If you have ever done any long-distance traveling, you’re probably familiar with jet lag. Whether you’re jumping just a single time zone or you’re returning from a long trip across the globe, jet lag can make getting back into your regular routine pretty tough. With loads of traveling on our agenda this year and our recent trip to Japan and Hong Kong, jet lag is often a pretty major issue in our family. We struggle to get back to our regular sleeping habits and end up groggy and grumpy. After this latest trip, fighting jet lag seems like something that might be a little easier to combat with a few tricks up our sleeves. Are you also headed out on a long-distance adventure? Here’s a guide to fighting jet lag: tips for traveling and coming home.
5 Tips for Fighting Jet Lag
#1. Start out on the right foot. Before you head out on a trip – no matter if it’s a quick weekend getaway or a longer adventure, get all the rest you need in advance. Starting out feeling well-rested and ready to tackle the time zones will help your body have a defense mechanism over the travel and time changes.
#2. If you’re traveling a long distance, to a completely different time zone, try adjusting your sleep schedule the week before you go. Makes sense, right? Getting on your new schedule will allow your body more time to get on the right track with sleep patterns and will ensure more sleep while you’re on the road.
#3. Give noise-cancelling headphones and an eye mask a try on your flights. Packing in the z’s while you’re in the air certainly helps your body adjust and get ready for the lack of sleep you might experience – noise-cancelling headphones can be incredibly helpful for getting that sound sleep you’re after, while an eye mask will keep out that pesky airplane lighting.
#4. Understand that no matter what direction you’re headed – east or west – it’s going to take your body some time to adjust. Notoriously, it’s more difficult on eastbound destinations, but either way – give yourself a break. Try your best to stay on the correct sleep schedule rather than napping during the daylight hours and being awake all night.
#5. Hydrate. Hydrate. Hydrate. Seems like getting enough water is always the answer to everything, right? It often is. Sometimes jet lag can manifest itself in more ways than simply feeling tired – headaches, nausea, muscle aches – all common – but contributing factors include sitting in one position for so long on a flight. Might as well load up on the water to give your body that extra little boost it needs to recover.
Our internal body clocks definitely get out of whack when we travel and function on time zones that aren’t it’s norm, but it’s all part of the fun of traveling and getting out there to explore this great big world. How do you try to prevent the effects or combat jetlag before and after a big trip?
