Did You Know These Five Ways to Beat Jet Lag?

Its half past eleven in the night and everyone else at home is asleep but me. Because in my head and for my body, it’s only seven in the evening and time to be out and about, that is, if I were in London! Yes, you guessed it right. The aforementioned syndrome is what is commonly known as a jet lag; one of the many cons for people who travel by air a lot, especially across different time zones.

We suggest 5 simple ways to tackle jet lag better and considerably reduce its effects:

Choose Your Arrival Time Wisely

Although this may be a little tough to follow at times, but whenever possible, make an air reservation for a flight that arrives at your destination in the evening or at night. For example, while booking air tickets to the United States, you can choose a flight with an arrival time at night. And even if you take short naps during the flight, you’d still be tired enough to doze off the moment there’s a comfy bed in sight! Hitting the sack at night after a long flight will help you fall back easily into the time zone of your destination and help you cope better with jet lag.

Plan Ahead: Reset Your Body Clock

A few days before departure, try and change your schedule in order to adjust to the time difference that you’re about to encounter at your destination. Tune your bed time, meal times, etc., according to the local time of the destination that you’ll be travelling to. For instance, if you’re travelling to India from the UK, you should try going to bed early and accordingly, adjust your dinner time. Although hard to follow, this one can be quite an effective way of dealing with jet lag.

Avoid Stimulants On The Flight

Say no to alcohol, coffee, tea and yes to plenty of water! While on the flight, keep yourself from getting over-stimulated by avoiding excessive intake of alcohol, tea, coffee and other caffeinated drinks. Drinking water at regular intervals will prevent dehydration and will also help control air sickness.  Avoiding caffeine and alcohol will also increase your chances of arriving fresh at your destination.

Eat Lighter

It’s best to eat light during the flight as heavy meals can make you feel bloated and sluggish and definitely don’t help with a jet lag, later! For instance, on an Air India flight of more than 6 hours, it’s very easy to give into eating. However, you should consciously avoid eating too much. Also, try not to be glued to your seat for the entire duration of the flight. Whenever you get the chance, walk a bit, stretch and rotate your hands and legs for good blood circulation. This also helps in preventing nausea and headaches.

Try To Keep Awake On Arrival

Once you’ve arrived at your destination, try to stay awake until bedtime, especially if your air ticket booking was done for arrival in the morning or afternoon. Sleeping at odd hours will only add to the jet lag and lead to irregular sleeping patterns over the next few days. While it’s hard not to fall asleep when you’re that tired, try distracting yourself by going out for a walk or to explore a new place.

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