How to beat Jet lag on arrival

Time needed: 1 day.

Jet lag has become something of concern lately as lots of traveller’s go from the plane to meetings and interviews. Some travellers go as far as using sleeping pills which might work for a while. Learning some effective ways to tackle this problem would come in handy in your jetting career.

Jet lag is simply your body getting confused as to which time zone its in. Going through one timezone to another leaves the body feeling confused and tired. The medical term for this is Desynchronosis which allows for the study of such conditions.

Many are confused about how to inform their body about changes in time zones. One effective way to do this is by setting your time to your expected destination time zone after which you can continue with your journey. Try to make sure you set your arrival journey to daylight to get the right dose of sunlight on arrival.

1. Sleep on the plane

   There are times when it might be impossible to sleep on the plan especially when its daylight from where you departed from. One thing that serves as a determinant in such cases is the number of time zones you would be travelling through.
   
   Endeavouring to sleep on a flight can help with the early onset of jetlag and maybe help the body adapt to changes. Deciding on what to do when on board is dependent on the direction one is driving and the duration of the time.
   
   One way to control for flight distractions is to have an ear muffler or headset handy to block out the surrounding noise.
   
   
   
   

2. The seat location matters

   The prime seats to pick on a flight are usually the first class and business class seats due to the wide legroom provided and reclining capabilities. These seats are mostly procured as times-two of the cost of economy seats which takes us to affordability. Checking what your budget allows for a particular flight determines what type of seat to get. These economy seats are varied and sometimes set apart with the extra cost for additional features.
   
   Consider getting a premium economy seat or the exit row seats which can be achieved by using the legroom in front of you. Take the plank position for an almost comfortable journey and time for the body to relax.
   
   To consider other types of seats to pick check out SeatGuru which gives the full seat configuration of various airlines and the best to pick. These seats can include a window seat which a little pillow can be placed on for comfortability.
   
   
   
   

3. Movies

   Some passengers belief watching of movies during flights would always lure them to sleep. Sometimes this may not be the case as such movies can become too interesting and the mind gets to fight sleep. Other times the blue rays from the screen being used can be an inhibitor to sleep and induce jet lag in the end.
   
   
   
   

4. Inflight cocktails

   It is a well-known fact that when travelling at high altitudes the body becomes dehydrated so much it becomes necessary to take lots of water. This leads to chapped skin which passengers have been known to battle by using a face mask. Taking cocktails when inflight becomes much risky because it turns the whole body’s system around and makes it dehydrated fast. This most times turns to lack of sleep which makes traveller’s cranky and maybe take too much water inflight.
   
   
   
   

5. Use of sleeping medications

   There are times travellers decide to use sleeping drugs, you should learn the effects such medications have on your body. Test their effects by using them at home before travelling to provide for predictions and familiarity. This knowledge would advise you on the right way to administer these drugs when flying.
   
   It’s highly advised to consult your doctor for such drugs to ensure the expected side effects and outcome is in sync with your medical history. This would help with reducing the long effects of some sleeping medications and their after-effects.
   
   
   
   
   

6. Take Caffeinated drinks before flights

   As caffeine takes hours to be completely ejected from the body, it becomes difficult for drinkers of coffee to sleep during flights. This includes chocolate and other beverages, which can be replaced with green tea, twinings, warm water, and honey.
   
   
   
   

7. Sleep-lucky people

   Most airlines provide basic essentials like blankets, sleep mask, toothbrush, earplugs, toothpaste which can vary according to the airline. Ensure you find out about the provisions available inflight so you can go along with other needed pieces. To be comfortable during your flight put on either pyjama bottoms or a sweatpant to allow room for your muscles to breathe.
   
   All these make you sleep-ready for your trip and much comfortable for travellers who find it easy to sleep anywhere. Irrespective of the noise or commotions going on around them they mostly find their sweet spot to nest and rest their eye for any number of hours.
   
   
   
   

8. Attending meetings and briefs after flights

   The people who attend meetings and briefs straight from the airport are the real MVPs. With lots of activities jammed into their stay they mostly do not get the time for a breather. It might not affect now but in the nearest future might be a chronic case of sleep apnea if not more.
   
   Expect to find it really helpful to take a few hours out after landing to get accustomed to your new environment. This would give the body time to adjust to the time zone, take some fresh air and just be.
   
   It helps with restoring the body to its initial state before jetting across continents or states. One tiny indulgence to consider is using the special requests by hotels to get a proper meal. This settles the queasy and sometimes unstable state of the stomach.