The 5 Best Ways to Overcome Jet Lag
With all the excitement that comes with traveling somewhere far from your home, it’s important to remember that jet lag is very real, and it’s a real drag. Fortunately, there are ways to reduce the negative effects so that you can get back to your plans and make the most of your journey.
Here we’ll go over the five most effective ways to beat jet lag.
1) Bring Melatonin
For a little extra help setting a sleep schedule, melatonin can definitely come in handy. This natural supplement can be good for combating jet lag on long flights and as a sleep aid for getting used to a different time zone.
Those who are prone to insomnia might consider melatonin an absolute essential. Even if you don’t have any trouble sleeping regularly, it still may be a good idea to have some on hand while traveling. It’s always wise to be prepared whether you end up needing it or not.
To make sure you’ll be able to get your sleep schedule back on track, take advantage of the best melatonin gummy bears for your next long-distance journey.
2) Let Your Body Adapt Early
This is a great way to prevent jet lag before it even occurs. The idea is to start adjusting your sleep schedule to match the time zone you’ll be traveling to before you leave. To accomplish this, you’ll want to move your bedtime a little earlier or later over the course of several nights leading up to your departure. That way, you’ll be all caught up and shouldn’t feel any different once you arrive.
You can do this on your flight as well. If it’s nighttime at your destination, try to get some sleep on the plane. If it’s daytime where you’re heading, it could help to stay awake during the flight.
That being said, there’s no need to push it. It can be hard to sleep on a plane, and forcing yourself won’t do you any good.
3) Plan Your Arrival
Suppose you do feel like you’ll need some time to adjust once in your new location. Try to take this into account ahead of time. It may be a good idea to give yourself a couple of extra days to adapt to the new time zone. This is especially important if you’re traveling for a certain event that you want to be prepared for.
4) Eat Right and Stay Hydrated
Both of these are highly important to keep your body functioning as it should, and even more so while traveling long-distance. Eating healthy, sensible meals and drinking plenty of water will help you get to sleep easier and help your body adapt quicker.
You may also want to avoid alcohol and caffeine while you’re adjusting, at least in the hours before you go to sleep, to improve your sleep cycle.
5) Take Advantage of Sunlight
Natural light from the sun plays a big role in regulating the body’s circadian rhythm, so by controlling your exposure to sunlight, you can help your body adjust more easily.
If you’re trying to adapt to an earlier time zone than you’re used to, try to get more sunlight in the morning. On the other hand, if you’re in a later time zone, you’ll want to get more exposure to the sun in the late afternoon and evening.
Conclusion
Traveling takes a lot of effort and planning, so don’t waste your time stuck with jet lag. With just a little extra preparation, you’ll find that it’s not hard to avoid many of the symptoms and to deal with any that remain.
With jet lag behind you, there’s nothing holding you back from the adventures that await!