By Sam
This article is going to show you a few tips on how to beat jet lag and get the most out of your holiday without spending the first few days feeling tired and sleeping at random times. I’m going to start by explaining what jet lag is and the go straight onto some things you can try to get over it as quickly as possible.
What is Jet Lag?
Jet lag refers to a range of different symptoms experienced when travelling to different time zones that have new light/dark schedules. It can affect everyone and there is no getting used to it. Whenever your body clock cannot cope with changing to a new time zone you will see some or more of these symptoms occur.
Jet lag can show itself in various ways. A few of the most common are:
- Extreme fatigue
- Digestion Problems
- Loss of appetite
- Struggling to keep concentration
- Blood pressure issues
- Unusual bowel habits
How to Beat Jet Lag?
Jet lag is pretty much inevitable if you find yourself regularly travelling through different time zones. So, in some ways you just have to expect it. However, there are things you can do to better get over it and not let it spoil your trip as much as it otherwise would.
Get Some Sleep Before You Travel
A lot of us tend to have very little sleep before a trip for a variety of reasons. Some are too excited about an upcoming holiday, others may well have a long travel time in terms of getting to the airport and therefore don’t really have time to sleep and some of us deliberately not sleep so that we can sleep on the plane.
Jet lag is caused by hitting new time zones and new routines, so think about it, changing up our sleep pattern right before we go is just another change and so another contributor to the jet lag. Getting your usual sleep and being well rested before hand will leave you in a better position to cope with the jet lag.
Avoid Arriving at Night
Arriving at your destination at night will play havoc with your body clock. This is harder for the value hunters of the world. Most of the cheaper flights are during the night and have you arriving at all hours.
Arriving in daylight hours is much better. It makes it much easier to stay awake and explore the city all day. You can follow this up with a good night’s sleep when it is dark and you are almost there in terms of getting over the jet lag in a single day.
Choose the Right Plane
This might sound a silly one, but as a matter of fact the plane you choose to fly on can have an effect on jet lag. Modern planes are now very advanced in terms of air pressure and come equipped with high tech humidification systems that allow the air to retain moisture and fancy LED lighting systems which are able to mimic the lighting that you would naturally expect throughout the day.
Break Up Your Travel to Avoid Fatigue
Many of us look to avoid stop overs at all costs. I personally used to always opt for direct flights because I did not want to be waiting around at airports and what not.
However it is time we accept that some journeys are just too long to do in a single trip. We arrive feeling fatigued and spend the first few days lethargic and feeling rubbish.
Now I will actively look for stop overs to try and break up long trips. This has allowed me to get in more rest and arrive in a much fresher state. An added bonus to this is that having a stop over can often reduce the total cost of the trip.
Look After Yourself
Finally and perhaps most importantly is to look after your body. Make sure you eat smart sensible foods that won’t leave you feeling stuffed and uncomfortable. Try and get some exercise whilst travelling. This could be as simple as walking around on the plane or trying some in seat exercises.
You can also treat yourself to a quality travel pillow. Check out the innovative J-Pillow or compact TRTL Pillow.
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