Avoid the 'Lag'

Jet lag is a colossal drag. Whether it strikes at your destination, slowing down the beginning of your vacation, or when you get home, making it hard to get back into the groove, it’s something travelers have been desperate to “cure” for years. To make matters worse, everyone is different, making a universal remedy virtually impossible to attain.

But, this doesn’t mean you should give up. There are a few things you can do to lessen the effects of jet lag. Here are five travel tips that should make recovering from a long flight across multiple time zones:

Sleep … the right way: When I fly to Europe, I always take an overnight flight and sleep for as much of it as possible. The reason is simple: it most closely mirrors my natural behavior. I go to bed at night when I take off (albeit a bit early), and I wake up in the morning as we land. Of course, it’s not as comfortable as sleeping in my bed, and the amount of sleep I get is shorter than usual (around four or five hours, for example, when I fly from New York to London). But, the result is the same as waking up after a short, substandard night’s sleep. I still can function, and the adrenaline that comes with reaching my destination compensates. After my first full night’s sleep at my destination, all is well. When flying east to west, however, I’ll take a short nap (an hour or two) to help keep me charged so my first night of sleep at home isn’t cut short. It’s the equivalent of an extra-long day before getting home and going to bed.

Drink water: Hydration helps. The cabins in planes tend to be dry anyway, making it smart to drink plenty of water whenever you travel. For longer flights, where jet lag can be an issue, it’s even more important. Also, keep in mind that both coffee and alcohol dehydrate you. If skipping these beverages isn’t in the cards, at least drink some extra water.

Move your body: This is important both before and during your flight. Get in a workout before you take off – both to move your muscles and tire yourself out a little. When you’re on the plane, get up a handful of times and walk up and down the aisle. Your legs will appreciate it (as will the rest of your body when jet lag doesn’t hit you as hard).

Watch your watch: Before takeoff, change your watch to the time at your destination. This will help put you in the mindset of where you’re going, not where you’re leaving. If you’re going from New York to London on a 7 p.m. flight, resetting your watch will show you that it’s midnight when the wheels go up – and time for bed.

Go Zorro: The flight attendants will bring around sleeping masks: take one and wear it. Some passengers will use their reading lights, which might disturb your sleep. Also, at some point, you’ll fly into daylight. Having your mask on will prevent an unwelcome visual wakeup call.

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photo: gin_fizz