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How To Beat Jet Lag

Whether you're starting your holiday or returning to work the morning after you get back, here's how to minimise the effects of time-zone hopping.

You get jet lag when you travel across time zones so fast that your body doesn't have time to adjust to the new day and night cues. The problem is you're messing with your internal body clock - which tells you when to sleep and when to be awake - and this takes a while to adjust to local time zones. On some long-haul flights, your jet lag can last anything from two to five days. With symptoms similar to those of a terrible hangover - tiredness during the day, inability to sleep at night, headache, diarrhoea - jet lag could easily put you off air travel altogether. Hopefully, these tips from airline crews can soften the blow. Happy holidays!

Find the best time to fly. Look at the differences in time zones, the direction you're travelling in, and work out the best time to travel to minimise the effects. When you fl y east you lose time and your day becomes shorter, while by flying west you gain time and your day becomes longer. So an overnight flight is best if you're travelling east, a day flight if going west. Confused? Ask a mathematician.
Start training for your new time zone. When going on long-haul flights, airline crews get up an hour earlier each day for a week before departure. If you're heading west, try to go to bed and get up an hour later each day. If you're going east go to bed earlier than usual.
Change your watch to your destination time as soon as your plane takes off. This will help get your mind thinking in the new time and, psychologically, it will help your body to adapt itself to a different time zone.
Be flight smart. Try to sleep at the new times on the plane. If you need to keep yourself awake, do crossword puzzles or listen to stimulating music. You could engage in conversation with the person next to you but there's always the risk he'll be a financial adviser who spends the entire flight trying to sell you life insurance. Don't read a novel or watch the video - they're guaranteed to send you into a slumber. And try to get a seat on the side that will get most sunlight during the flight. If you need to sleep, buy ear plugs. A sleeping pill for a night or two before the flight may make it easier to sleep on the plane.
Keep on the move. During the flight, try to walk around as much as you can and, when sitting down, fl ex and extend your ankles to increase circulation. This will also help prevent swollen ankles and muscle stiffness. When you reach your destination, half an hour of exercise will keep you alert for up to two hours. Don't be tempted to perform star jumps in the baggage reclaim lounge, though - being escorted out of the airport by security is not a great start to any holiday. Just go for a brisk walk once you've dropped off your luggage.
Adjust your daylight exposure as soon as you arrive. When you arrive in the new time zone, adjust your sleep schedule straight away to the local time. So if you arrive in the day but your body thinks it's night-time, go outside, get lots of sunshine and keep active to trick your body into staying awake (remember dark triggers sleep-inducing melatonin). Eat your meals at the local time, too. Try not to go to bed until it is bedtime in the local time zone. If you have to, take a 20-minute nap to help you get through the day.


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