Travel Tips

Tips to Fight Jet Lag

Jet lag is a common problem for even seasoned flyers. Flight attendants, pilots, and inveterate business travelers all find themselves suffering from this reaction to time zone change. They might feel tired and irritable, suffer from cold-like symptoms, have digestive problems, feel disoriented, and have headaches, swollen eyes, and swelling in the arms and legs.

Any kind of long haul flight can cause these kinds of problems, but there are other factors that can make jet lag even worse. After all, less oxygen is present in recycled air, it's hard to sleep on a flight, the spaces are cramped, the food not what you're used to and it's easy to get dehydrated. Add in continuous noise of one kind of another and the difficulty of having to make a connection, and you could feel pretty bad.

The technical definition of jet lag is a little different from the common one - officially, a flight from the west coast of the US to the east won't give you jet lag. It'll just tire you out. Jet lag generally requires a longer distance, and is worse as you head west. The longest flights, particularly those early in the morning, can also cost you several hours of normal sleep. Even without having to deal time changes, the upset caused by getting to the airport on time can be difficult, and for those who live by a regular schedule, it can be especially difficult. Parents will want to take care, since children are generally not affected by jet lag, and will need to be entertained.

One good rule to keep in mind is a one to one ratio of recovery - a day for each hour of time difference. If you're from the west coast and you're coming to New York City, you'll need three days to completely recover from your jet lag. You should also make sure you treat yourself well before flying, staying hydrated, sober, well exercised and well rested. No one wants to get on a long flight with a hangover!

Treating your body well is the key to combating in flight jet lag. Drink plenty of fluids, but make sure that they're neither alcoholic or caffeinated. Your flight attendant should be happy to give you additional water - it's worth the effort of asking! Get up to walk around whenever it's feasible, or do stretching exercises in your seat. Just make sure they won't disturb other passengers.

Some people exercise before going to the airport itself, in order to get better sleep on the plane. Walk and take the stairs inside the airport instead of using escalators or elevators, in order to help yourself stay active. You can also choose to work on your jet lag before you get it. If you need to deal with a significant time change, you ought to try adjusting your own internal clock in advance. Start staying up and sleeping in, or getting up early and going to bed early. This will make the transition a lot easier.

For some, the mental adjustment is the hard one. Wearing two watches - one for the time at your destination and one for the time where you're departing, can make it easier to adjust. This is a common tactic for business travelers who need to know what's going on in another area. While on the flight, consider wearing loosely fitting shoes, bringing a blindfold, pillow, and ear plugs for sleeping, and washing your face from time to time. It could make a huge difference in how you feel when the flight is over.