Don’t Lag Behind—How to Prevent and Treat Jet Lag

Do you ever feel like you are in two places at the same time? For people who travel frequently, the desire to go to bed in the middle of an overseas board meeting is, unfortunately, all-too-familiar. Sleeping and waking are not just habits that are easily changed; our sleeping and waking patterns are engraved in our biological makeup. Sleep is regulated by circadian rhythms in the brain which are disturbed after a long flight and by trying to adjust t to a new time zone.

There are more side-effects to jet lag than tiredness; a disrupted sleep pattern can reduce immunity to illness, which is of special concern to the air traveler, since airplane cabins are a haven for germs. Dry skin and nasal irritations are also consequences of jet lag, as well as dehydration, excessive hunger or loss of appetite.

Conventional wisdom dictates that a person suffering from jet lag needs a day to recover for every time zone he or she has passed. This means that, by the day you need to return from your overseas vacation or business trip, you might only have begun to recover from jet lag! Not to mention that your jet lag will be compounded by yet another overseas trip back home, which will require substantial recovery time. This means that a person traveling frequently for business might have a “sleep debt” which keeps piling up, accruing interest.

Is jet lag an inevitable part of the frequent traveler’s lifestyle? Are there any good cures for jet lag? The old saying “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” holds true when dealing with jet lag. Once you are jet lagged, it is very hard to adjust, and even if you are able to go to sleep and wake up on time, you will still be tired because of the sleep you missed. The following strategies are designed to help prevent jet lag before it happens, or at least, to ease its effects.

Get with the Program!

At least a week or so before you travel, start thinking and living, as much as possible, in the time of your future destination. If you live in New York and are flying to London in a week, start “thinking British”, at least as far as time is concerned. You can’t, obviously, accommodate the entire seven hour difference by eating dinner at breakfast, but at least you can schedule meetings, eat meals and go to bed a little bit later. If this is not practicable, even an awareness of what time it is in your destination will help ease yourself into the change. If possible, fly on a Monday and spend the weekend off from work in the time zone of your destination. Get an extra watch or a watch with smaller faces on it so you know what time it is overseas.

Be sure to turn a bright light on when it is “day” overseas. Light and dark influence our biological clock to go to sleep or to wake up. If you wish, you can purchase special headphones that not only muffle out noise, but send out signals that destroy stray sounds. There are also special visors on the market with lights attached to expose your retina to light when it will be day overseas. These devices can be used before and after the flight as well as on the plane.

Up in the Air

Once you are on the plane, stop thinking about what time it is at home. In the air, you are in a no man’s land as far as time is concerned, so take advantage of this, and see it as an opportunity to completely reset your biological clock. Bring plenty of water to fend off dehydration which can aggravate and be aggravated by jet lag.

Avoid trying to regulate your sleep pattern by drinking coffee and alcohol; alcohol can exaggerate jet lag symptoms, especially dehydration, and coffee may wipe you out when its stimulating effects wear off. Bring food with you on the plane, since the meals at the beginning of the flight tend to be served according to what time it is on the ground. If you have a morning arrival, eat meal packed with sleep-inducing carbohydrates, put on your headphones, turn off the lights and go to sleep.

If you have an evening arrival, try to stay awake by eating a meal high in protein, using the light to help ward off sleep and getting some work done. If you feel that you are dropping off, walk the aisles or do some stretches. There are many stretches you can do at your seat. Squeeze a ball or socks until your hands are tired. Raise your legs while keeping the balls of your feet on the floor. While your heels are on the floor, raise your toes, or cross your legs and rotate the dangling foot. There are many more exercises such as these which are convenient and help you to feel good while you fly.

To Medicate or not to Medicate?

There are anti-jet lag medications on the market, as well as commonly used substances, such as melatonin, which help regulate sleep. Many claim that homeopathic remedies work, and they are certainly worth trying. Melatonin, popular among frequent travelers, regulates the sleep pattern, but if the dosage is imprecise or is taken at the wrong time, melatonin may aggravate jet lag.

Sleeping pills are not recommended because they can be dangerous. In a British study, 18% of the 61 sudden deaths among passengers at Heathrow Airport were attributed by blood clots thought to have been caused by sleeping pills which produce a comatose state and cause the blood to collect in the legs. A much safer, gentler option for drifting off to sleep is herbal tea, lavender oil, deep breathing and relaxing music.

You Sleep How you Eat

There are special diets designed to prevent jet lag. Although this might seem like yet another disruption in your schedule, many have found the diet effective in easing the symptoms, or eliminating the problem altogether. The anti-jet lag diet involves alternating between feast days and “fast” days; these “fasts” help remove from the liver excess carbohydrates which cause drowsiness. The diet also works on the principle that protein helps the body stay alert and carbohydrates send the body to sleep. By alternating eating and “fasting”, and carbohydrates and proteins, the body is given cues that will help it adjust to the time change.

The anti-jet lag diet begins three days before the flight is scheduled. Let’s say, for example, you are scheduled to arrive in London on Monday morning. You begin the diet by “feasting” on Thursday. This means eating three full meals with second helpings. They should be high in protein during the day, for example, steak and eggs for breakfast and cold cuts for lunch, and high in carbohydrates at night. Pasta followed by a good night’s sleep is an ideal program for Thursday night. Friday is a fast day. This doesn’t require actual fasting, but the meals should be minimal and you should still feel hungry after eating.

You may drink coffee on either of these days, but only between the hours of 3 and 5 pm, when it is least likely to influence your sleep pattern. Saturday is another feast day: as on Thursday, proteins should be eaten in the morning and carbohydrates should be eaten at night. Sunday, the day of the flight, is a fast day. Since you are arriving in the morning, eat carbohydrates on the plane and go to sleep. You will wake up a few hours later according to British time and eat a high protein breakfast. Continue eating proteins throughout the day and carbohydrates at night so you can get a good night’s sleep. Remember not to nap during the day, or if you need to snooze, limit it to half an hour. When you fly back home, reverse the order of the diet; beginning three days before the flight.

You are Grounded

Whether you adjusted your diet, your sleep patterns or only your watch before taking off, remember that once you land, you are living in a new time frame. Even if you did not prepare your jet lag prevention strategies before the trip, it is not too late to lessen some of the effects of jet lag.

As mentioned before, keeping in mind that proteins have a stimulating effect and that carbohydrates induce relaxation and sleep can help you plan your meals to coax your biological clock. Flying east is more difficult than flying west because you tend to lose more sleep. As tired as you may be, remember to avoid taking naps so your sleep schedule at night will not be disrupted. Opt for exercise and cool showers over caffeine, and make sure your room is very dark so you can sleep at the proper time. And remember; when in Rome, eat, sleep and wake up when the Romans do!