Jet Lag - 5 Pre-travel Steps to Reduce the Effects of Jet Lag

Ask any regular long-haul flyer about their experience of flying and you will soon discover that everyone has a different "magic" formula for overcoming or avoiding jet lag.

In reality of course no magic formula exists - and there is certainly no magic pill or tablet. There is, however, a great deal that you can do in preparation for your departure to help you overcome or eliminate jet lag and here are just a few tips:

1. Maintain a consistent sleep pattern.

If you are not following a consistent routine in the days and weeks before your journey (going to bed and getting up at the same time each day) your body's internal clock will be disrupted even before you start your journey and your flight will simply magnify the effects of insomnia induced by jet lag.

2. Ensure you are getting a balanced and healthy diet.

Diet plays an important role in ensuring that you get a good night's sleep and an appropriate balance of whole grains, proteins, fruits and vegetables in your diet is essential.

Alcohol and caffeine are two elements of your diet that are particularly important in relation to jet lag and these should be reduced, or eliminated, in the run-up to your journey if at all possible. If, however, asking you to give up your twelve cups of coffee each day is rather like asking you to cut off your right hand, then try to limit your intake to the afternoon between about 3 pm and 5 pm.

Caffeine when taken late in the day tends to speed up your body clock, while taking it in the morning has the opposite effect. Taken during the middle of the day, caffeine has little or no effect on your body's circadian rhythms.

3. Take regular exercise.

Regular exercise can significantly improve the consistency, quality and duration of your normal sleep cycle. Some form of daily aerobic exercise, lasting at least twenty minutes, will go a long way to preparing your body for your forthcoming journey.

4. Start to slowly adjust your bedtime.

You should begin to "manage" your body clock by gradually and slowly adjusting your bedtime and wake up time in the days before your journey, to bring these into line with the local time at your destination.

If, for example, you normally go to bed at 10 pm and you are flying to a country that is four hours ahead, at your normal bedtime the time at your destination will be 2 am. So, in this case, you need to slowly bring your bedtime forward a little bit (say fifteen minutes) each night for a week or ten days before your departure. This might mean that immediately prior to leaving you are going to bed at say 7.30 pm. However, when you arrive at your destination this will mean that you are now going to bed at 11.30 pm and that you have narrowed the four hour time difference to just one and a half hours.

5. Reduce stress in the days before traveling.

One often overlooked factor in the jet lag equation is that of stress and much of this stress is a direct result of the journey itself. How many times have you found yourself running around at the last minute trying to do 1001 things at once?

Plan ahead and make sure that, as far as is possible, everything that you need to do both at home and at works is completed well in advance of your journey. In planning for your journey, clear as much as you can as early as you can and make specific time available in your pre-journey planning for plenty of relaxation in the days immediately prior to your departure.

These are just a few examples of things that you should pay attention to when planning any long-haul trip and, together with other specific measures taken both during your flight and following your arrival, will considerably reduce the effects of jet lag, or even lead to no jet lag at all!

Copyright 2005 Donald Saunders - http://help-me-to-sleep.com

Donald Saunders is the author of a number of health-related publications looking in detail at curing insomnia and managing other common sleep disorders. Drop by for more information on jet lag and to pick up your free copy of "How To Get A Good Night's Sleep".

More Resources

Lockheed Loitering Missile Expandable Wing Concept
Smart Missiles are expensive, but effective. Efficiency in the the new paradigm of the net-centric warfare will yield results to those who pay attention and do not waste assets.
Preventing Rapid Decompression In Commercial Airliners
In Flight Airline Rapid Decompression Breached Window(Airline Safety)Here is a concept worthy of mention about the issues concerning Airline International Terrorists and Guns in the Cockpit and of course Federal Air Marshals. If a gun goes off in a smaller airliner, 737 or 767 then a bullet could penetrate a window and breach the pressurization system.
Entering Business Aviation, Part II: Pay Rates for Flight Attendants
Pay. You know that aviation pays better than commercial, in most cases a lot better, but you aren't sure what the going rate is for a corporate flight attendant.
Cracking Aircraft Windows with Directed Sound Waves
Today our modern military scientists have found many uses for directed energy beams. Some of these uses include communication, non-lethal weapons and high-energy lasers.
A380 Bathrooms
Bathroom seat with a view; That's right! The all-new A-380 is trying to make air-travel fun again, with a bathroom with a view. But Airbus is not the only commercial aircraft company, which has their shit together.
Making a Mechanical Manta with Material Memory Manufacturing Methods
I propose building a mechanical manta ray as a Underwater Unmanned Vehicle; UUV. The manta ray will have air tanks inside of its wings and a sound device, which will also operate a sonar and an ELF communication system.
A Look at Fractional Jet Ownership
We've all experienced it - the commercial flight. After a mad dash to make it to the airport on time, including the hours allotted for getting through security, where you'll have to take off your shoes, empty your pockets, and prove that your laptop is not a bomb, you sit and wait for a couple hours before they decide to start boarding, and give you the privilege of sitting in the cramped seat that you paid a couple hundred dollars for.
Airlines, Price Wars, and Branding
Here are some thoughts on the study of the theory of price wars as they relate to the industries like the Airlines and others. Comments on an article in Harvard Business Review in March-April edition 2000.
Finding the Cheapest Airfares
To find the best airfares, it takes a series of actions to be accomplished during the same period of time. Airfare rates change suddenly online, so when you see a price that you are comfortable with, grab it.
Cleaning Air Cargo Containers
If you own a pressure washing business, janitorial service or truck washing business you owe it to yourself to look into the cleaning of air cargo containers. The cleaning of air-cargo containers is a necessity and it is a consistent business.
Airbus to Build $600 Million Aircraft Manufacturing Plant in US
Airbus has announced that it will build a $600 million aircraft manufacturing plant in Mobile Alabama. This is significant news and will open doors to US based commercial airlines to buy more Airbus Aircraft in the future.
Tips to Finding Really Cheap Airline Tickets
Finding really cheap airline tickets onlineLooking for a really good deal on flights? Here are some of the best strategies used to find really cheap airline tickets online.1) Really Cheap Airline Tickets: Last minute flightsOften you'll find really cheap airline tickets posted at the last minute.
Overcoming Jet Lag
Jet lag can be one of the worst, and certainly one of the most frustrating, aspects of long distance travel. Also called desynchronosis (meaning "out of time"), jet lag occurs when travellers pass through multiple time zones, arriving several hours ahead or behind their "home" time.
Jet Lag - 5 In-flight Tips
The secret to combating jet lag, and arriving at your destination with little or no jet lag, lies in sound preparation well in advance of your date of travel. This, however, is only the foundation of your "anti jet lag" plan and all of your sound preparatory work will be wasted if you don't also ensure that you follow a sensible routine during your flight.
17 Ways to Keep Safe and Secure When Flying
Here are 17 ways to keep safe and secure when flying domestic or abroad. Air travelers need to keep a sharp eye and an ever present focus on what's going on around them.
Getting Cheap Airfares
Airlines offer tickets at a fraction of the cost you buy tickets. These offers are given to wholesalers and agencies that bring good business to them.
Finding Really Cheap Airline Tickets Online
Trying to find really cheap airline tickets can become very frustrating and time consuming but if you know how and where to search you can quickly and easily find airline tickets online.The internet is fast become the best place to find really cheap airline ticket deals.
Aluminum Cleaner for Aircraft Detailing by Alcoa
There are many choices for aircraft detailing when it comes to aviation uses. One product we like after tying them all out was a product by Alcoa Corporation.
The History of the Aircraft Wash Guys, Part Three
As we study this grass roots history of a franchise company in the making we see how opportunity in the market grows companies and how entrepreneurial thinkers take advantage of those opportunities to deliver goods and services, which match the desires of the market place. In this review of the history of the aircraft wash guys we see the company diversifying and finding other niches to serve, some of which were actually better than the original plan.
Automated Following Jump System for Paratroopers, AFJS
There are many problems of safety in paratrooper drops. Many times night jumps are done or drops are made into the battlespace under low visibility.

More Aviation Information:

Related Articles

Downed Pilots Hibernating From the Enemy
When we watch Oliver North's "War Stories" or the "Wings Discovery Channel" we often see the problematic issues with downed pilots trying to evade the enemy. They have limited if any food supply and lots of people looking for them.
Airline Fuel Costs Mount
The airlines are huge users of fuel. Fuel costs are higher than even the cost of the aircraft.
New Airbus A-380 Beats Out 747
The A-380 has beat out the Boeing 747 as a target by International Terrorists. The A-380 will become the largest passenger jet in the world holding the largest number of passengers.
Flying Blimp Walrus Could Have Assisted in Evacuations
What is a Walrus Super Blimp? It is a giant heavy lift Blimp being evaluated by the United States Department of Defense's special research division; DARPA. What is DARPA? Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.
Young Men Trying to Imitate the 9-11 Scenario, Part II
What happened to General Aviation after 9-11? Why did we take the ITC away in the late 80's? Why were we hostile with IRS regulations toward Civil Air Patrol pilot owners? What else did this cause and why is it significant to this Part II of aviation mentor-ships for young men? We continue now with Part II of "Young Men trying to imitate the 9-11 Scenario."Wichita KS boomed due to the Ivestment Tax Credit regulations and the city had lots of population to draw from for mechanics, since so many people worked in the aviation factories.
India Air Traffic Issues to Come
As India increases its economic growth the population is taking to the air in travel and more and more are flying. Commercial Aviation traffic has increased ten fold in te last five years and is expected to do so again.
Travel Tips For Getting Through the Airport Easier and Quicker
Traveling is different now than it was before 9/11. Arriving at the airport even earlier than before, standing in line longer while waiting to pass through security, having luggage x-rayed, and being pulled aside for random security checks make the time it takes to travel more lengthy than it used to be.
Top Ten Secrets to Saving Big Money in the Airline Flights
Do you know that some people travel around the country andabroad, for both business and pleasure, and save bundles of money in the process?They do that by using little known ways of really taking advantage of the most popular form of transportation - airline flights.They don't rely on the ever-famous "airfare price-wars".
Jet Lag - 5 Pre-travel Steps to Reduce the Effects of Jet Lag
Ask any regular long-haul flyer about their experience of flying and you will soon discover that everyone has a different "magic" formula for overcoming or avoiding jet lag.In reality of course no magic formula exists - and there is certainly no magic pill or tablet.
Young Men Trying to Imitate the 9-11 Scenario, Part III
What caused a teenager to crash an aircraft into the Bank of America Building in Tampa? It makes no sense. Read more in Part III to try to understand the causes involved in this scenario.
Private Jet Ownership Indeed
Wouldn't you like to own your own private jet? Have you ever thought about it? Many of us have and you know what it is not all that expensive as you might think after all. Private jet ownership is really taking off these days.
Young Men Trying to Imitate the 9-11 Scenario, Part I
Why did the young man near Tampa, FL fly a little private aircraft into the Bank of America building there? A Cessna 152; What damage could that possibly do? We must figure out a way in preventing our youth from growing up into homegrown terrorists.Young men crashing into buildings in airplanes is simply insane; how could this happen.
De Ice Boots Preventative Care
If you have de-ice boots on your aircraft you realize that for them to last you will need to keep them in new condition. In days gone buy aviators and aircraft mechanics have used all sorts of things to keep them in mint condition.
Secrets to Finding Really Cheap Airline Tickets Online
Knowing where to find really cheap airline tickets is the first step to shopping for the best airfares online but once you've overcome this little hurdle on your race to getting really cheap airline tickets you'll need to know how to book the cheapest airfares.Let's say you've found a great website that offers really cheap airline tickets online - like lastminutetravel.
Entering Business Aviation, Part IV: Crafting a Resume
Writing a résumé can be one of the most daunting parts of any job search. Quite frankly, it is one of the most important elements in helping you finding work.
Point to Point VS Spoke and Hub? Air Taxi
Boeing it is said took a big gamble in predicting the future of air travel. Instead of going bigger like Airbus and building an aircraft like the A380, the biggest airliner ever built; The Boeing Company decided to go for a more efficient smaller aircraft with better materials and better range.
Find Cheap Tickets From all the Major Airlines
All of the major airlines are now associated with different web sites allowing for you to find discount airfare and cheap tickets on the internet. One of the reasons the airlines have done this is because so many people now have access to computers and the internet.
Overcoming Jet Lag
Jet lag can be one of the worst, and certainly one of the most frustrating, aspects of long distance travel. Also called desynchronosis (meaning "out of time"), jet lag occurs when travellers pass through multiple time zones, arriving several hours ahead or behind their "home" time.
Budget Airlines - Cheap Airfares for Flights around Europe can Reduce Your Vacation Costs
Here's a good tip to help cut the cost of flying to many European cities and make your dollar go a little bit further.With the current high value of the euro, it has become increasingly expensive for Americans to take a vacation in Europe.
How to Save on Airfare
The Internet has provided a revolution in the way people shop for airfares. What used to be the province only of connected travel agents is now the province of every Internet connected traveler.