Scout
I’m Back! I had to share an article I ran across in. of all places, Reader’s Digest.
The title is: How to Avoid Jet Lag
If you have ever suffered from this very real side effect of traveling across time zones then you will appreciate the tips in this article.. I guess there are pills to help but I don’t know what they are. Maybe caffeine or No Dose? But I’m sure you’ll still be wandering around in a fog if you depend on stimulants to get you through the adjustment.
So here’s what the pros recommend.
1. EAT
That doesn’t mean use the trip as an excuse to pig out but eat starches like pasta or rice the night before you fly across more than 2 time zones. Carbs help your body adjust more quickly to sudden jolts to circadian rhythms.
2. DRINK
The cabin air that circulates during the flight is bone-dry. This can lead to dehydration, a big contributor to jet lag. Avoid caffeine and avoid those alcoholic beverages. 30,000 ft is not the time to party if you want to avoid jet lag. Drink lots of the good old H2O before, during and after the flight.
3. Sleep
Ahhh, sleep, something Dusty knows how to do on airplanes. If you fly often you would do well to develop this habit too. If you’re flying at night, use earplugs and an eyeshade, turn down the lights, cover up and adjust the a/c valve to a cool setting. Your body will recognize these signals that it’s nighttime.
4. Switch your watch
Switch it to local time before you get off the plane. Dusty doesn’t wear a watch. She just uses her cell phone so when she deplanes and turns on her phone, Voila, local time.
5. Resist the Urge to Nap
I know, I just told you to sleep but now that you are at your destination you want to get your body on local time ASAP. So on arrival don’t decide to take a nap. If you’re landing in the morning, take a shower and have a high protein breakfast…eggs are a great choice, the protein will keep you going through the day. Then head out for some sight-seeing right away. Later in the day get some excercise, jog or swim. This will help you wind down so that you fall asleep naturally.
6. Stay Up
Yup, this first night stay up as late as you can. Aim for your normal bedtime by the local clock. Indulge the next morning and sleep as late as possible. By that night your body should have transitioned into the new time zone and your new routine.
And that’s it. Sounds pretty simple. Dusty often flys several time zones but she could only think of one time when she really got knocked out and had a tough time with jet lag. That was after one of the Hawaii trips. It was the return trip and she went right back to work the next day. Usually she ends her vacations with a couple of days to get back into the home routine before going back to work.
I don’t think she even thought of it as jet lag. She attributed the lethargic feeling she had for three or four days and being so relaxed from her vacation. But we think it was really jet lag…just don’t tell Dusty. We don’t want to disillusion her. 🙂
Have any of you had any experience with jet lag? How do you prevent it or overcome it? Have you tried any of the recommendations we suggested? Did they work for you? We’d love to hear your experiences with jet lag.
Well that about wraps it up for this post. I’ve got some other things in the works so hopefully it won’t be too long before I’m back with more Scout’s tips. In the meantime…Happy Traveling!