You just touched your dream paradise! The thrill of new adventures bubbles inside you, but wait, “What is this uneasiness?” You feel like your body is stuck at the old terminal. Ah, the dreaded lag is back to crush you, threatening to turn your dream vacation into a nightmare.
Your body faces biorhythmic confusion when your wristwatch says it’s six in the morning, but your body clock is stuck somewhere in your hometown where it’s time to sleep. Your body says, “Ohh, I am feeling sleepy!” but what about your adventure?
Don’t let this dreaded companion hijack your adventure. Reset your body with your inner time-traveling warrior and march toward the local delights and arrival cultures with our smart strategic tweaks to turn your foggy mornings and blurry eyes into the most refreshing adventure. So, stay tuned with us and find a dash of self-care tips and tricks on how to beat jet lag and make your vacations glow!
Understanding Science Behind Jet Lag:
Before discussing strategies to cope with jet lag, let’s first discuss what jet lag is and why we experience it during our long-haul vacations.
What Is a Jet Lag?
Jet lag is caused by traveling across different time zones and disrupts the body’s circadian rhythm. Our body experiences a temporary lag between the internal body clock and where we arrive.
When we travel, our body’s natural sleep-wake cycle experiences disruption due to rapid changes across diverse time zones. For instance, when we fly, it is dinner time in our hometown, but our destination has breakfast in the morning. So, our body gets confused and says, “What is happening?” and resists accepting the immediate changes. Your body wants to tell you to sleep when it’s your breakfast time and tells you to eat when you want to visit the gallery. Ahh, it’s frustrating to enjoy your trip without having the headaches.
Your body doesn’t reset its clock easily, just like your wristwatch, and so it causes a variety of issues that disturb your happy vacations. These symptoms include fatigue, sleepiness, mood swings, digestive problems, and difficulty concentrating, making you feel like a zombie. But worry not; we have the perfect solution to help you from your zombitious adventure. Keep reading to get your survival guide on how to beat jet lag. Let’s go…
Your Survival Guide on How to Beat Jet Lag Like a Pro:
Tired of your body drama at the brink of your dream vacation? Don’t worry; with these simple, savvy strategies on how to beat a jet lag like a bit of sunlight exposure and a healthy dose of personal care, you can help with this unwanted foe, feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. So, tucked in to govern your body clock, find the survival tricks to enjoy your holidays without getting dizzy.
1. Energized Your Trip With Restful Sleep:
Imagine arriving at your destination without getting weary eyes and a foggy brain but with the vibrant energy of a fully charged battery. The allure of getting on your dream journey excites you, but before you launch yourself across the globe, pause and take a break from your hectic schedule cause a well-rested start is the secret to an unforgettable journey.
Sleep deprivation dulls your senses, turning your vibrant experiences into a blurry haze. So, keep the last 48 hours before your journey begins peaceful. Mentally and physically, be ready to fly. Use inflight time to rest well, and make sure to reset your mind before your watch to set yourself free from the potential jet lag symptoms. Enjoy the moment and treasure your memories.
2. Adapt to New Time Zone With Ease:
Be in the moment and forget to remind yourself of your home’s time zone. Conquer your adventure with the power of your mind. Update your body clock along with your wristwatch according to the newly arrived destination time zone and adapt to the lifestyle accordingly. Eat and sleep with the local time and make the most of your time.
3. Strategize Your Sleep Time:
Landing sleepy can feel like a heavy burden. Fatigue can damage your mood and numb you, so managing your sleep time is essential. Sleep is the ultimate travel essential, like your passport, so strategize your time to fit the new schedule. Keep sleep essentials like noise-canceling headphones, earplugs, eye masks, and comfortable travel pillows or cushions with you to help with your sleepiness in the new place.
4. Avoid Over-Scheduling Your First Days:
Take a break from your hectic schedule before you begin your journey to the new country. If you leave frazzled with the last-minute party or late-night meeting, you may be lazy and stressed in the first part of your trip, missing several memorable events. So, take breaks and allocate enough time for sleep (and in case you are feeling unwell, include some extra buffer time in your schedule).
5. Stay Hydrated:
On your long-distance trip, don’t forget to keep yourself hydrated! Take a water bottle with you or purchase one from the terminal, but drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration and minimize the impact of jet lag.
You might be tempted to limit your water intake to reduce restroom breaks, but proper hydration can help you cope with the symptoms of jet lag and enjoy your trip to the fullest.
6. Expose to Natural Light:
Looking for an antidote for jet lag? Look no further than light therapy!
Exposure to light speeds up, reducing jet lag and allowing for adjustment to the new time zones. Natural light significantly impacts your circadian rhythm as the brain interprets the critical signal from light exposure and regulates our internal clock accordingly. Getting out in the sun or even exposing yourself to light during cloudy weather can help your body stay awake and limit the melatonin hormones that make you sleepy.
When natural light isn’t an option, use bright indoor lamps to incorporate the jet lag symptoms. These artificial lights include a lightbox or headgear. Using phones and laptops can also affect the circadian rhythm by providing higher illuminance.
So, on your next trip, make sure to expose yourself to natural sources of light to reduce the effects of jet lag and conquer your adventure!
7. Stay Awake Until Local Bedtime:
If you nap in the afternoon and wake up at midnight, you will not achieve your goals. So, plan your sleep schedule according to the local bedtime. Take a walk in the fresh air (which you hate the most at that moment) or stay out until the evening to reduce jet lag. Force your body to remain firm when you feel drowsy and try to adjust to the local time.
Sleep early at night and be the first person to awaken to experience the beauty of nature. Get out of your room and walk on the hills or serene streets. Watch the first sunrise since you land in paradise!
8. Do Exercise:
Feeling dizzy in the day? Why not do some exercise to wake up your system… Jet lag makes us physically and mentally tired, and to prepare for the adventure, you need to make yourself physically active. In this situation, exercise is the perfect choice to make yourself active.
Exercise has beneficial impacts on our body and mind and thus helps us to be active and healthy. Getting out for a short walk or light exercise can help align your circadian rhythm and refresh you.
Tip: Try to move on the plane or stretch to avoid muscle stiffness and reduce the risk of blood clots during your flight.
9. Eat Healthy Food:
Jet lag causes many disturbances to your internal system, and stomach problems are the most common. Extensive plane travel also disturbs your routine. A sudden shift in time zones affects your meal time. You may be hungry when you have to sleep and sleepy when your body growls for food.
This situation causes stomach and digestive problems and affects your health. To avoid health issues, opting for light and fresh meals, like fruits and vegetables, is better to prevent gastrointestinal disturbances.
10. Use Medications:
Before getting on the plane, you should visit your doctor for a prescription for jet lag insomnia. Sleep aids may help you adjust your night sleep in your new location to cope with insomnia and sleeplessness during the local nighttime.
Talk to your doctor about the side effects of the sleep aids and follow the doctor’s prescriptions carefully to prevent side effects.
Note: Try to embrace natural practices like leaving home unfrazzled or minimizing jet lag symptoms by adopting local time to enjoy the trip to the fullest without getting any issues.
Ready for Your Seamless Adventure!
Don’t let the jet lag dim your magical adventure. Conquer every hurdle of jet lag with these strategies and turn your simple adventure into vibrant glory!
Understand your body’s rhythm and implement the techniques you learned. Feeling refreshed and ready to make countless memories of the place requires good rest. So, prioritize your rest and take good care of your health. Remember these tips and tricks on how to beat jet lag and go forth to conquer the world ahead!
Also, read on the Top 10 Smart Packing Hacks for Minimalist Travel.
