It’s a fact that the human body isn’t designed to travel long distances at high speeds, and sometimes it can knock out your Circadian Rhythm. But is there any way to avoid the inconvenient exhaustion that travellers are left with? Follow these steps to help you make the transition to a different time zone a lot smoother.

Sleep before you fly

You might think that not sleeping much before your overseas flight is a good idea – if you sleep less then you’ll be able to sleep more on the plane, huge mistake! By changing your sleeping patterns last minute, you are making it harder for yourself to adjust to the new time zone. Getting some sleep before your flight will make jet lag a lot easier to deal with when you arrive at your final destination.

Avoid arriving at night

If possible, try and make sure that your flight arrives to your destination during the day. This is simply because it’s a lot easier to stay awake when you arrive if the sun is shining and you can explore the area. By doing this, you can train your body to stay awake during the day, and by the time the sun sets, you will be ready for bed.

Split up the trip

If possible, try and fit in a stopover to your travel. This allows your body to have more time to adapt to the new routine and time zone. Another benefit of a stopover is that it can usually slash the price of your airfares, and gives you a whole day or two to explore another country/city that you weren’t expecting to see!

Avoid the bar

Sorry that you have to hear this, but it’s useful to avoid the bar when crossing time zones. Kicking off your holiday with a nice gin and tonic will make it harder to beat the inevitable jet lag, as the effects of alcohol and altitude will increase tiredness and cause dehydration. Not a good way to start your trip!

A huge no to sleeping pills

As tempting as they are to help you sleep on the plane, sleeping pills do absolutely nothing to help your recovery from jet lag and will just leave you feeling fuzzy and hazy when you land. If you feel like you need assistance in sleeping on your flight, herbal tea is always an effective alternative.

Say goodbye to coffee!

Caffeine and artificial stimulants affect your ability to sleep and therefore increase your jet lag recovery time. Pass on the coffee, soft drinks and energy drinks whilst travelling to a different time zone.

Set your watch

By setting your watch to the time zone of your destination, you almost trick your mind into adapting to that time. Make sure you don’t get too organised and do this beforehand, otherwise you may just miss your flight – and have an embarrassing excuse as to why!

Don’t forget to eat

The recommended three meals a day will really help you out when changing time zones. Even though it might be a bit of a struggle, changing the times of your three main meals to the new time zone will help your body adapt faster.

Get some exercise

Get that blood pumping! By doing some exercise, you can boost your endorphin levels and stretch your limbs during your flight. There are a wide range of exercises that you can do on a plane, so do your research prior, or find them in most airline magazines.

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