5 tips to kicking jet legs butt
Jet lag can be a challenging side effect of long-distance travel, disrupting your sleep-wake cycle and leaving you fatigued and disoriented. Here are five tips that I just used on our recent trip to Italy to help kick jet lag in the butt!!!
Stay Hydrated:
Dehydration can exacerbate feelings of fatigue and discomfort associated with jet lag. We drank plenty of water before, during, and after our flight to stay hydrated. We added electrolytes to every bottle of water. *Avoid excessive caffeine and alcohol, as they can contribute to dehydration and disrupt your sleep.
2. Follow the Destination's Schedule Upon Arrival:
As soon as we got on the plane we started talking as if we were already in Italy. That might sound a little crazy but the faster you adapt, the faster you adjust. We also spent a lot of time outdoors in natural light during daylight hours to help regulate our body's internal clock. Exposure to sunlight can signal to your body that it's time to be awake and this was huge for us.
3. Sleep:
We took off at 6:00pm Calgary time, which meant night night time. Setting up for sleep success was super important. We brought neck pillows, blankets, ear plugs and melatonin (More on that on the next tip) Out of the 10 total flying hours I probably slept 7 of them. That meant I was well rested once we landed.
4. Melatonin Supplements:
Melatonin is a hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycles. Taking melatonin supplements in the evening (according to the local time of your destination) helped signal to our body that it's time to sleep. We took these on the plane too..... I could barely keep my eyes open. *Consult with a healthcare professional before using melatonin supplements to determine the appropriate dosage and timing, I am no Dr :)
5. Exercise:
Yup that's right, get active. As soon as we got back to the hotel we dropped our bags and got walking. We knew we needed to stay awake so we started exploring. I think we put on twelve thousand steps in those hours alone. By the time it was ready to sleep we were good and ready!
Remember that everyone's body responds differently to travel and time zone changes, so it may take some experimentation to find the strategies that work best for you, this is what worked for us!.
xoxox
