and will help reset you body clock to the correct time zone. Exercise is also of great benefit and may increase your energy levels, stopping you from feeling so sluggish. Step 9 Avoid sleeping in late the day after you arrive. Start the first day of your trip in the correct time zone. If you are really exhausted, have a short snooze in the afternoon but then force yourself to get up and moving. Step 10 Do not compare the destination time with that back home whilst you are traveling. I have known many who have kept their watch on home time and this has caused more then its fair share of problems. Keep your mind focused on the current time at your destination, and eat, drink and sleep accordingly. A couple of other Tips & Warnings Do not drink excessive alcohol whilst flying as the affects are heightened, which will increase your chances of Jet Lag. Drink lots of water whilst flying, this will reduce any dehydration and some effects of Jet Lag. If you continue to suffer from Jet-Lag, visit the local pharmacy and see what advice or medication they can offer. If you are still not quite able to wrap your head around “No Jet Lag While Traveling” take a few moments to watch this video from YouTube; “How to Avoid Jet Lag.” This is a fun video by Howcast, with a couple bonus suggestions. It is well worth the watch.
Length: 2:27 If you have any stories or questions about jet lag and would like to share or any travel related themes you would like to discuss; send them off to us. We will read the all and post our favourites. Well this is all we have for today’s post, let us know what you think. If you would like to receive further German posts, your options include: Stay in touch: If you have any comments, we would love to see them.
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