Nomad Pro Tip: Five Effective Ways for Beating Jet Lag

BY HANNAH PARKER – 5 WAYS FOR BEATING JET LAG

#1 Change Your Routine

One of the ways for beating jet lag starts before you start your trip: A few days before you leave, you need to make sure to change up your routine. You don’t need to change your entire schedule, but start eating and sleeping closer to when you would in the country you are visiting. Three to four days in advance is a sufficient amount of time to adjust to your destination. If you change up your routine to mirror what it will be like in the country you are going to, your jet lag might not be so burdensome.

#2 Arrive During the Day

The daytime is the optimal time to arrive at your destination. If you land during the nighttime, you will feel more inclined to sleep, and it will be harder for you to adjust to the new time zone. However, if you arrive during the day, you are more likely to push through the sleepiness and adventure around the city you’re staying in. Then when you are done exploring for the day, you will be wiped out and ready to sleep. Sunlight helps remind your body that you should be awake instead of sleeping, even if you really, really want to sleep. You will have an easier time to adjust to the new time zone this way, and it’ll be easier for you to shake off your jet lag.

#3 Avoid Caffeine and Sugar

One of the worst things you can do before flying is drinking lots of caffeinated beverages and eating loads of sugar. Coffee, soda, fried foods and sugary candies will keep you up and hyper on your flight, which will make it hard for you to sleep on your flight. To avoid jet lag once you land at your destination, you’ll want to sleep during the majority of your flight and caffeine won’t help. It will also make you feel groggy once you arrive at your destination and prolong the feeling of jet lag. So just this time, avoid the sugary foods and drinks and loads of caffeine and drink water instead.

#4 Take Melatonin

Sleep is the number one among the ways for beating jet lag when traveling, but falling asleep is not always the easiest thing to do when you are traveling. To avoid extreme jet lag and sleepiness once you arrive at your destination, take the sleeping drug Melatonin to help you sleep on your flight. The drug is the chemical that makes you fall asleep at night. and it’s natural, too. A plane is not always the easiest place to fall asleep on, especially with screaming babies and snoring dads surrounding you. Melatonin will help put you to sleep naturally, despite your surroundings. Only take a small dosage of the drug because you can end up feeling groggy if you take too much. The perfect amount to take on a long flight is 5mg of Melatonin. Any more than this amount will leave you feeling sleepy and possibly more jet lagged when you land.

#5 Leave a Day Early

Are you a relatively new traveler who gets really bad jet lag? The best way to avoid it and adjust your body to the new time zone is to travel a day earlier than you planned. You should book your flight a day early so that you have an entire day to sleep and rejuvenate. An extra day to relax will allow you to start your planned activities the next day without any feelings of exhaustion. You don’t want to start your trip off feeling wiped out and unrested. Trust us, it would most likely set your trip off on the wrong foot. So leave a day earlier than you planned, so you can enjoy your trip just the way you want to.

Conclusion – 5 Ways for Beating Jet Lag

Jet lag is something that most travelers have experienced, and it’s definitely a downer. But if you follow these 5 effective tips when traveling to a new location, you just might avoid it and start your trip off right.