sleep habits

10 Ways to Get Over Jet Lag and Enjoy Your Trip

Carrie Kirby — Fri, 24 Mar 2017 09:30:34 +0000

You imagined yourself cruising through Venice in a gondola or snapping photos of wallabies in the Australian outback. Instead, you're wandering around in a haze, falling asleep at dinner, and popping painkillers for headaches. It's that jerky trip-ruiner, jet lag.

It doesn't have to be this way. There are time-honored and research-based tactics that really reduce the time and severity of jet lag. I have been able to travel across the world and feel close to normal by the second day, and totally normal by the third, by following some of the suggestions below.

1. Power through that first day

After a long, wearying trip, it can be tempting to collapse into your hotel bed upon arrival, no matter what time it is. Don't do it! What you think will be a half-hour nap will probably turn into eight hours of inappropriately-timed shut-eye, followed by a desperate wander through shutdown predawn streets searching for breakfast.

In my experience, staying awake through the first day of an international trip is the most critical factor for adjusting your body clock. Don't schedule expensive or demanding activities on that first day, but don't plan to spend it in your room resting either, lest you fall right to sleep. And whatever you do, don't sit down to watch TV!

Force yourself to walk around your new location, or meet up with local friends whose company will keep you alert. Allow yourself to eat ice cream and other treats to keep you going.

2. Try melatonin

Check with your doctor first, but I have found a small dose of melatonin helped my family sleep better on the plane, and daily doses helped us fall asleep at the appropriate time at our destination. Follow recommended dosage limits, of course.

3. Try the fasting method

I find it hard to resist the temptation of an airplane meal being plopped in front of me, but there is scientific evidence that not eating for 12 to 16 hours before your new wake up time will reset your clock immediately.

I tried this on a recent flight to Australia, when I needed to reset my clock 19 hours forward. When we boarded our flight at midnight, it was 7 p.m. in Australia. This would have been a good time to start fasting. Unfortunately, I was hungry, so I ate the meal served at about 2 a.m. California time, or 10 p.m. Sydney time. But I did refrain from snacking until breakfast was served at about 5 a.m. Sydney time, so at least I avoided eating during most of the time when I would normally be asleep in Australia.

The result? I felt groggy the first day in Sydney, but woke up the second day ready to explore my destination. I think the sort-of fast helped.

4. Do everything you can to achieve decent sleep on the plane

If you are flying across the ocean, chances are that at least some of your flight will be during your destination's nighttime. Besides melatonin, I have found either Benadryl or a double scotch to be helpful in getting that mile-high shut-eye. Get a good travel pillow. On my Australia trip, I brought two different kinds so I could vary my position throughout the night. Wear comfortable clothes. Earplugs and eyeshades can also be helpful.

Some people suggest staying up all night before a flight, to make sure you can sleep on the plane. But this tactic could backfire badly if you're like me and have trouble sleeping on planes, because you could arrive at your destination too exhausted to make it through the first day.

Of course, the most helpful thing of all in getting a good night's sleep is an upgrade to Business or First Class — so if you've got the miles, consider spending them. Upgrades are one of the best values for your miles.

5. Use caffeine wisely

This means that if you're landing in the morning, go ahead and indulge — it'll help you stay awake on day one. But if you land within six hours of bedtime, stay away from the coffee shop, no matter how much you feel like you need it.

6. Use light to your advantage

Our bodies set their internal clocks based on light. Bright light, especially sunlight, tells us to be awake, and darkness tells us to sleep. On the most basic level, you can help yourself adjust to your new time zone by spending the first day outside in the sunshine as much as possible. Continue getting sunlight exposure first thing in the morning throughout your trip, and avoid artificial light and screen time at night.

If you want to get more strategic about it, you can purchase a light therapy device to expose yourself at the correct times before, during, and after your trip. Experts say that carefully timed light exposure before a trip can shorten jet lag symptoms significantly.

7. Try adjusting gradually

Some suggest moving your bedtime 15 minutes a night over the course of two weeks. For example, say you are flying from Chicago to Paris, which is six hours ahead. If you normally go to bed at 10 p.m. in Chicago, that's 4 a.m. in Paris. You need to go to bed and get up much earlier. A really dedicated two weeks of preparation, 15 minutes at a time, could move your bedtime up 3.5 hours, so that the night before your flight, you'd be going to bed at 6:30 p.m. Chicago time, or 12:30 a.m. Paris time.

8. Schedule your flight strategically

It's much easier to sleep on flights that leave late at night local time. It's also easier to stay awake through the first day of your trip if you don't arrive at dawn. Based on what you find most challenging — sleeping on the plane or staying awake once you get there — choose a flight time that plays to your strengths.

9. Stop checking what time it is at home

On my recent Australia trip, my kids asked me constantly during the first few days what the time was back home. I refused to tell them, saying, "It's 2 p.m. here. Time for ice cream." The sooner you can start thinking of local time as the "real" time, the better.

10. Give up and embrace being a vampire

Some destinations offer fun entertainment at all hours. Heck, some destinations — New Orleans, anyone? — are best late at night. If you truly can't get yourself on a normal local schedule, maybe you'll have a wonderful time in London's nightclubs and skip the Tower of London this time around. This is a vacation, after all, not a work shift. Ultimately, do what's best for you.

Like this article? Pin it!

This article is from Carrie Kirby of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Up Before the Roosters: Becoming an Early Riser

Tisha Tolar — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 11:24:33 +0000

One of the goals I contemplate for myself on a near weekly basis is rising earlier every day. As a person who works from home and knows what damage slumps can do to motivation and productivity, I’ve wanted to create a better way to do things. The few times I’ve found myself up before the sun turned out to be very good days where I truly felt accomplished.

But saying I’ll wake up earlier when I go to bed at night only leads to my snoozing through several alarms the next morning. Surely many people experience the same defeat. But I am still motivated to try and change my undisciplined ways, and I was happy to discover that waking up earlier actually has many benefits. (See also: How to Naturally Reset Your Sleep Cycle in One Night)

Advantages of an Early Wake Up Call

As a writer with a family, a lot of my evenings are filled with constant interruptions that leave me frustrated and unproductive. At one time I was a night person who preferred to sleep all day, but the older I get, the earlier I find myself dropping into bed exhausted. Getting up earlier in the day has distinct benefits and can change the direction of your entire day.

Less-Stressful Start

Consider how many days you wake up in a rush, trying to get everyone out the door and getting yourself to work on time, which leaves you irritated and exhausted before lunch. By getting up earlier, you give yourself the pleasure of a more relaxed start. You can grab some time alone to fully wake up and get a grip on your day before rushing into life with everyone else.

More Productivity

In line with having more time for you, early risers also tend to be more productive. Even with just 30 extra minutes a day, a lot can be done. The dishwasher can be loaded, laundry folded, dinner ingredients prepared.

More Reliability

My grandmother used to say certain people in the family would be late to their own funerals because they were habitually late for everything else. By rising earlier, you can be more accomplished before leaving home and arrive at your destination without the rush. You may see better opportunities at work and become known as a reliable, dependable person rather than a harried, stressed-out mess.

Better Health

Waking up earlier allows you to finally have the time to eat a healthy breakfast and fuel your body for the day. Giving your body time to wake up and digest your food properly is necessary for good health. The chugging-coffee-shoving-a-bagel-down-your-throat breakfast you’re used to can become a thing of the past.

5 Ways to Roll Out of Bed Earlier

You can make it happen. Here's what to do.

1. Start Incrementally

If you want to wake an hour earlier than you usually do moving forward, don’t try to do it all at once. Start with just five minutes and build up from there. When you go to bed each night, think about what you can accomplish in that first 5-10 minutes. It will get easier to reach your hour-earlier goal within a few weeks, and eventually it will become a habit.

2. Adopt a Bedtime Routine

You may find it hard to wake up earlier because you find it so hard to go to bed at night. You’ll need to start cutting out the distractions in the hour leading up to bedtime, including television and caffeine. Try reading a book before bed rather than watching cable or sitting with a to-do list for the next day. By implementing a bedtime routine in your life to ensure you get enough sleep, you will find it easier to rise earlier.

3. Don’t Snooze

Most people put their alarms conveniently right next to their beds at night, making it too easy to slam the snooze button every five minutes. Try moving your clock to a table on the other side of the room. Or get a more annoying alarm clock that doesn’t have a snooze option.

4. Prepare the Night Before

Even with extra time in the morning, it can make you crazy to face a thousand things to do each time you wake up. Start preparing the night before for an easier morning. Have your clothing selected, your lunch packed, and your car keys in a safe location. This way you can get up with your coffee and quiet time to look forward to each day.

5. Reward Yourself

While the extra time in the day can be rewarding enough, don’t forget to pat yourself on the back for achieving your goal. Pick a morning or two a week that is all for you. Rather than getting household chores done, use your early morning time to dive into that book you’ve wanted to read, take a long soak in the tub, or watch your favorite show on the DVR without interruption. It will give you something to look forward to each week and remind you of your success.

Much of adopting a new way of life is mind over matter. Continue to realize the positives your changes are bringing about and find the motivation to keep moving forward with positive changes in your life.

Did you switch from being a night owl to an early riser? How did you do it?

Like this article? Pin it!

This article is from Tisha Tolar of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread: