For those who frequently travel, jet lag is just one of those things that must be endured. In a nutshell, jet lag is when your body’s natural rhythm does not align with the time zone of your destination. You typically experience jet lag if you travel quickly across time zones, which disrupts your body’s circadian rhythm. Symptoms of jet lag include daytime drowsiness, insomnia, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, lack of appetite, gastrointestinal issues, and mood swings. While jet lag can affect anyone, older people tend to recover from it more slowly.
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There
are various factors that cause your body to experience jet lag, one of which is
the amount of sunlight you’re exposed to. Sunlight helps regulate your body’s
production of melatonin—the hormone that keeps your sleep cycle in check. Cabin
pressure can also play a role in jet lag: because of air pressure fluctuations,
there may be less oxygen reaching your brain. This causes lethargy, which may
exacerbate symptoms of jet lag.
Normally,
it would take only a few days for your body to get back to its usual sleep-wake
cycle. Still, there are ways to get through jet lag and reset your body clock
so you can get a more restful sleep. That said, here are some jet lag prevention
and management tips to help you sleep well wherever you are on the map.
Align Your Sleep Schedule Before the Trip
Tinkering
with your body clock ahead of your trip helps you gradually adjust to a
different time zone. However, you don’t have to sleep during the day and stay
awake at night to keep your Manila-time body clock totally in sync with New
York. If possible, slowly adjust your bedtime a few days before the big trip to
get your body used to a new sleep-wake cycle.
As
some studies suggest, traveling east is more likely to cause jet lag compared
to traveling west. This is because westward travel only prolongs your day-night
cycle, while traveling east requires your body clock to run the opposite way.
To adjust your sleep schedule ahead of the trip, consider going to bed an hour
earlier at night if you’re traveling east. If you’re westward-bound, go to bed
an hour later.
Consider Supplements and Sleep Aids
Although
melatonin is naturally produced by your body, you can get the hormone as a
supplement to induce sleep at appropriate times. If your body feels restless,
you can take melatonin before going to bed at night. You can also take it early
in the morning to prolong your sleep if you traveled west.
Several
studies suggest that taking melatonin at the right hours helps realign your
circadian rhythm. In addition to melatonin, some sleep aids and prescription
drugs may help you regain a healthy sleep cycle after traveling. Of course, it
would be a wise idea to consult your doctor first to make sure that
sleep-inducing medicines and supplements won’t adversely affect your body.
Discussing these matters with your doctor will help you determine the right
sleep aids, as well as buy medicine online Philippines
medical communities suggest for managing jet lag.
Make Sleeping Comfortable
Sleeping
while in transit allows you to keep your circadian rhythm aligned with other
time zones, but a disruptive environment can keep you from getting adequate
rest. With this, you need to make sure that your surroundings deliver optimal
comfort to induce sleep. To start, consider bringing items such as eye masks,
sunglasses, ear plugs, noise-canceling headphones, and your favorite travel-sized
pillows and blankets. Upon arrival, you can tweak the thermostat settings in
your room to ensure a comfortable temperature while you sleep.
Time Your Light Exposure
As
mentioned previously, light can greatly affect your circadian rhythm. As such,
it’s best to regulate your exposure to all forms of light during and after your
journey. In addition to sunlight, you need to be mindful of your body’s
absorption of artificial light. When trying to realign your sleep schedule,
avoid artificial light from sources such as electronic devices that keep you
alert and awake.
That
said, managing your exposure to sunlight also depends on the direction and
distance of your travel. Generally, traveling across more than eight time zones
may necessitate avoiding light upon arrival to help you acclimate to another
time zone. If you’re traveling east, consider getting plenty of sunlight to
advance your internal clock. On the other hand, it’s best to get light exposure
at night when traveling west to help you adjust to a later time zone.
Remind Yourself of Your New Schedule
Upon
arriving at your destination, make sure to reset the time on your watch, phone,
and alarm clock to keep yourself aligned with your new time zone. To make
adjustments quicker, it would be ideal to keep yourself awake and avoid
sleeping until it’s nighttime where you are. It might also help to schedule
your meals with the local breakfast, lunch, and dinner times to prevent
appetite concerns.
Stay Hydrated, But Avoid Alcohol and Excessive
Caffeine
As
a general rule, you should keep yourself hydrated before, after, and throughout
your flight. This is because drinking water helps counteract the dryness of
cabin air, which causes dehydration and worsens jet lag. It’s also ideal to
avoid drinking alcohol and too much caffeine, which also causes dehydration
along with other undesirable effects such as heightened alertness and reduced
sleep quality.
Allocate Time for Rest Upon Arrival
It
may be tempting to make the most of your trip by doing all that you can in the
first couple of days, but you also need to get a sufficient amount of sleep.
Jet lag can drag on for days, so it’s best to pay attention to your body and
help it adjust to a new sleep schedule.
When
all is said and done, jet lag can still be managed despite being a likely
occurrence. Most people consider jet lag to be a mere nuisance—a normal side
effect of frequent travel. While it’s true that jet lag usually goes away once
you’ve gained your footing in your new environment, you can still apply some strategies
to speed up the adjustment time. In the end, what matters is you’re taking good
care of your body by allowing it to stay well during a much-awaited trip.
