Cures, Fears and Beers: How to overcome, accept or embrace jet lag

It’s time to fly. You’ve booked a dream vacation, which involves crossing multiple time zones. Or the trip you’re taking is no vacation but part of a primarily airborne career. Perhaps air travel isn’t in the cards but sleep still evades you. Whatever the reason, how to combat “jetlag” is foremost in your mind. Try a few of the below tips the next time you face circadian rhythm challenges, the “internal clock” that governs when you eat, sleep, and wake. Read on to discover the different forms of jet lag and tricks for surviving it!

JET LAG

Webster’s definition: a condition characterized by various psychological and physiological effects (such as fatigue and irritability), occurs following a long flight through several time zones, and probably results from disrupting circadian rhythms in the human body.

JET LAG

Flight Attendant definition: a physical condition to be ignored and overcome, resulting from your choice of profession; an occupational hazard embraced industry-wide, frequently staved off by excessive celebration, denial, or a specialized sleep-eat program not backed by research.

JET LAG

New Parent definition: a phenomenon that occurs not from traveling by air through multiple time zones but nightly worldwide in households with small children. This form of jet lag results from offspring lacking a recognition of their natural circadian rhythm. 

TIPS FOR THE WEBSTER TRAVELER:

If Webster’s definition of jet lag fits your circumstances, you’re in luck. Tried and true techniques, scientific research, and multiple studies support the below.

DO:

1. Avoid Alcohol. Easier said than done? If choosing to indulge, drink two eight-ounce glasses of water for every alcoholic beverage.
2. Eat light. Even if the onboard chicken or pasta appeals, avoid overconsumption. Airplane meals are packed with sodium, fat, and preservatives. A sick belly makes sleeping more difficult.
3. Plan. Since you know which direction you will travel, start sleep schedule adjustments before the flight. Head to bed earlier if traveling west, and later if the direction is east.
4. Pack the props. Your new sleeping environment won’t be ideal. Add an eye mask, earplugs, and some melatonin supplements––a natural sleep aid––in your carry-on. A few good props go a long way to ensure you’re well-rested.

DON’T:

1. Drink yourself to sleep inflight. Though tempting, especially if you’ve upgraded to business class, where champagne flows freely, avoid overconsumption. This type of indulgence intensifies jetlag. Alcohol dehydrates and throws off your sleep cycle. Why chance the negatives?
2. Cram in all the fun on arrival day. Visiting majestic sites on two hours of sleep won’t deliver the results you’re looking for. Schedule light, even if that means saving a few experiences for the next trip. If traveling for business, arrive the day before your meetings for optimum results. 
3. Over hydrate. Water is your friend unless you go overboard. Too many trips to the tiny airplane lavatory make sleep impossible, and the smell of the bathroom causes nightmares. Stay in your seat during the flight for the best results.
4. Try to power through without rest. “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” is a fun expression, but lost nights lower your resistance to illness. If you’re twenty, party-on, but for the rest of us, plan for a minimum of four hours of sleep on travel day.

FLIGHT ATTENDANT TRAVELER:

If the flight attendant definition applies, you’re probably blurry-eyed, squinting at the page, hoping to discover a few new tricks. Keep on reading!

DO:

1. Hit the ground running. Don’t bother with a nap. Start taking in the sights when you drop your bags at the hotel. Consider a pub crawl. It’s five o’clock somewhere, and you’re on a layover. What does time matter anyway? This week you’re in Tokyo and next, Munich.
2. Peel off your ripe uniform and crawl into bed. If awakened in the middle of the night, take a trip to the international vending machine for a sleep aid. Why don’t US hotels supply beer in vending machines like our eastern and western neighbors?
3. Find a workout room and run until you drop. Most crew hotels include a decent, if not spectacular, gym. If unavailable, consider renting a bike and peddling through the countryside. After all, sleep eventually comes to those who sweat. 
4. Combat the effects with a team. Gather other crew members and immerse yourself in the local culture. Good food, sightseeing, and brilliant company can do wonders for ignoring the physical hardships of circadian clock disruption. 

DON’T:

1. Worry about jet lag. You knew about the jet lag phenomenon when you donned a pair of wings upon being hired. Enjoy your time out of the country. You’ll be back in your time zone in a blink.
2. Become preoccupied with the lost sleep. As the flight attendant’s definition for jet lag notes, lack of sleep is an occupational hazard, so embrace it rather than fight it.
3. Attempt to adjust to the new time zone. Scheduled stays at an international destination are typically less than twenty-four hours. Wear a dual-faced watch and adhere to your time zone.
4. Take pills to make it better. Too many stories of crew members waking up naked in public park benches, some with body parts shaved, prove drugs are a risky proposition at best. Better to be tired than under arrest in foreign lands!

PARENT “TRAVELER”:

If the parent definition of “jet lag” fits the bill, you’re in survival mode. See below for wisdom shared by others who’ve trudged in your shoes.

DO:

1. Cry. It’s the middle of the night, and the wailing darling in your arms doesn’t require rest. Several previous nights have already proven this theory. Why not join in and bawl, too?
2. Nap. Any opportunities for shut-eye, take. When baby sleeps, you sleep. But this won’t work if you have multiple children. Just remember, the fog will eventually lift. Nothing lasts forever.
3. Eat lightly and frequently. Sample the cracker snacks you dutifully hand out at all hours. Adding fuel will help you to truck through the worst of sleepless nights.
4. Seek props, but not the travel kind. Forget headphones, eye masks, and melatonin. Instead, gather blankets and nightlights to lull your little ones to sleep. If this proves futile, resort to caffeine overindulgence. 

DON’T:

1. Ruminate on how you used to sleep nine hours each night uninterrupted. The “then and now” remembrances will only wear you down further.
2. Go green with envy over your spouse’s business travel. Envisioning your partner stretched out in Westin’s Heavenly Bed isn’t healthy. Instead, speculate that Webster’s definition of jet lag is your other half’s more probable situation. Commiserate and carry on!
3. Spend the hours awake on social media. Screen time is not a friend while attempting to sneak in a few minutes of shut eye. Studies prove that virtual stimulation interrupts the ability to fall asleep when the opportunity strikes.
4. Give up hope. Children’s sleep patterns are as reliable as the weather forecast––there’s a fifty percent chance that what you believe to be true will be wrong. Ultimately, there will be nights when the entire household slumbers peacefully.

In the end, whether you’re an air traveler, crew member, or a new parent who struggles through sleepless nights, a bit of “jet lag” is unavoidable. Embrace it with a positive attitude and enjoy where you’re at. You won’t be there forever. Remember, like you, time flies!