How do you avoid jet lag?

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chrisnewcars

The only way is not to travel. Because your body clock is used to going to sleep and waking up at certain times. When you fly to different time zones your body is still used to the time at home, not the country you are in. Your body is telling you, you should be asleep now, when it could be the middle of the day.

ken t

drink lots of water, no alcohol

Victoria

A few years ago I heard about some research on this matter. It said that if you expose the back of the knee (the inside part) to enough direct sunlight after a flight, your jet lag will disappear.
I don't know if it really works... try it and let us know?

Cyndie

Good luck with this one. I travel quite a bit for my job and have researched and tried everything but nothing helps. Supposedly you should:
1) try to adjust to the new time zone a few days before you're leaving by staying up later or going to bed earlier, depending on where you're going
2) as soon as you get on the plane, set your watch for your destination and go by those times for eating and sleeping
3) some people swear by melatonin (never tried that one)
4) avoid caffeinne and alcohol on the flight and get plenty of water
5) as soon as you get to your new destination, if it is morning, expose yourself to daylight and try to stay awake until a normal bed time that first day. If it is night, do not expose yourself to light and go to bed as soon as you can.

Again, good luck. I have gone from the U.S. to Australia three times so far and all three times, the jet lag has been debilitating for the first four days, both coming and going. It hasn't been quite as bad when I go to Ireland, England or France but it still has affected me.

Man.With.A.Plan

stay home, else can't be done on long trips, unless you fly all the way around the world, and can sleep on planes.

fartman

don't go

Strawberry

Eating a high protein diet that is low in calories before intended travel may help reduce the effects of jet lag.

Adam

You don't. It is impossible. If you can, give yourself a couple days when traveling long distances.

charlie

Cyndie 1030 has given a good answer... In addition, you might be interested in...

On average it takes about 1 day to adjust to every 1 hour of "difference" in time. However, people tend to find it easier when they make their *travel day* longer, rather than shorter (ie if you're gaining time).

Melatonin is a sleep chemical - helping you get some shut eye when you'd otherwise be awake. There are several products on the market which help like this. Ask your pharmacist.

You can also find jet lag accupressure kits. It's a do it yourself version of acupuncture, where you put finger pressure on specific points (which depend on when you arrive and how many hours you've skipped). Very easy to figure out and do, and does seem to give an extra kick to getting over the jet lag.

The coffee and alcohol comments while flying are more general health based. You dehydrate a lot on a plane; add coffee and wine and you'll get even worse. If you're hydrated, your body will cope better. Having said that, if you're trying to stay awake to stay within the correct time zone, by all means have the coffee, just add lots of water with it. Getting up to go to the toilet may be annoying, but you'll stretch your legs and get the blood flowing again. I take an additional 2 litres of water on every long haul flight i get on.

If you need to get sleep on the plane to get into the right time zone, try for a window seat (noone stepping over you to get out), and consider (if you really need it) taking either a natural sleep product, like melatonin, or a small part of a sleeping pill. I take 1/4 of a sleeping pill (i don't need them otherwise, so they hit me pretty hard) before i get on a long flight, if i need to be rested by the time i arrive. Forget about the food - it's a time waster, you really won't starve if you don't eat all the mini meals they serve - let the person beside you know that you don't want to eat, so the hostess doesn't wake you.

truble

sleep

Princess

Don't drink alcohol. Drink lots of water. Walk around the cabin a bit. Get some sleep and when you get where you are going fit straight into their time. If it's night time go to bed. If you get there in the morning you need to try and stay up all day. Day 2 will be much easier this way.

happychic

drink plenty of water, but ideally stay in the same time zone best you can. with eating and sleeping for the first day or so there, you may miss a bit of something but worth it

Eduardo

TRY THESE:

1. determine the sleeping time of your destination country and start going to bed at that time even if it daytime in your starting country. do this for a week before you fly to adjust your body time to that of your destination country.

2. enjoy your flight.

wise_irish_owl

Some tips to help with jet-lag (don't know if you can really avoid it altogether though):
-Try to adjust to the time zone of your destination immediately when you arrive i.e. if you arrive in the morning, try to stay awake until that night, or if you arrive in the evening, try to get some sleep.
- Take some light exercise when you arrive at your destination to help you sleep
- Drink lots of water to avoid dehydration (being dehydrated makes you feel more tired and generally crap)

HTH!

Toolooroo

Don't fly.

jay79

i'm not sure you can, probably best though to rest when you land for a few hours and adjust your body clock or get an overnight flight so you can sleep

Mordak

Avoid alcoholic drinks, have plenty of water or fruit juices etc. Move around the cabin when safe to do so.

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