International travel is not a big deal at the moment but I am optimistic that it will be in the not so distant future again. The following tips and tricks can make you feel better with jetlag. This brief guide is based on the conversations of Prof. Matthew Walker and Prof. Satchin Panda with Dr Chatterjee and my own experiences.
Getting there in shape
According to Prof. Walker, there is no cure for jetlag. But we can try to follow some hacks.
- Sleep during flight. Try to sleep on the flight either early and/or in the middle.
- Reduce caffeine and alcohol intake a lot. Especially alcohol is fragmenting your sleep and it is no sleeping aid but a sedative. Have a look here if you want to learn more about improving sleep. Take a conscious look around in the plane the next time and observe how much alcohol people are consuming during a flight.
- Eating during flight. Prof. Satchin Panda notes, that “half of the jet lag is just eating at the wrong time” and refers to food hangover. He suggests eating little or nothing and rest during the flight. Once landed at your destination you can start to eat whatever meal the new time zone suggests. That means if you arrive at your hotel at 6 pm have dinner. This will help your body to recalibrate your circadian rhythm.
- Opt for vegetarian/vegan meal variations if offered. You need to communicate this to your airline early, but it is worth it. It often consists of rice, lentils and veggies and you probably be among the first people to get your meal in the cabin. Check out, what Lufthansa has to offer for instance. I learned this tip from my significant other.
- Adapt to new time zone asap. It is common sense that you should get used to the new time zone as fast as possible. For instance, if you fly from Europe to the USA you often touch down in the afternoon. Try to stay awake until the evening although you might be groggy from the travel.
Speed up the process
You can make up for about one hour of time difference per day at your new destination according to Prof. Walker. That means if you experience a time difference of 7 hours between the place you started and your destination it will take approximately one week for your body to be up to date. We can try to speed up the process by the following tips.
- Expose yourself to lots of daylight in the morning in the new time zone (20-30min). Do not put shades on.
- Eat regular meals in the new time zone.
- Wear shades in the afternoon and try to block as much light as possible at and during the night. Try blue light blockers in the form of special glasses and night mode on your mobile device.
- Exercise in the morning. A short run, yoga session or gym workout will get your metabolism going.
- Eat as healthy and clean as possible to support your body with lots of nutrients.
- Drink plenty of water.
- Enjoy your new destination as much as you can and slow down in the beginning.
Let me know your experiences with jetlag symptoms and your tricks in the comment section below. Have safe travels!
Blog post Photo by Robert Hrovat on Unsplash
Resources:
Conversation with Prof. Matthew Walker no. 1 and no. 2
Conversation with Prof. Satchin Panda
