People who fly very often across time zones usually experience “circadian rhythm disorder”, which most of us term it as Jet Lag. Jet lag occurs when the internal body clock inside us is disrupted. Our body clock is aligned to the day and night pattern, waking up to the light in the daytime and resting during the night. In this modern age of rapid air travel, this leads to a disparity between the local time at destination and the travellers’ body clock; resulting in symptoms like fatigue, headache or diminished concentration.
Do not confuse Jet Lag with fatigue arising from traveling. Fatigue can be easily solved with a good night’s sleep, while Jet Lag often takes days or for some weeks to disappear. Geekyauntie don’t want you to go through these symptoms because it can be really painful. Here are some ways which you can adopt in your next travel to ease your Jet Lag:
Sleeping on plane
Jet Lag doesn’t really strike until you are moving across at least 2 time zones. Whether to sleep and when to sleep on board depends on which direction you are traveling. Rule of thumb, if flying west, sleep later, and if flying east, sleep earlier. This way your body clock will be closer to the time zone of your destination. Let the crew know you don’t want to be woken, and wear eye shades to keep out the light. For frequent travelers, you might also want to invest in a noise cancelling headset, which is excellent at dealing with consistent noise like the roaring plane’s engines; they really provide a world of quiet solitude!
Choosing the right seats
First and business class seats are definitely the most comfortable and preferred choices. However, many times we are stuck with what we can afford. Nowadays, many airliners are offering premium economy class; it is definitely worth buying if you are on a long haul flight. Read about our review on Singapore Airlines Premium Economy here. If you wish to minimize being disturbed while sleeping, get a window seat. Some of you might wonder if there are any seats to avoid? That will be the seats at the back of the plane, as whenever the plane encounters any turbulence, the back is going to be more affected than the front of the plane. In addition, try to avoid taking seats near galleys or toilets where high people traffic can keep you awake the entire flight.
Fasting
Food is something you don’t want to miss out since you have already paid the fare! However, believe it or not, fasting can help with Jet Lag! By avoiding all food intake, your body’s internal clock is being “compressed” and a longer day becomes possible. Then, start the day with a large breakfast to bring the body back in action in a new time zone! It is like a hard reset for my body and it works every time for me. I can do without food and sleep during the flight, but losing few days to adjust with the jet lag is something I really don’t wish to go through! Fasting for the entire flight sounds tough, but if you’re going on a long trip, I’d say this is well worth the effort!
Avoid over consumption of alcohol
“Drink some wine, and you will sleep better in flight!” Do you hear this very often? Truth be told, alcohol can leave you feeling worse upon waking up. Aircraft cabins are usually pressurized to an altitude about 6000 – 8000 feet above sea level. This alone is enough for most to experience some symptoms of altitude sickness, like fatigue, nausea and light headache, which are very similar to symptoms of over consumption of alcohol. Effects of over-drinking in flight and altitude sickness will hit you together like a truck. This can continue to increase even when you have stopped drinking, wiping away any good quality sleep. Therefore, it is important to drink alcohol only in moderation during flight.
Afterword
Now that you have worked out how to beat the jet lag and you are ready to explore the world! Let us know if the featured tips work for you, or share your jetlag experiences and tips with us and our readers in the comments!