jet lag:
the feeling of tiredness and confusion that people experience after making a long journey by plane to a place where the time is different from the place they left:
Adjust to local time
Some suggest adjusting your watch to your destination’s local time as soon as you board the plane to ease the tiredness on arrival by adjusting your sleeping and eating times. With many airlines now offering snacks throughout the flight, you can skip meal service if you need to. You can even begin this process, gradually, several days before your flight!
Stay hydrated
We can easily lose track of time during a long flight, especially after all those movies one after the other! It is really important to stay hydrated with plenty of water during any flight and avoid caffeine as much as possible as the cabin air is quite dehydrating. This also extends to alcohol! Yes I know you are on holidays and want to relax and enjoy yourself and by all means go ahead, however perhaps it’s best left until landing.
Remain active
This of course doesn’t mean a mid-air workout but stretching and moving every 2 hours during your awake time will help you to feel more alert and also help to improve your sleep quality. Most airlines offer an inflight magazine or card with some recommended light exercises and stretching for both in-seat and standing movement.
On arrival
Seek some sunshine as soon as you can as the natural sunlight will help your body clock reset and the fresh air is always going to be a bonus for refreshing your body and mind! Stay awake until bed time, or at least try to!
Smart sleeping
Sleeping deeply on a plane has its challenges, especially in economy where there is only a slight seat recline, and if you are like me where business class is not a financially viable option, we have to sleep smartly. Finding it hard to drift off? Try some mindfulness or meditation techniques to help relax you, and this is also a really great option for children too – my children love it! Perhaps purchase a neck pillow which can be easily attached to the outside of your bag to avoid less packing space, and more head support to help you sleep. A very tiny and inexpensive eye mask can be great when you are wanting to sleep and adjust your body clock to your upcoming time zone but the cabin is light. Turn off any screens, get comfortable, pop your mask on and go your hardest!
Get tech savvy
Do your research before your even book your flight as some airlines now offer LED lighting to help simulate the time of day, humidification systems to assist the cabin air from drying and air purification systems to refresh the in-cabin air – all helping to make you feel as normal as possible. There are also copious amounts of apps you can download including the very popular Timeshifter, developed by scientists, and helping you to arrive rested and ready to start your holiday straight away!
