Dos and Don’ts when jet lagged

If you are a frequent traveler then you must have heard this term a lot of times, and also experienced the same.  Hence, for all our frequent travelers, we have prepared a list of how to fight Jet lag.

What do we mean by Jet Lag?

It is a temporary sleep problem that can affect anyone who travels frequently between different time zones. Being jet-lagged can make you feel daytime fatigue or unwell feeling and also affects the individual’s mood.

Jet lag symptoms usually occur within a day or two of travel. Symptoms tend to prevail the more time zones one travels to, especially if the individuals travel in easterly directions. It generally takes up a day or two for each time zone crossed.

Now we discuss a few basic steps that help one prevent Jet Lag:

Arrive Early: It is advised that one arrives at the destination a day or two in advance to acclimatize the body.

Get plenty of sleep: The day before your flight one should get plenty of sleep, the more sleep deprived the individual is the more the jet lag will be.

Adjust your routine before your flights: If you are traveling to east, try sleeping an hour early for few days before your departure. Similarly, if flying west try getting to bed an hour late, than your usual sleep cycle.

Regulate light exposure: Light exposure happens to be one of the main reasons that influences the body’s sleep cycle. In addition, when traveling westwards try adjusting to the later than usual time zone, and exposure to the morning light can help you adapt to the earlier time zone faster.

Stay on your time schedule: Set your time to the local standard time of the place before you leave, once you are at your destination try to sleep at the local nighttime. Try to time your meals to local times to, this will only help you adjust faster and in a very seamless manner.

Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of water before, during and after your flight to counter react the dehydrating cabin area. Dehydration can worsen the case of jet-lagged. Avoid caffeine, and alcohol, as these can dehydrate an individual and affect your sleep.

Try to get some sleep: When traveling and it is nighttime on your landing destination then try getting some sleep on the aircraft itself. If it is daytime on your landing destination, then avoid sleep as much as possible so that it does not disrupts your sleep cycle.

We hope this will help one travel and simplify the process, making it easy and measured to be taken to fight jet lag.