Set Your (Internal Body) Clock for TravelJet lag is what happens when your body struggles to adjust after flying across time zones. Planning for and managing jet lag can help make travel more enjoyable and productive. You can take steps before, during and after your flight to minimize disruptions to your sleep cycle, mood and well-being.
Picture This:
You’ve finally reached your fantasy destination, the place you’ve dreamed of visiting for years. Unfortunately, you’re so totally exhausted, the first few days of vacation pass by in a sleepy blur.
Whether you’re traveling for business or pleasure, jet lag can be a real hindrance to your performance and enjoyment. Jet lag is the temporary mental and physical upset you experience when your circadian rhythms (internal body clock) are disrupted by rapidly traveling across time zones. When you’re jet-lagged, your internal clock is out of synch with the new time at your destination. And when your internal clock is confused by a new time zone, it can adversely affect your sleep and wake cycle, level of alertness, performance, physical well-being and mood.
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| | Tips for minimizing jet lag | | 1. | Plan for the time change, says the National Sleep Foundation (NSF). Get up and go to bed earlier several days before an eastward trip. Get up and go to bed later for a westward trip. | | | | 2. | Select a flight that allows early evening arrivaland stay up until 10 p.m. local time, advises the NSF. | | | | 3. | Try to take a short nap on a short flight and a longer nap on a longer flight, suggests Dr. Michael Breus, Ph.D. in Good Night, The Sleep Doctor's 4-Week Program to Better Sleep and Better Health. Time your naps to avoid emerging from one in a deep sleep, which could leave you groggy. | | | | 4. | Drink plenty of liquids, preferably water, during the flight to avoid dehydration. | | | | 5. | Stay away from excessive caffeine, alcohol and tobacco on the flight and during your stay. | | | | 6. | Since daylight can help reset your internal clock, spend as much time as possible outside at your destination. | | | | 7. | If you've traveled eastward, seek bright light in the morning. If you've traveled westward, seek bright light in the afternoon. | | |
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The severity of jet lag varies from person to person but you’ll probably discover that the more time zones you cross, the more your body struggles to adjust. Jet lag symptoms also vary depending on which direction you’ve traveled. Eastward travelers “lose” time and often have trouble falling asleep at their new bedtime and difficulty waking up in the morning.
Westward travelers “gain” time and often experience early evening sleepiness and predawn awakening. For many, though, traveling from east to west causes fewer sleep and adjustment problems. For instance, a vacationer going from New York to San Francisco, where it’s three hours earlier, will find daylight makes it easier to stay awake until his “new” bedtime. Losing three hours when heading in the opposite direction from San Francisco to New York tends to be a more difficult adjustment.
The general jetlag acclimation rule is 1 day of adaptation per time zone. Luckily, there are steps you can take to make sure jet lag doesn’t interfere with your travel plans—no matter how many time zones you cross.