Jet Lag

These days, it's relatively easy for any of us to travel to distant parts of the globe in a matter of hours; however, it's not always as easy for our bodies to adjust and catch up. Our body clocks can get out of sync with the new destination time, leading to disorientation, disturbed sleep, irritation, dizziness and general malaise. These effects are made worse by alcohol.

Jet Lag Factors

Jet lag depends on the number of time zones crossed, rather than the length of the flight; crossing more than four time zones (hours) will usually lead to jet lag. The effect is particularly bad when flying from west to east, so for example, travellers from the UK will be affected more when travelling home from North America than they would on the journey out. It normally takes one day per time zone (hour) for the body to adjust to its new surroundings.

Tips and Tricks

1. Choosing your Flights

Try booking flights that arrive during the day or evening at your destination, not in the middle of the night, as that will slow down your adjustment to the new time zone. Also try to minimise the number of flight connections you have to make, as the changing cabin pressure exacerbates jet lag.

2. Avoiding Dehydration

Aircraft cabins tend to rely on recycled air, which inevitably dries both the skin and the nasal and throat membranes. Dehydration can also exacerbate jet lag, so make sure that you drink plenty of water prior to your flight, and make sure that you carry a bottle of water with you to take regular sips from. Avoid tea and coffee as they will dehydrate you even more, as will alcohol, with the resulting hangover also making your jet lag far worse.

3. Readjusting your Body Clock

In the days leading up to flight, try slowly moving your schedule towards the time at your destination. For example, if you are travelling to Barbados, where the time zone is 4 hours behind the UK, start going to bed, and getting up the next morning an hour later each day. Begin living, eating and sleeping in the destination time zone as much as possible aiming to alter your body-clock by 4 hours. Conversely, if you are visiting Mauritius, where the time zone is 4 hours ahead of the UK, start going to bed, and getting up the next morning an hour earlier each day.

Set your watch to destination time as soon as you board the plane. This will encourage you to make decisions about sleeping and eating that are in line with the new time zone before you even arrive. Make sure you try to sleep, or at least rest, when it is night at the destination time, and try to stay awake if it's daytime.

When you arrive, if it's daytime, take a walk in the daylight, preferably without sunglasses. This will encourage your body clock to adjust. Try to stay awake until at least the evening, and if you arrive at night, make sure you go to bed at the right time, even if you're not feeling particularly sleepy.

4. Taking Short Trips

As it usually takes at least 72 hours to adjust to a new time zone, if you are travelling on a long-haul journey for less than three days, it's usually a good idea to try to remain on your original local time.