10 Things you need to know about Sleep - Beat Jet Lag When flying long-haul from the Airport the last thing on your mind is jet-lag, but unfortunately, jet lag and long-haul flying often goes hand in hand. Jet lag occurs when the body’s rhythms are out of sync with your destination time and can cause any or all of the following symptoms:
• Fatigue and lethargy
• Insomnia • Disorientation
• Swollen hands and feet
• Headaches
• Digestive problems
• Irritability or anxiety
• Lack of concentration
• Loss of appetite and nausea
• Dehydration.
The body operates on a 24-hour cycle, and travelling to a different time zone alters the body’s natural rhythm causing jet lag. The more time zones you cross the worse it can be - travelling east has a greater affect on jet lag than travelling west. It is easier on the body’s biorhythms to add a few extra hours to the day, as in travelling west, than reducing the number of hours in a day when travelling east. The speed with which your body can realign itself to your new time zone, adjusting its body rhythm to daylight, darkness, eating and sleeping in the new time zone, affects the length of time you experience jet lag for.
It is often thought that it takes a day to recover for each time zone travelled through – this is great news for travellers on a week’s holiday or a business traveller on a three day conference halfway across the world!
So what can you do to minimise the affects of jet lag? The following tips are designed to help you avoid the worst of jet lag and realign your body clock as soon as possible:
1.Drink plenty of water, avoiding alcohol and caffeine. Water is best but, if you find drinking large amounts of water difficult or just plain boring, fruit juice and herbal teas will do.
2.If you are due to land in the morning at your destination, try to sleep during the flight. Sleeping on board a plane in cramped conditions isn’t easy but take off your shoes and try to get comfortable. An eye mask and ear plugs with help block out cabin distractions and a blow up neck rest should add to your comfort. Even if you are unable to sleep throughout the flight, just try to rest, close your eyes and try to ‘switch off’.
3.If you are due to land at night, try to stay awake throughout the flight. Read a book, listen to some music but try to resist sleeping as this will mean you will be unable to sleep destination time and take longer for your body clock to adjust.
4.Set your watch to your destination time as soon as you get on the plane and try to live by it straight away. Try to eat at times appropriate to your destination time not departure time.
5.Some people reduce the impact of time zone changes by gradually adapting their routine by an hour or so a few days before they travel. By getting up an hour earlier or staying up later for a few days prior to departure depending on their destination time.
6.If you arrive in the daytime, try to avoid the temptation to sleep, get outside in the sunshine - daylight, or any light, is a major factor in resetting your internal clock. If you are exhausted and have to sleep try to limit a nap to one hour – set an alarm clock or your mobile phone to wake you.
7.If you arrive at night and don’t feel sleepy, try a warm bath and a glass of warm milk – a natural sleep inducer.
8.Resist the urge to party all night for the first couple days and get a couple of good nights’ sleep. This should help you adjust your body clock to your destination time and make for a more enjoyable stay.
There is no miracle cure for jet lag, but by following the above tips you should minimise its effects.
Paula Garrett is a contributor to the Edinburgh airport information website which offers up-to-date travel information, advice and further health tips for air travellers.
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