Jet lag is inevitable when you're traveling long distances by plane, and it can leave you feeling completely wrecked for several days to a week after you arrive at your destination.
For people who simply cannot afford the few days to completely recover from the physical and mental exhaustion of jet lag, there are a number of simple preparatory steps you can do before, during, and after your long flight to minimize jet lag fatigue.
- Don't Miss: How to Make Long Flights More Comfortable
Got your own tips for surviving jet lag? Share with us in the comments below! (Click on image below to enlarge.)
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20 Comments
Trick question! If you're going exactly halfway around the world (12 time zones) do you go to sleep earlier or later the days prior to?
that is a good question. anyone?
when i flew to paris (9 hours ahead of pacific coast time) and my plane landed in the morning, all i could do was sleep as much as possible on the flight to pretend that it was night time and stay on my feet all day long once i landed. and it worked like a charm!
doesn't matter. Just pick a system and stick to it! =]
To adjust to time zones 8+ hours different, I take just a 2 hours nap the night before instead of a full night's sleep. Upon arrival I immediately adjust to the new time zone and go to sleep at the new appropriate time. This gives you a bit of jet lag the first day, but you adjust very quickly to the new time zone! At least it works every time for me!
Great tip. Thanks for sharing!
I don't understand something in the first "During" panel: "Sleep if it is night-time over there, be awake if it is night time." Ignoring the comma splice, is the point that you should sleep if the people at your destination spell night-time with a hyphen, and be awake if they spell it open?"
Yes, just a typo. It's been fixed. Thanks for pointing it out.
Pretty good tips. (I think "Be awake if it is night time" was just a typo.) I studied in Rome for three years, and from my experience I would say: don't be afraid to take a nap while you're adjusting, rather than forcing yourself to stay awake all day. I could never sleep more than an hour or so in the daytime, and then I would be refreshed and still able to sleep at night. It takes a few days, but your body adjusts naturally to the new time zone.
sorry everyone, that was a typo. (probably from jetlag... since i am abroad when i made this.) thank you justin for fixing!!
A dose of melatonin before bed on the first few nights at the destination seems to work very well for me.
i heard about that but never tried it myself. good to know!!
Yeah, give it a try; some people I know say it doesn't help them, but some people, like me, seem to respond to it well. Another thing I forgot to mention, and have never actually tried myself, is acupuncture. I have a friend (an acupuncturist) who swears he can cure jet lag instantly with a few well-placed needles. I can't vouch for that, but I've had dental work done with only acupuncture for pain prevention, so I won't say it wouldn't work!
Fascinating! I've never tried acupuncture but always wanted to-- terrible jet lag seems like the perfect excuse to try it out. :)
Its a hormone the body naturally makes so this is a better option than OTC sleeping pills. Great suggestion!
i hate hearing people whine about jet lag across 'a few timezones'
my worst jet lag is from 23+ hours of flight between Chicago and Singapore/Kuala Lumpur.
It's a 12-13 hour flight to one of the east gateways (tokyo/seoul/taipei) or the europe gateways (paris/amsterdam) or the middle east gateway (istanbul/dubai/dohar) and then followed by another 9-10 hours.
I can sleep on both flights, but I have to wake up to change flights/go through security/airport stuff. when I get to my destination I'm a zombie for 2 days.
Sleep is not the only circadian rhythm you have to reset. After the flight: eat meals in the local time; try to eat at the same times of day for the first few days. Don't just "play it by ear" and let your blood sugar scrape the basement. I plan my days by planning meals first, and then planning other activities around them, because I'm diabetic and if I don't I'm libel to murder somebody. Even if you're not diabetic, don't fool with your blood sugar; get it back into sync along with your sleep cycle, and you'll be laughing.
Great tip. Thank you! I agree, meal times definitely makes a big difference.
I read an article a couple of months ago on how fasting prior to breakfast time in destination time zone can help reset your clock to minimize jet lag. Link below - don't know if it will make it
http://harpers.org/archive/2012/03/hbc-90008468
Fascinating!
Jet lag, also called desynchronosis and flight fatigue, is a temporary disorder that causes fatigue, insomnia, and other symptoms as a result of air travel across time zones. It is considered a circadian rhythm sleep disorder, which is a disruption of the internal body clock. Read more about it at: http://blog.somulin.com/how-to-avoid-jet-lag.html
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