Surviving the dreaded jet lag
Like trying to find parking on street cleaning day in Los Angeles or getting stuck behind the “artist” with facial piercings in the airport security line, jet lag can make you question your sanity, sometimes literally. (Editor’s note: After traveling 22-hours from Malaysia to LAX, we stepped off the plane believing we had experienced pseudo Interstellar moments.)
Undeniably, the worst thing about jet lag is that it’s unavoidable and can’t be swiped away like a creepy Tinder profile (god, we wish!). However, you can take measures to ease the pain, feel slightly less insane and make it rain. (We really wanted that last sentence to rhyme).
Plan ahead.
Jet lag occurs when your body’s regular sleeping pattern is disrupted by various times zones, so always try to book a flight that mimics your own sleep cycle. More than ¾ of people have an internal body clock that makes it harder for them to fly east (sorry, West Coast), so schedule a day or two for sleep readjustment.
The Red-Eye isn’t a nightclub.
For long-haul flights (typically over 7-hours) book a red-eye (overnight) flight. Hopefully, you’ll sleep when you normally should and wake-up ready to take on the world or at least the customs line.
Drink up.
Water is your everything. You should marry water and have water babies. But seriously, dehydration makes jet lag far worse, as does alcohol. A glass of wine at the hotel bar may put you to sleep, but it actually disrupts your sleeping patterns. Stick to water, fresh juices and avoid caffeine including teas.
Find your lighting.
Controlling your exposure to sunlight is key to falling asleep or staying awake. Natural light will help your body adjust to a new sleep schedule, so stay up with the sun like it’s a Netflix binge sesh.
Don’t fool yourself.
If possible, avoid scheduling major events, work meetings and family reunions during the first 36-hours. Medically speaking, lack of sleep impairs your judgment and can lead to forgetfulness (what did the client request?!) and severe mood swings (crying-to-laughing in 3.5 seconds).
This post was originally published on The Politesse.
