There’s nothing most of us love more than escaping our everyday lives and environment for an exotic experience abroad. Whether it’s sinking your toes into perfectly white sand or going skiing across snowy mountains, almost all vacations abroad come with one significant negative: jet lag.
Shown to cause many unwanted effects many of us aren’t even aware of, jet lag can wreak havoc on the body if a significant time zone change is experienced. So, to reduce the fatigue and negative symptoms associated with jet lag as much as possible, keep reading to discover our top tips which give simple yet effective ideas to help you adjust to the best of your ability.
Plan ahead
Take note your chosen destination’s time zone, and adjust your sleep schedule to suit this before you actually leave. You don’t have to make drastic adjustments all at once – simply start a few days before you go and adjust your schedule in small increments to achieve the best results with the least side-effects.
In fact, research into this specific area has shown that pre-flight adjustments are a great way to prepare your bodily rhythms for drastic time changes, making this tip an essential first step you should take. To ensure you’re adjustments are effective as possible, check out this alarm clock app by Apalon Apps which features everything you’ll need to help you both wake up and fall asleep exactly when you need to.
Opt for natural sleep aids
When experiencing a drastic time change, it’s often always better to allow your body’s rhythm to shift naturally. However, if you’re significantly struggling and finding adjusting extremely difficult, opting for sleep aids may be the next best thing.
But, instead of gravitating towards the stereotypical sleeping pills, opt for melatonin pills instead. A naturally-occurring chemical that’s released by the brain to induce sleepiness, melatonin is a great way to help you adjust to a new time zone when taken a couple hours before you need to sleep.
Power through for short trips
If you’re experiencing a drastic time zone change for a mere 2-3 days, adapting your entire schedule to fit this is probably not the best idea – it will just make your experience once home even harder!
In fact, 2-3 days is not even enough time for your body to properly adjust anyway so, difficult as it may appear, reassure yourself that powering through for this short time until you get home is probably your best option in the long-run.
When going on exciting vacations to a destination far from home, drastic time changes are probably the last thing on your mind. But, they are inevitable and something you’ll have to face head-on so it’s best to be fully prepared. If you combine planning ahead with our other tips included above, you’ll be able to tailor your adjustment schedule to suit the exact conditions of your trip, giving you the best results possible in the shortest time.
Victoria Norris is used to moving around a lot, raised an Army Brat she then married into the forces! A Mother of two, Vicky writes about her life and travels in her articles.
I’ve never had to adjust to a really big time difference. I can see how it would throw your body clock into complete chaos, though.