Conquering Jet Lag

If you’ve traveled internationally at all, it’s very likely that you have experienced jet lag. You might have even experienced it in a minimal way while traveling domestically, perhaps during a trip to the West or East Coast. You may be wondering how real the condition is, what causes it and how you can prevent it.

The last thing you want to do when you make it to your final destination is waste time dealing with fatigue, disorientation or nausea. To help, we’re taking a deeper dive into jet lag and how to master it before your next cross-continental adventure.

By definition, jet lag is a temporary sleep disorder associated with extreme tiredness and other physical effects due to quick travel across multiple time zones.

Despite what most people think, jet lag is not caused by lack of sleep. Jet lag occurs when the body's internal clock (also known as your circadian rhythm), stays in your home time zone while you are physically in another time zone. This causes your body and circadian rhythm to be out of sync, leading to the side effects travelers despise so much. The primary symptoms are daytime fatigue, difficulty performing usual tasks, stomach problems and disturbed sleep—the longer the distance, the more intense the symptoms tend to be and the longer they tend to last.

Dr. Allison T. Siebern, a fellow in the Insomnia and Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program at the Stanford University Sleep Medicine Center, says cues (such as light exposure, mealtimes, social engagement and activities) help regulate circadian rhythms and keep your body on track.“When you cross time zones, it disrupts those [cues], and your internal clock and the external time are desynchronized. Your body needs to get on the rhythm of the new time zone,” says Dr.Siebern.

Thankfully, jet lag is temporary—but that does not necessarily help much on your vacation. For each time zone crossed, it can take up to a day for your body to adjust to the local time, and itis typically worse when traveling from west to east.

Older adults often suffer the most when it comes to adjusting to a new time zone. However, jetlag can affect anyone, although it might look different due to our individual physiologies. There are many things we cannot control about jet lag, but there are also quite a few steps we can take before and after a trip to lessen the effects, and make traveling more enjoyable from start to finish.

Due to the altitude and plane air filtration systems, planes are often quite dry and lack the humidity levels to which some people are accustomed. Adding alcohol or caffeine to the mix only makes the dehydration worse, potentially causing fatigue, headaches, dry eyes or dizziness.

Sudden pressure and elevation changes can often lead to swelling, uncomfortable ear pressure, bloating and even altitude sickness. While a pressurized cabin is certainly a dramatic improvement over a non-pressurized cabin, travelers still deal with elevation between 6,000and 8,000 feet, which means thinner air and less oxygen.

Stress can take more of a toll on your body than you realize. Even if you don’t consider yourself an anxious traveler, there are a lot of steps leading up to sitting in your seat on the airplane. In fact, according to a survey conducted in the U.K. by Priority Pass, 63 percent of people worry the most about simply getting to the airport on time.

Traveling on an airplane means you are in close proximity to people who may be coughing or sneezing, which can impact your immune system. Contrary to popular belief, it’s actually recommended to open your air vents at your seat. This will help increase air flow in the plane’s filtration system and filter out germs and viruses.

Drinking water before, during and after your flight is the number one preventative measure you can take to prevent jet lag. You can also improve your odds by avoiding dehydrating liquids such as coffee and alcohol. While coffee may give you a boost of energy when you’re tired and alcohol may help lull you to sleep, both are sleep disrupters and should be avoided several hours before take-off. If you do consume coffee or alcohol, remember to drink a bottle of water with it.

What you do on the plane is just as important as how you prepare for your flight and what you do after you land.

• Relieve Pressure: The increased pressure on airplanes can cause headaches, motion and altitude sickness, and general discomfort. Luckily, popping your ears to relieve pressure is not just an old wives’ tale. Chewing gum, sucking on candy, yawning and swallowing are all great ways to open your inner ears. Noise cancelling headphones, travel pillows and meditation can help relieve the pressure,too.
• Relax: When trying to sleep on the plane, it’s important to be prepared and make yourself as comfortable and relaxed as possible. To remove all potential sleep distractions, consider using an eye mask and ear plugs.
• Stay Awake: If it’s daytime at your destination, do your best to stay awake, even if it is your usual bedtime. Adjusting your internal clock once you get on the plane will make adjusting to the new time zone much more bearable.
• Keep Moving: It’s easy to get sucked into a movie or a good book, but moving around is incredibly important. Static exercises and stretching increase blood flow and get oxygen to the brain, which prevents swelling and fatigue, as well as more serious health concerns like blood clots.

It may be tempting to stop at a fast food place on the way to your gate, but greasy foods can cause increased gas and bloating. Snacks like nuts, fruit and vegetables are recommended to help you stay hydrated, energized and less bloated. Other travelers swear by fasting on your flight to reset your appetite and internal clock, although this theory hasn’t been proven yet. To try it for yourself on an overnight flight, simply skip the dinner served on the plane and then eat breakfast when you land. It’s also important to keep up with your vitamins, particularly vitamins B and C. Vitamin B12 helps increase red blood formation and provides energy, while vitamin C boosts your immune system.

Light is one of the most important cues that impacts your sleep/wake cycle. To help simulate light, consider purchasing a portable light box and use it to slowly shift your body clock before your flight. It is very important to make sure that you time the shift correctly—otherwise, it could end up making things much worse. Also make sure that the light level is appropriate and not too intense. (Note: Light boxes are not recommended for some people with certain pre-existing conditions. It is advised to talk with a doctor or sleep consultant before using.)

If jet lag continues to impact your sleep and overall well-being, you may want to consult your doctor about trying a medication, such as melatonin. Melatonin is a natural human hormone that is secreted in our bodies at night to help us sleep and maintain our circadian rhythm; melatonin pills are the synthetic version of this. Researchers are increasingly supporting melatonin as a way to help realign your body clock, but it hasn’t officially been proven as a remedy for jet lag. It is most effective in smaller doses as a phase-shifter rather than a sleep aid.

If you prefer a more homeopathic remedy without melatonin, No-Jet-Lag tablets have just five active ingredients (including daisy and wild chamomile) and were developed in New Zealand. Many swear by the tablets’ ability to reduce fatigue and other side effects of jet lag. It is available for purchase in all AAA Travel Stores.

Phone apps are the latest way to deal with jet lag.

This app provides a customized travel timeline for how to adjust your sleep schedule, light intake and caffeine consumption. Prices for an annual subscription vary, but for a free option, check out Jet Lag Rooster- it offers the same services but doesn’t automatically store information or give updates.

If you want help adjusting your sleep schedule, try Sleep Cycle. This alarm clock app tracks your sleep patterns and gently wakes you up over a 30-minute period. It wasn’t solely created for jetlag, but it can help with the transition between time zones.

For those looking for a quick solution, Uplift claims to cure jet lag in just 5 minutes. At just $9.99, the app uses a biorhythmic acupressure exercise to readjust to the new time zone.

If you are still dealing with jet lag at your destination, you’re not alone. Some other tips by frequent travelers include taking a hot bath before bedtime at your new destination, reducing distractions and noise at bedtime, and if possible, arriving at your destination a few days early to allow your body to adjust to the new time zone without impacting your sight-seeing agenda. Whatever your destination is, we hope you make it safely and enjoy your time. Our Travel Advisors also have their own tips and tricks—for more information, and to talk with an advisor today, simply call us at (952) 927-2525.