The first days of traveling to distant countries are the most interesting and vibrant, but, unfortunately, sometimes they are overshadowed by jetlag – an unpleasant consequence of crossing several time zones. The fact is that our body lives in accordance with the so-called circadian rhythms, synchronized with the sun. An airplane is a very fast means of transportation, so from the body’s point of view, it instantly transports us into a “displaced” day, where the body becomes out of sync with the clock. This may manifest itself in the fact that you are nodding off all day long, but at night, on the contrary, you cannot sleep. Sometimes jet lag provokes digestive disorders and simply causes poor health and nervousness. Today we want to talk about how to prepare for a flight and what to do during and after it to make acclimatization easier.
1. Get ready
Rick Steves, an American writer and television host and travel expert, advises preparing for a trip as if your flight is scheduled for two days earlier. To do this, you will probably have to finish your usual business and pack your bags at an intense pace, but a day before the flight you will have everything ready and you will be able to prepare for the trip mentally, relax and get a good night’s sleep. Of course, during a strictly regulated vacation, you don’t want to spend an extra day at home, but at least try to get ready for the evening the night before, this way you will avoid morning nervousness and allow yourself to sleep longer and have a leisurely breakfast.
2. Start adjusting to the new time zone at home
Find out the time difference in advance and try to start adjusting in the right direction 2-3 days before departure. So, if you’re flying east, go to bed and wake up earlier than usual for a few days, as much as possible ahead of your current time zone. Conversely, if you have a trip to the west, feel free to stay late. Once you board the plane, immediately set your watch to the new time and try to start thinking based on it.
3. Get a good night’s sleep
Someone might come up with the idea of not sleeping the night before a flight in order to arrive at the place very tired, sleep the rest of the day and night, and wake up in the morning in a new clock mode. Unfortunately, it will not be possible to deceive the body in this way, the biorhythms will remain the same, and the stress of staying awake for too long will simply be added to the symptoms of jet lag. Therefore, it is better to get a good night’s sleep before the flight.
4. Drink more water and avoid alcohol
This is useful advice for any airplane passenger: the air in the cabin is often dried out by air conditioning, and alcohol only contributes to additional dehydration, which will only add to problems upon arrival. Also, if your plane lands at night, try to avoid coffee and energy drinks, as they will keep you awake when you get to your hotel; which means it will disrupt your rhythms even more.
5. Relax on the plane
Use the flight time to reset. Try to break away from work, watch a light movie or read a book. It’s worth sleeping on a long flight. Get ready for a good vacation, mentally move to a new place and to a new time zone.
6. Take a walk in the fresh air
The sun and fresh air are your main helpers in the fight against jetlag. Circadian rhythms are regulated by melatonin, a hormone produced during the dark hours of the day. If it’s still day outside and your body thinks it’s time to sleep, go out into the sun. Bright light will stop the production of the sleep hormone, and light exercise in the form of a walk in the fresh air will lift your mood. In addition, pleasant fatigue will allow you to sleep until the morning, and not until the middle of the night, as would be the case in the old time zone.
Bonus: Lavender
In 2005, psychologists from Wesleyan University in the USA conducted a small study, the results of which showed that lavender extract acts as a mild sleep aid, stimulating deep restorative sleep. Take a small bottle of lavender oil with you on your trip and drop a couple of drops on your hotel pillow to wake up fresh and ready to absorb new experiences in the morning!
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