Lifestyle

Tips for Healthy Plane Habits

Experiencing Jet Lag As a consequence of being able to travel multiple time zones in only a few hours, it can be difficult for a person… Trista - March 25, 2020

Jet lag is a routine issue from air travel. Shutterstock

Experiencing Jet Lag

As a consequence of being able to travel multiple time zones in only a few hours, it can be difficult for a person to adjust from one time zone to another. This results in the combination of fatigue and sleep disruption that is known as jet lag. Until one’s body can adjust to being in a different time zone, a process that can take anywhere between two days to two weeks depending on how different the time zone is, you will be stuck out of synch with the time zone you’re in.

While there is no way to avoid jet lag, there are some steps that can be taken to mitigate its effects. In certain studies, the usage of Melatonin, a hormone that is stimulated by darkness and suppressed by light, can help people adjust up to 50% of the time. It should be noted, however, that clinical trials have not been done to determine the effectiveness of this in more detail. Furthermore, you can use sleeping tablets to help you adjust, but this is something that should only be done after talking to your doctor. Additionally, you should avoid taking sleeping tablets in flight due to the way that they will encourage the type of inactivity that leads to DVT, and you should avoid drinking alcohol with sleeping tablets.

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Where you travel can affect how best to deal with jet lag. Shutterstock

Having Jet Lag While on the Plane

Some other approaches to mitigate jet lag can depend on the direction of travel. After all, if you travel east through multiple time zones, you’ll feel like you’re losing time. But if you go west through numerous time zones, you’ll feel as if you’re gaining time.

If you’re traveling west, try to stay up as late as you can when you get there, since it’s easier to stay up later than it is to try and shorten your body’s natural rhythms. Also, a few days prior to traveling, try going to bed and getting up later. If you’re going east, try to sleep on the plane while it is night time at your destination. Upon arrival, avoid sleeping during the day, since that will extend the amount of time it will take to adjust to the new time zone. Also, where if you’re heading west you should try to stay up later before leaving, if you’re traveling east, try to go to bed and wake up earlier before travel.

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It can take several days to a week or two to adjust fully to a new time zone.

Dealing With Jet Lag At the Destination

When you arrive at your destination, there are further steps that can be taken to aid your adjustment to the new time zone. The first step is to do what you can to get into the local routine as soon as possible. Spending time in daylight generally can also help you adjust due to the exposure to sunlight. Also, if you’ve traveled west, try to be outdoors during the morning and indoors during the afternoon. And if you’ve gone east, try to be outdoors during the afternoon and indoors during the evening.

Finally, the level of adaptation that is necessary or desirable depends on the nature of your trip. If you will only be at your destination for a brief amount of time, then it’s probably a better idea to avoid adapting to the new time zone and stay on your local time. Additionally, if you’re traveling for a meeting, you could either arrive early to better adapt to the new time zone or schedule your session for a time that would coincide with when you’d be awake in your normal time zone.

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