A trip across the pond can be marred without taking precautions to prevent jet lag — a malady that knocks an inexperienced traveler to miss the first three or four days of a trip. However, even the most experienced travelers can be hit with the ugly results of jet lag if they don't take preventive measures.
Jet lag, a circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorder, occurs when a person's internal clock does not match the local day-night cycle that most often occurs when someone travels through three or more time zones.
The good news is forethought and safeguards go a long way toward preventing jet lag and improving life during the trip and once home.
Some of the following tips to improve long-distance travel experiences are based on science, and others are based on personal experience and the advice of fellow travelers and friends. While you may not choose to try them all, experiment in determining which ones work best for you to avoid the fog and inconvenience of jet lag:
- Get the roomiest seat you can afford.
- Start as rested as possible. The Mayo Clinic says starting a trip out sleep-deprived makes jet lag worse.
- Start as hydrated as possible. During the three days prior to traveling, be conscious of staying hydrated. The cool, dry air on a plane requires many to consume more water than normal to avoid dehydration.
- Eat healthy and avoid salty foods.
- Experts recommend adjusting your schedule as much as possible for the new time zone before you leave. For example, if you're heading to Europe from the U.S., try to go to bed an hour earlier and get up an hour earlier for several nights before your trip.
- Plan to sleep on the international flight as close to the equivalent of a normal night's sleep as you can (but at least four hours) so that you won't lose the first few days of your trip. Make arrangements to take melatonin or another safe sleep aid if you struggle to go to sleep on a plane.
- An over-the-counter pill called "No Jet Lag" may or may not have ingredients that make a difference — but, as with so many things, what works may be the consciousness of the effort. The dissolve-under-the-tongue pills are supposed to be taken every few hours. (The awareness of doing so may help one remember to do all the other things necessary to fare better during long flights.)
- If you are particular about your pillow, take your pillow of choice with you.
- Take or wear a light, oversized scarf that you can use as a blanket.
- Wear comfortable, stretchy clothes and shoes.
- Pack a necessary bag for the long flight. Include in it socks for the flight (recommend either compression or Smartwool socks), a bath cloth, nasal saline spray, a toothbrush, toothpaste, lotion, earplugs, eye mask, and a complete change of clothes to put on about an hour before your plane lands on its longest leg.
- Adjust your clock to your destination's time the moment you get settled in your seat.
- Drink a glass of water on takeoff. Both caffeine and alcohol exacerbate jet lag symptoms. Avoid both if possible — and know the risks if you choose to imbibe.
- Once on board, change into your socks of choice.
- On the plane, get up and walk around as often as possible. Blood clots can form for some people if they are sedentary for too long. Consider taking baby aspirin if your doctor says doing so is a good idea.
- Use nasal saline spray every three to four hours while in flight.
- Do your best to stay on schedule with your destination. Set your watch to the new time before you leave. Once you reach your destination, try not to sleep until the local nighttime, no matter how tired you are. Try to time your meals with local mealtimes, too.
- If you arrive at your destination in the morning or early afternoon, do not go to sleep once you get in your hotel room. Keep walking. Keep moving. Do what it takes to postpone sleep until at least 6 p.m., preferably later if possible.
Do you have other tips to avoid jet lag? Let us know. Email Jan Risher at jan.risher@theadvocate.com.