Tips for overcoming jet lag

Jet lag is a disruption of the body’s internal clock, caused by a sudden change in time zone. It discourages some travelers from going far away to avoid sleep disturbances, mood swings… Indeed, a big difference between time zones can seriously upset our bodies. So it’s essential to know how to deal with jet lag. Here’s our advice!

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Our advice before you travel

The aim is to adapt to the future time difference before you even set foot abroad. So you need to prepare yourself well before you leave, with a different pace of life from the one you’re used to. You also need to prepare yourself physically so that your body can adapt to the jet lag ahead. This preparation depends on where you want to go. For a trip to the American continent, it’s best to start the day later and go to bed later. Conversely, you’ll need to get up earlier and go to bed earlier for a trip to Asia.

To be in better condition when you arrive, try to plan your trip so that you arrive at your destination during the day. You won’t want to sleep when you arrive.
Finally, it may be a good idea to eat before boarding the plane, so that you can doze off during the journey and arrive more rested. You can also take a flight with a stopover, so that your body has more time to adapt to its new routine.

Our advice on the plane

It’s a good idea to set the time for your destination as soon as you board the plane. This can help you get used to it psychologically. During the journey, drink plenty of fluids to limit dehydration. While drinking probably won’t help you fall asleep, it will reduce the negative effects of jet lag due to dehydration, such as :

– Insomnia at night
– Sleepiness during the day
– Fatigue
– Headaches
– Digestive problems
– Difficulty concentrating

However, avoid alcohol, coffee and other stimulating beverages that can upset your body. Your journey should allow you to rest, not excite you.
Last but not least, don’t take sleeping pills. In addition to the potential dangers of taking sleeping pills at altitude, it’s even more inadvisable to take them when you’re about to travel to the other side of the world. They may amplify your jet lag rather than attenuate it.
Take with you a special neck pillow, earplugging foam and an eye patch. They’ll give you a minimum of rest, and even if you don’t feel as if you’re sleeping, your body will be able to relax. Even if you’re tempted to watch all the films on the plane, we strongly recommend you get some rest!

Our advice on arriving at your destination

It is estimated that the effects of jet lag last as many days as the number of hours of jet lag.
Despite the temptation, and even though your body may be numb from the journey, don’t go to sleep just yet, once you’ve reached your destination. If you can’t stand up, take a twenty-minute nap. Otherwise, there’s a good chance you’ll wake up in the middle of the night and in great shape.
Once you’ve arrived at your destination, it’s important to synchronize with the local time, otherwise you’ll be dragging around jet lag, which isn’t very relaxing. To do this, stay awake until bedtime, even if this proves complicated. Daylight has a positive effect on jet lag. Light is one of our biological clock’s most important allies, helping it to regulate itself on an ongoing basis and to realign itself if necessary. On the contrary, anarchic exposure to light (as in the case of night work, for example) tends to disrupt its functioning.

Recovering from jet lag on your return

When you return from a trip, there are also a number of tips to help you recover more quickly from jet lag. Ideally, you should shorten your stay by one or two days to give yourself time to recover and get back into the swing of things, rather than returning to work barely rested.
Finally, during this period, give up screens. If you want to sleep, and above all sleep well, you need to keep away from your phone, tablet, laptop…

The “mind” is of course very important. So if you set off thinking: I’m not going to get tired from jet lag, you’ll certainly stay more active than if you tell yourself the opposite…
Have a great trip and happy vacations! Don’t forget your travel insurance for a worry-free vacation!

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