Give Yourself Time to Beat Jet Lag

Photo source: iStock

Crossing several time zones can make the first few days of a holiday feel strangely exhausting. You may wake up at three in the morning, struggle to stay awake over dinner, or find yourself wide awake just when everyone else is ready for bed.

That’s jet lag, and it happens because your body clock hasn’t caught up with the local time.

There’s no magic trick that makes it disappear immediately, but there are ways to make the adjustment easier. One of the simplest is to start shifting your routine towards your destination’s time zone before you leave.

If you’re travelling somewhere significantly ahead or behind New Zealand time, gradually moving your bedtime and mealtimes can help your body begin adjusting.

Sleep is important, but don’t feel pressured to force yourself to sleep on the plane. Depending on the direction you’re travelling and the timing of the flight, resting when you can may be more useful than worrying about getting a perfect night’s sleep.

Once you arrive, try to follow the local schedule. If it’s daytime, getting outside and staying gently active can help you stay awake until a more appropriate bedtime. Natural light is particularly useful because it helps your body clock respond to the new environment.

Be cautious with long daytime naps. A short nap may help if you’re exhausted, but sleeping for several hours during the afternoon can make it harder to sleep that night and prolong the adjustment.

Food and drinks can make a difference to how you feel, too. Drink plenty of water during the journey and avoid relying heavily on alcohol to help you sleep. Alcohol can disrupt sleep and leave you feeling worse when you arrive.

Don’t plan your first day as though you’ll be operating at full energy. If possible, keep the first day’s activities relatively light. A gentle walk, an easy meal, and an early night can be a better introduction to a new destination than a packed sightseeing schedule.

Your body clock may take several days to settle, particularly after crossing a large number of time zones. Give yourself permission to take things slowly while it does.

A holiday doesn’t have to begin the moment the aircraft lands. Sometimes the smartest thing you can do on the first day is nothing particularly ambitious. Get some daylight, have a decent meal, rest when you need to and give your body time to catch up.