How To Cope With Jetlag: 33 Tips
20/02/2007 By Chad Davies, Staff Writer, On The Beach Holidays

When Hollywood starlet Anna Nicole Smith passed away recently, some speculated that it was drugs or even jet lag responsible for her collapse - which came after several days of stomach illness. While it sounds extreme, there is in fact evidence that chronic jet lag could reduce life spans in older mice, as witnessed with conditions that mimicked eastbound flights. It's not conclusive evidence for humans, though jet lag does have serious disorienting effects on us:

Sleep disorders. Insomnia at night and drowsiness during the day.
Physical ailments. Stomach and bowel problems (nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea), headaches, bloodshot eyes, disorientation.
Behavioral disorders. Reduced concentration and productivity, irritability and moodiness, difficulty in making rational judgements.

What Is Jet Lag?

Jet lag is the result of travellers jumping time zones more quickly than the body can get accustomed to it. The eyes take in unexpected day or night lighting and get confused, disorienting the body. Stress prior to a flight or other physical conditions can increase the effects of jet lag.

Business travellers tend to undergo the effects more frequently, which unfortunately affects their abilities in matters such as business meetings and negotiations. Vacation travellers can suffer, too, reducing the enjoyment of their stay. Sports teams also have to deal with the effects.

The direction of the flight does make a difference, with north-south flights said to give the least symptoms of jet lag, eastbound flights the most, and westbound flights in between. Whatever your reason for travelling or your destination, there are several things you can do to prevent or alleviate the effects of jet lag. The list below has been grouped into categories for easy reference.

Health and Physical

Being fit before and during travel is an important facet of getting through jet lag.

Be well-rested. Get enough sleep before a flight and during your stay at your destination.
Don't have a cold. Flying isn't recommended for people with head colds as pressurized cabins can aggravate the symptoms to the point of migraines.
Be comfortable. What you wear and how you sit on the flight will make a difference. Loose clothing works by allowing motion while sitting.
Stretch. If it's a long flight, get up and walk around a bit to get the blood flowing.
Exercise. If you have a short stopover between legs of a flight, walk around the airport. At your destination, make sure you excercise daily.
Meditate. A bit of quiet meditation can relieve a headache when you arrive.

Diet Considerations

A proper diet will help you adjust to a new time zone.

No alcohol. Refrain from drinking before and during the flight. Pressurized cabins amplify the effects of alcohol.
No caffeine. Coffee particularly is a diuretic that dehydrates you. The caffeine will also mess with your sleep schedule. However, once you arrive, if you are having trouble staying awake during the day, caffeine is okay (more so if you are used to drinking it). Note that most teas also have caffeine.
Keep hydrated. You may feel dehydrated when you arrive, so make sure you take plenty of non-carbonated fluids - water or juice - on the flight, if possible.
Increase proteins. Focus on a high-protein diet (breakfast, lunch) to stay awake during the daytime.
Increase carbs. At night, have maximum carbohydrates or foods with tryptophan (turkey, chicken, rice, whole grains, lentils, etc.) if you can't get to sleep in local time. (Milk has tryptophan but it also has protein; it may not work for you.) Stay away from processed foods, especially for children.

Medicines, Vitamins, etc.

For any of the tips in this section, please check with a physician or pharmacist before you leave on your trip. Mention of a particular substance here does not constitute endorsement by this website.

Sleeping pills. Do not take sleeping pills on a plane. Ever. It's best not to take them at all for jet lag after you arrive, but if you do, only do so for a few days.
Melatonin. Melatonin is an OTC (Over-the-counter) drug available in the USA and some other countries. When your eyes perceive darkness, it is naturally released in your body. People having trouble sleeping upon arriving might consider synthetic melatonin tablets as a sleep aid.
Homeopathic remedies. If you prefer homeopathic remedies, two that are said to be popular are No-Jet-Lag and Jet Ease.
Supplements. Vitamin C, B, NADH (a form of the vitamin B niacin), and Potassium are said to help.

Flight-specific

One flight is not the same as another.

Split up a long trip. Jumping multiple time zones will take its toll on you. Splitting a flight into two or three legs might take longer but you feel better for having done so. Four-zone jumps are the maximum recommended.
Split a trip, pt 2: take a train. If it's possible, break up legs of your journey with alternate modes of transportation such as trains or boats. High-speed European and Asian trains still qualify as most travel at a speed of about 250-300 km/h (155-186 mph), so they do not cross timezones as fast a passenger jet.
Try to arrive during the day. This it makes it easier to adjust to a new time zone. If you have to arrive at night, try to arrive at a time when you'd be going to sleep immediately in the new zone.
Take an evening flight. If you'll be crossing time zones eastbound, you can sleep on an overnight flight.
Reroute. Westbound flights typically cause less effects of jet lag than eastbound flights because we gain time. That's why most travellers from North America to, say, Australia, Japan or China, will go westbound. North/ south flights generally have negligible effects and could be combined with legs of train travel.

Adjusting to a New Time Zone

Preparing before a flight and upon arrival for a new zone will help blunt the effects of jet lag.

Change your watches. You could try adjusting to a new time zone pre-flight, but do it gradually.
Follow a new sleep schedule. A few days before you leave, try to follow sleep times for your destination zone. Induce sleep by eating food high in tryptophan, such as poultry and milk. Change your meal-times accordingly.
Take appropriate naps. Take a short nap but don't go to bed too early.
Take advantage of the sun. Walk around in the sunlight during the day, so your body adjusts to the new zone.

Sleeping or Staying Awake

Since your sleep schedule will be a mess at first, take the extra measures necessary.

Excercise, pt 2. Light exercise during the day will get adrenaline pumping and keep you awake. Heavier exercise at night should tire you out enough to help you sleep.
Take a cold shower. You can also alternate cold and warm, which will invigorate you. Start with cold and end with cold.
Leave the window open. If you need to stay awake until a proper bedtime, fresh air and some vigorous music may help.
Use bright lights. As an alternate to sunlight, bright lamps or lights may help.
Take a hot bath. A hot bath with lavender oil will help make you drowsy. (Just make sure you don't fall asleep in the tub.)
Use a sleep mask. A mask designed for sleep may help you adjust at night.
Cover up. Make sure your bedding is comfortable, not too hot or cold.
Nap. On the return, take a nap on the plane but don't sleep otherwise.
Delay sleep. Don't sleep when you get home until your normal time, so as to adjust back to your regular time zone.

Conclusion

Both the occasional traveller and frequent flyer can perform a few relatively easy steps to reduce or prevent most of the effects of jet lag. Not all the tips above will work for everyone, and anything involving medicines or dietary supplements should be checked with your healthcare giver first.

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