Those feelings of irritability. That pair of elephant-trunk ankles. The overwhelming fatigue. That’s jet lag for you. It’s hard to live with it and unfortunately, hard to escape it, especially for long-haul fliers. Experts say that for every time zone crossed we’ll need an extra day of recovery at our destination. And with a 10-hour time difference between Sydney and London (where a whole new day is happening), well, you do the math. Unfortunately the cramped conditions on the plane and its recycled air do nothing to help you out. But the good news is, you can make jet lag manageable with our tried and tested tips on how to reduce flight fatigue and boost tolerance for long-haul travel. So fasten those seat-belts, put away your electronic devices and off we go.
1. The week before you leave lead a healthy lifestyle. Get lots of sleep, avoid caffeine—it makes your ankles swell—and eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Maintaining a healthy body and a restful mind will help fight the bugs that swarm in the cabin’s recycled air. We’re all aware of those “airplane germs.” Adopt these healthy habits but don’t be a creature of habit. If you’re the kind of person who keeps a rigid sleep schedule, try shaking it up a bit. (Those late night talk shows have some merit.) Evidence suggests that people who maintain strict sleeping and eating patterns end up suffering from more severe jet lag. Try changing your wake up time by an hour or two the week before your trip. And move your bedtime around a little. If that’s not an option for you, at least try lunching a little earlier or later than you would normally.
2. When you’re on the plane, stay hydrated—but not too hydrated or you’ll end up spending more time in the bathroom than sleeping. (And maneuvering in those tiny airplane cabins requires a degree of alertness.) Here’s a good excuse to forget counting carbs. Turns out starchy foods help induce sleep. Carbohydrates boost the brain’s melatonin production that’s responsible for the sleep cycle. We knew that pizza and fries were good for something! But if your arrival is at bedtime, all this goes out the window. For nighttime arrivals, try to stay awake during the flight. That way you can hit the hay as soon as you reach your destination. Fatty and protein-rich foods such as peanuts, meat and cheese will help increase your alertness. It also helps to keep your legs moving (and the blood flowing) as often as possible. Take a stroll up the aisle or rotating your ankles in your seat to stay awake and also to keep Deep Vein Thrombosis (blood clotting) at bay.
3. Upon arrival, avoid the urge to sleep if it’s daytime. If you can’t hold out the full day, take a strict one-hour nap as far away from your regular bedtime as possible, say in the morning or early afternoon. Some experts suggest spending a good 20 minutes basking in the sunlight to revive your body. There are even some hotels in Singapore, Bangkok and Hong Kong that have outdoor gyms where you can get fit while beating the jet lag blues. But if you’re having the opposite problem—trouble sleeping when nature’s lights are out—there are a couple of options. Stay up until midnight, but then force yourself to try to sleep. Still tossing and turning? Read a book for half an hour, or do anything else that might make you dozy—like finishing that paper early. Whatever happens, set that alarm for 8 a.m. and make sure you get up when it rings. (No snoozing for the sake of your trip happiness.) It might feel bad the first day, but it it’ll be much easier on your system the next.
The more you apply these tips to your trip the richer your experience can be. Whether you take a 6 -our flight from Los Angeles to Boston or a 24-hour flight to the other side of the world, it might be tough to adjust the first couple of days. But once you’re up and about, checking out the new sights, smells and tastes at your destination, your body clock will be the last thing on your mind.