You may experience jet lag when you travel by air across more than three time zones. Usually each time zone represents a one hour difference. It occurs because many of the function of human body are regulated by interval 24-hours cycle, such as our temperature, pulse rate, emptying bladder and bowel. This also called alteration of body’s circadian rhythms.
When we travel long distances rapidly, our body take time to adjust to the new time of our destination, and we may experience insomnia, disorientation, fatigue, loss of appetite, loss of concentration, even could be sleep disorder. This condition usually can take a day or even a week, it depends to our body’s adjustment. However there are several ways to reduce jet lag’s effects.
- You can select appropriate flight schedule that minimize sleep deprivation, if possible choose flight which arrive late in the days, so that you can sleep directly after you arrive. If it is very long flights, you can select a stopover.
- If it is a plan’s flights, try to rest for couple of days prior to departure, sometimes by adjusting sleeping’s period to destination times would help body to adjust quickly.
- Avoid smoking
- Avoid excessive eating which bloats the stomach during the flights, instead drink a lot of water or juice. Usually they provide coffee, tea, or juice, just select just juice to ease you stomach.
- You may see your doctor for melatonin pill which is very good to adjust the circadian rhythm of your body.
- Try to make yourself comfortable by wearing loose-fitting clothes and use an eye mask or ear plugs to help you sleep well during the flight.
- If you feel unfit, better to postpone your flight, and you can arrange in other days.
