Genius Tips on How To Conquer Jet Lag

Berty and I are flying to Paris tomorrow…for only five days. Crazy, right? Berty has the opportunity to photograph an elopement for two awesome adventurous people, and we decided to go together for a lightning fast weekend in France! Because we have such little time in the City of Love, we want to squeeze every last second with walks down romantic streets, visits to pastry shops, and views of the Eiffel Tower. No time will be wasted. This also means that we will be crossing multiple time zones and be NINE hours ahead of our city, Seattle. In order to prepare ourselves, we researched practically all the tips, tricks, and cures on how to defeat jet lag.

While no one can fully conquer this inevitable inconvenience, we compiled advice from all over the internet here to help you with your next long-haul trip. If you ever find yourself strapped for time, (or just want to get rid of jet lag ASAP) read on!

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Genius Tips on How to Conquer Jet Lag

Drink Lots of Water

This is a pretty common tip but it doesn’t hurt repeating. Your body works best when it’s hydrated and you have less of a chance of getting sick! A plane usually stays around 10-20% humidity inside the cabin, which is far less than a regular 35-60% indoors! Keep your body hydrated and always take a water when the beverage cart goes by. 

Wear Comfy Plane Clothes

I (Emily) have learned from experience that loose clothing is the best to wear on airplanes. While I love my lululemon yoga pants, I wanted to rip them off my body after a solid day of airplane travel because they were tight and uncomfortable! Honestly, skip style and pick your fuzziest sweatpants for an easy snooze in the air. Adequate rest will help you fight off the jet lag much faster.

Put yourself in the time zone of your destination before the flight begins…

Set your watches for your destination and then begin doing a routine as such. If you have the luxury of attempting to begin a day before the flight, you will have a much easier time acclimating upon arrival. If you can’t set your phone watch manually the day before, set alarms for things you should be doing in your “new” time zone. Things like eating breakfast, sleeping, or just taking a nap for slow acclimation.

…Then Start Eating Meals As Such….

Your body responds to routine. When you begin eating meals according to your destination’s time, your body will have a quicker time adjusting to your new schedule. And you’ll be hungry for breakfast at the right time! (Breakfast is my favorite meal!)

…And Sleeping As Such

BUT Sometimes sleep isn’t always the smartest move. For instance, if you are arriving at your destination at night and you’ve had a good sleep on the plane, you will probably be up all night. Set your watch to your new time zone and begin your regular routine as if that is your new normal. 

No Tech On The Plane

Research actually recommends against movies/games/ipads/screens before sleeping. The blue light emitted will send signals to your brain to keep you up. If you must use a device, check to see if it has a “night mode” which can decrease the blue light. Better yet, pack a lightweight book to read on the place instead. But if you absolutely must do work, we suggest working in the airport terminals while waiting to board, or setting certain strict times on the flight to work. 

Avoid Alcohol

While many think this acts as a quick sleeping aid, it can actually bring negative effects and dehydrate you in the process. Forego the free booze and pick your water bottle instead. You’ll also feel soo much better when you leave the plane, and will be rested and ready to go at your new destination!

Sleeping Aids Are Your Friend

I’m not talking about medication, but instead about neck pillows, eye masks, and fuzzy socks. If you want a complete list of long haul flight essentials, we made a post about it a few months ago! If you are planning to sleep (or even just rest) on the plane, making it as comfortable as possible will allow you to get the most out of the time in your seat.

Keep A Sleep Routine

Brush your teeth, wash your face, bring some cozy socks, and wear pajama pants. If you are planning to rest, set up your body for sleep with some familiar habits. Bonus, if you wear your PJ’s, this also keeps your landing clothes fresh and clean!

Get Up And Moving At Your Destination

If you arrive during the day, try your hardest to stay up until the regular local bedtime. Take a walk around, eat meals at regular times. This helps your body reset and be able to get a feel for your surroundings to feel more prepared for the day ahead.

 

Do you have any jet lag tips or tricks? We are leaving for Paris tomorrow so we would love to hear what has worked for you! Comment below!

 

Thanks for reading!

Love,

READ MORE TRAVEL TIPS

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Do This Before You Leave For Vacation

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3 Comments

  1. I bet you guys felt the pain even after doing all those things.. 🙂 You forgot to mention COFFEE COFFEE COFFEE 🙂 Jet lag is what it is, I’ve tried every remedy and it still hits me like a ton of bricks. I suppose if I didn’t practice the remedies, I’d be worse off 🙂

  2. Ooo, perfect. I’ve been looking at incorporating nutrition in different ways, so I recently found some interesting things about food that help with jet lag (as I’ve been prepping for my 10-day SE Asia trip!) —

    -lemon: combats dehydration
    -bananas: natural muscle relaxants
    -cherries or fresh ginger: ‘natural melatonin’
    -goji berries: enhance sleep quality
    -more ginger: combats motion sickness
    -quinoa: combats digestion problems
    -cantaloupe: energy booster
    -leafy greens: combats flight radiation

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-2744788/Best-super-foods-travellers-coping-jet-lag-motion-sickness-sun-damage.html

    1. Thank you Stephanie!! This is such a cool list. It never crossed my mind that food could play such a role in jet lag alleviation! (I also love the infograph on this link!!) I can’t wait to head all about your trip!