Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 1: At your destination
• Tips
• Warnings

When you fly through time zones, it can take a while for the body to adjust. In the meantime, you will suffer from unpleasant ailments such as fatigue, insomnia, constipation, diarrhea, confusion and many others that are enough to make you furiously search for a cure for jet lag. Fortunately, there are some effective things you can do to prevent jet lag or to help your recovery from jet lag when it hits.

To step

1. Prepare your body for a time zone change. You can do this by moving your daily activities forward or backward one hour each week, depending on where you are going. The more time zones you fly over, the faster you will have to start. This will give your body a chance to gradually adjust to the new time zone.
   • However, if the time difference is several hours, it can get tricky to spend your last week before departure 3 or 4 or more hours ahead or behind everyone else. When you travel east you lose time and when you travel west you gain time. You can shift your eating and sleeping schedule an hour per day.
   • The direction of travel affects whether or not you suffer from jet lag. It is recommended that you go to bed earlier a few nights before departure if traveling east, but if traveling west, try to go to bed later on a few nights.
2. Stay hydrated. Drink enough on the day of the flight. Dehydration is one of the symptoms of jet lag, and the dry air in the plane does not help. Stay away from alcoholic or caffeinated drinks. The side effects of dehydration do more bad than good.
3. When you start your flight, move your watch to the destination time as soon as possible. This will help you mentally prepare for a new time zone. .
4. Sleep (or stay awake) just as if you were already there. If it is already daytime at your destination, try to avoid sleeping on the plane. If it is night at your destination when you are on the plane, try to sleep. Use earplugs and sleeping goggles and open the air-conditioning cover (colder temperatures can help you fall asleep faster).
5. On a long flight, a bed can be worth the higher price. A good night's sleep may cost a little.
6. Ask your doctor about short-acting sleeping pills if you are on a long flight. Many people find this useful.
   • If you need sleep while on the plane, try a wider seat. In a narrow economy seat with little legroom, your body will produce an adrenaline-like substance to direct your blood to your brain, which often prevents you from falling asleep. The availability of more legroom in the business class seats helps the passenger to sleep better.
7. Eat like you are already there. Avoid airplane food, as it is often served at the diet time of the time zone you departed from.

Method 1 of 1: At your destination

1. Play or exercise, preferably in the sun. When it's daytime at your destination, spend as much time outside as you can. The exposure to sunlight will cause your brain to adjust more quickly to the new time zone.
   • Stay active. Don't just go to your hotel room and sit in front of the television. If you do need sleep, take a nap, but only for 30 minutes. If it is longer it will make the jet lag worse.
   • If you are on a business trip you may not be able to play outside. No problem, any exercise (for example a brisk walk) will help and if you do it in the sunlight it will be even more effective. Can't go outside? Open the curtains of the hotel room and let in as much sun as possible and do some exercises in the room. Outdoors is best, but exercise in bright light will help a lot too. Be creative!
2. Eat light meals according to your new time zone. Not only is it your sleep cycle that adapts, but it is also your digestive routine. Large meals will only make it harder for your body to adjust and symptoms like constipation and diarrhea will accompany them.
3. Practice early in the evening and in the morning. It will help you get more sleep by feeling exhausted before going to bed (as long as you exercise for a few hours before going to bed so that your body can calm down) and it will help you feel more awake in the morning. running your blood in the morning.
4. Eat a protein-rich breakfast the morning before you arrive. It will help you stay alert.
5. Consider taking melatonin. Melatonin is the hormone that your body normally produces when you want to go to sleep. So, taking it when you want to tell your body to go to bed will help you change your internal clock to the new time zone.
   • When taking melatonin, the time you take is critical to success. You should take it within 30 minutes of the time you want your body to say "bedtime." In other words, don't take it if you might want to go to sleep, but it's not the bedtime you want to adjust to. Take it for four days after arriving at the destination.
   • Talk to your doctor before taking melatonin to make sure it's safe for you.

Tips

• Have fun when you are active, that will help a little more.
• The medical term for jet lag is desychronosis. It's a great excuse for your drowsiness in a meeting!
• A side effect of jet lag is waking up in the time zone you left. Instead of worrying about it, use it as extra time to get dressed and go downstairs and have breakfast earlier to avoid the morning rush. If you're doing this in a place like Disney World, spend some extra time on the rides.
• If possible, you can arrive at your destination a day earlier to help you adjust to the new routine. This is highly recommended for those attending an important meeting or conference lasting several days.
• Each person reacts differently to jet lag, depending on how you sleep, your sleep deprivation, your experience traveling, etc. Your ability to deal with jet lag can also change with age. It can be easy for you when traveling in 20s with a backpack, and it can be a big problem for you when you are traveling with your wife and children at the age of 40. And if you take the plane at 65 without the stress of your work, it may be all over again.
• If you are flying to a time zone that is only one or two different from yours, jet lag may not occur.
• If you are going to bridge three or four time zones, try to schedule a stop after two time zones. You can get off the plane, rest, enjoy the view and adjust a bit to the new time zone. It is quite expensive and not for everyone. It's a good way to get your body used to a new time zone. It is especially nice if you are traveling with children, who often do not like long flights anyway.
• Most airlines have lights on the aisle ceiling that dim and light up so you know when to be awake and when to sleep.

Warnings

• If you are traveling for a short time, don't get used to the new time zone. When you go back home, you have to adjust again. So don't change your sleep cycle too drastically.
• Keep in mind that changing your watch before departure can cause some confusion if you have a stopover in a different time zone. Make sure you know how long you have between flights to avoid missing a connection.
• Before taking melatonin, ask your doctor if a melatonin supplement is right for you, as it may not be compatible with other medications. It is not recommended for children under the age of 10 or those with an autoimmune disease. For some people, melatonin can only make nausea, headaches, or other jet lag symptoms worse.