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8 Ways to Prevent Jet Lag Print E-mail
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Thousands of Americans take to the sky every day and many of those cross over multiple time zones. Travel across time zones can lead to Jet Lag, which is defined by the body’s internal circadian rhythm being out of sync with the local time.

For the vacationer, Jet Lag can be a nuisance for the first few days of the vacation. However, for the business travelers who need to be sharp and focused for their work, Jet Lag can significantly impair their performance and functioning. Below are seven symptoms of Jet Lag, as well as eight preventive measures travelers can easily employ on their journeys.

Symptoms of Jet Lag

  • Daytime sleepiness.
  • Unable to fall asleep at night (after eastward flight).
  • Early morning awakening (after westward flight).
  • Fragmented nighttime sleep.
  • Decreased daytime alertness and performance.
  • Disorientation.
  • Gastrointestinal problems and loss of appetite.

Prevent Jet Lag

1

Choose a flight where you land in the late afternoon/early evening local time. This allows the traveler to stay up a few hours, get a light snack, and get to bed at a reasonable time.
2

Prepare yourself a few days in advance by shifting your sleep and wake up time to match the time of the destination location.
3

When boarding the plane, change the time on your watch to the destination time.
4

Avoid alcohol, but drink lots of water.
5

Don’t eat a heavy meal upon arrival.
6

Avoid heavy exercise just before bedtime as that will increase your body temperature and may delay sleep onset.
7

Sleep with earplugs and an eye mask to dampen noise and light
8

Get out into the sun. The sunlight is the greatest time cue the body knows and helps to entrain the body’s circadian rhythm.

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