I bet that everyone loves to travel. But all too often holidays are marred by that bane of a flyer's existence : JET LAG.
What is jet lag?
• Jet lag is an extreme tiredness and other physical effects felt by a person after a long flight across several time zones. (Synonym : HELL!)
When your body's circadian rhythm (natural 24 hours routine) is disrupted, jet lag can occur. A reduction in oxygen level while flying can also be a factor. Jet lag is usually worse when you travel to the east cause you lose hours in the day. It's easier to stay awake than forcing yourself to sleep then.
There are no magic pills to prevent it, but there are surely ways and plenty of tricks to stop it from ruining your holiday!
First of all, know the symptoms of jet lag :
- Disturbed sleep patterns
- Headaches / nausea
- Diarrhea or constipation
- Irregular periods for women who travel frequently
Ways to beat jet lag :
BEFORE THE FLIGHT
- Change your sleeping routine beforehand. If you're going to the east, start going to bed earlier a few days before your flight; If you're going to the west, start going to bed later a few days before your flight.
- Try to keep calm and relax before your journey, stress can make jet lag worse.
- Plan a stopover. If it's possible, try to have a stopover on the way to allow your body to slowly adjust to the new time zone.
DURING THE FLIGHT
- Keep yourself hydrated throughout the flight as dehydration makes jet lag symptoms worse. However, avoid drinking alcohol and caffeine - they dehydrate you.
- Stay active when you're flying long distance. Stretch your arms and legs regularly and take walks around the cabin.
- Time your activities. Try to eat and sleep according to the local time of your destination.
- Avoid junk food and heavy meals, fizzy drinks too. If possible, eat light meals.
AFTER THE FLIGHT (when you've arrived)
- Upon your arrival, spend some time outside and expose yourself to daylight. It helps you adjust to the new time zone quicker.
- If you're going east, seek some afternoon light to shift your circadian rhythm forward, towards the sleep phase; If you're going west, avoid the afternoon light and instead, get some morning light so that your circadian rhythm is shift backwards.
Don't let jet lag get your holidays down. Overcome it and enjoy your holidays! I hope these will help you in your future travels.
~♡
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