Traveling around the world is an adventure, no doubt about it; but one of the worst parts of visiting a new time zone is the accompanying jet lag. The last thing you want is to arrive at your destination and not be able to have fun because you are just so tired from the plane ride. The good news is there are some things you can to in order to stave it off.
Hydration
Drink water. Lots of water. It sounds cliché, but it really does work. It helps keep your body going and can help avoid the lethargic, tired feelings. Make sure to avoid caffeinated beverages; the perk helps for a few minutes, but you will ultimately crash and feel worse off than you did before. Also, avoid alcoholic drinks, because they serve the exact wrong purpose. They will only dehydrate you more, making you sleepy when you arrive.
Act Like You are in Your New Time Zone
As soon as you get on the plane, figure out what time it is in your destination and set your watch accordingly. If it is in the middle of the night during your ride, try to sleep on the plane and wake up refreshed. You might want to think about taking a mild sedative in order to help get you nice and rested. On the flip side, if it is daylight where you’re going, do the best you can to stay awake so you will sleep at night when you are there. Bring movies or puzzle books, or something else to stimulate your brain while you are on the long haul flight.
Get Outside
If you arrive and it’s in the middle of the afternoon where you are, but you’re still so tired, stay outside. Sure, go ahead and drop your stuff off in your room, but avoid looking at the comfortable bed for too long. Instead, find something to do that will keep you moving, but will not push you beyond your limits. Find a park with a nice view and people watch, or go to one of the smaller museums and walk around. This way you are still enjoying your destination, but you aren’t trying to take on one of the big “must-sees” right off the bat.
Stick to the Meal Times
One of the biggest mistakes people make is avoiding eating because they are tired. In fact, not eating will make you feel worse in the long run, because your body will be using up its energy trying to keep you going. You can even start this a few days before you go, by catering your meal times to your new time zones; at the very least, make sure you do this on the plane. When you notice it’s dinner time, have a little bit of protein; if it’s breakfast, have a light pastry. It doesn’t have to be a huge, elaborate meal, but something akin to what you would normally be eating around that time.
By following these few simple steps, you can mostly avoid the jet lag after a long day of traveling. This way, you are refreshed and ready to experience whatever adventures await.
Light Exercise
Keeping your body in motion is a vital component of not succumbing to jet lag, but be careful not to overdo it. During your flight, just stretch your legs and walk up and down the aisles every now and again. When you arrive at your destination, take a quick walk around to familiarize yourself with the area or take a dip in the hotel swimming pool. Don’t run a marathon or try to do 1000 sit ups; all you need is just enough to keep our body alert. On the flip side, don’t do anything too relaxing, either, such as tai chi, yoga, or mediation. Just some light motion will help keep your body awake until you are ready for bed.
Plan Your Flights Accordingly
Now, this one might be a little tricky, since travel websites and ticket prices may not be so flexible, but if you can, try to schedule your flight so you arrive in the early afternoon at your destination. This way, you have time to see one or two things, have dinner, and then head on back to the hotel. Also, it will be daylight when you arrive, so your body won’t think it’s time for bed yet. Anything you can do to help trick your internal clock a bit is a good thing on such a long trip.
Do Not Over or Under Sleep
A common mistake people make is trying to stay awake the night before a long flight, so they will sleep on the plane. While it sounds good in theory, often people find they can’t doze off on the flight and end up being overtired when they land and tempted to fall asleep as soon as they see the hotel bed. Conversely, some people think that sleeping twelve to sixteen hours before they travel will keep them awake and focused until they are ready to go to bed. What they don’t realize is traveling is tiring. You may think that it’s easy sitting on plane for six hours, but really, you’re constantly worried about luggage, children, connecting flights, or whether or not you’ll like the in-air movie. It’s stressful. Instead, just try to get the normal eight or so hours of sleep. If you can, try to sleep the same hours as your new time zone for a few days before you go, but if that’s not an option, don’t try to overcompensate.
Don’t Stress
As mentioned, traveling can be a stressful experience, but it doesn’t always have to be. The more you relax, the easier time you’ll have resting on the plane and feeling like you can enjoy the time on your vacation. Pack ahead of time, so you have time to squeeze in all of the last minute items. Plan your flights so you have time to look around the airport between connections and you don’t have to rush from one gate to the other. Anything you can do to take even a small load off your mind will help.
Safe Travels!