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Jet Lag and how to Avoid it.
Jet Lag, 10 Tips on how best to avoid it.
Sooner or later, almost everyone who travels by air—from occasional passengers to professional pilots—is affected by jet lag. One research study reported that as many as 94 percent of all long-distance fliers experience some form of it. Jet Lag Disrupts Natural Rhythms. Crossing multiple time zones tends to disrupt your circadian rhythms, confusing your natural 24-hour “body clock,” which regulates your waking and sleeping hours and keeps you aligned with your environment. Symptoms of jet lag may include fatigue, insomnia, disorientation, swollen hands and feet, headaches, digestive problems, lightheadedness and more. The condition seems especially acute if you fly from west to east, because it is more difficult for your body to adjust to “losing time” when you journey east than to “gaining time” when you fly from east to west. And the more time zones you cross during your flight, the more jet lag you're likely to experience. Ten Tips to Help You Avoid Jet Lag. Here are a few tips to help you avoid jet lag, and prevent it from ruining the first few days of your next vacation or business trip: 1,A few days before your trip, start changing your sleep patterns to match the schedule you will need to keep at your destination. Adjusting your bedtime by an hour a day will help you avoid jet lag during your trip. 2,Resetting your watch at the beginning of your flight may help you adjust more quickly to the time zone you’ll be visiting. 3,Drink plenty of water, before, during and after your flight. The air on planes is extremely dry, and some experts believe that dehydration is a leading cause of jet lag. Virtually everyone agrees that dehydration can make it worse. 4,Avoid drinking alcohol or anything with caffeine during your flight. (That includes many soft drinks as well as coffee or tea.) Both alcohol and caffeine increase dehydration. 5,Sleep on the plane if it is nighttime at your destination. Use earplugs, headphones, eye masks or other sleep aids to help block out noise and light, and a travel pillow to make yourself more comfortable so you can sleep. 6,Stay awake during your flight if it is daytime at your destination. Read, talk with other passengers, watch the movie, or walk the aisles to avoid sleeping at the wrong time. 7,Exercise as much as you can on the flight while you’re awake. Stretch your back, arms and leg muscles, walk up and down the aisles when the seat belt sign is turned off, and squeeze a rubber ball or a pair of socks to stimulate good circulation and prevent jet lag. 8,Eat lightly but strategically. Some people adhere to various “jet lag diets,” but I’ve never found one that was worth the trouble it took to follow it. Still, it makes sense to eat foods that support your needs and can help you avoid unnecessary “jet lag” conditions. Remember that high-protein meals are likely to keep you awake, foods high in carbohydrates promote sleep, and fatty foods may make you feel sluggish. 9,Some people claim that melatonin will “cure” jet lag by promoting sleep. Others swear by a homeopathic product called No Jet Lag. Melatonin, which is a natural hormone produced by our bodies, can be purchased as a supplement at most health food stores. No Jet Lag is available online and at many retail outlets that sell travel supplies. 10,If you have the luxury of arriving at your destination a day or two before you have to engage in important activities that may require a lot of energy or sharp intellectual focus, why not give yourself a break and let your body adjust to the time change a little more gradually? Keep up to date with all the news and information from the Costa del Sol and Andalucia, Subscribe to our FREE E-Zine"Andalucia Life"
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