Jet lag? Fight it!

The cause of jet lag is the disruption of your circadian rhythm.

In layman’s terms, this means your crossing time zones leaves you out of sync with your body clock, meaning you might find yourself craving dinner at 2 a.m., or nodding off in a 4 p.m. meeting. But there are ways of reducing the effects of flying around the globe.

1. Most travellers only think of the time zone of their destination when resetting their watch upon landing, but if you plan ahead, you can lessen the impact.

A few days before departure, wear two watches and try to live as much as possible in accordance with the destination time zone. Even going to bed an hour earlier or later each day for three days will make a real difference. If this is impossible, then reset your watch as soon as you board the plane, and eat and sleep in accordance with the time at your destination.

2. Depending on whether or not you find it easy to sleep on planes, plan your flight accordingly. If you find it easy to sleep inflight, then try to book a flight that is in the air during your destination’s night-time, but if you find it impossible to sleep – or you don’t want to miss the inflight movies – then take a day-time flight and sleep upon arrival.

3. To help you relax on the plane, if you need to sleep during a day-time flight, or if you are feeling a little tense, try dabbing a few drops of lavender oil onto your pillow or scarf. Try not to use sleeping tablets as they often result in you sleeping in a cramped position, increasing the risk of blood clots, and they leave you drowsy upon waking up.

4. Choose a light option from the dining menu, unless you are trying to go to sleep, in which case a carbohydrate-crammed meal will probably do the trick. Otherwise, try to stick to a vegetarian dish or nibble on light snacks throughout the flight. This will lighten the stress a flight naturally puts on your body. If you have special dietary needs, you can pre-book your menu with Qatar Airways when you buy your ticket.

5. A lot of symptoms of jet lag are not related to the disruption of your body clock, but are consequences of flying itself. The air in an aircraft can leave your body severely dehydrated, worsening the impact of jet lag. To keep hydrated, you will need to drink around 250ml of water per hour’s flight time. Try to stay away from tea, coffee and alcohol, as these drinks dehydrate the body even further. Also, one alcoholic drink in the air is equal to two on the ground, which will leave you feeling even worse when you disembark.

6. If you need to stay awake during the flight, take a bout of exercise before take-off and try to do some more during the flight. If you are arriving in the morning and need to be fit for the day, try to squeeze in a quick run or visit to the gym before any meetings, as this will give your body a much-needed boost of energy.

7. Some travellers swear by taking melatonin supplements to reduce jet lag. Melatonin is a natural hormone produced by the body during the night, making you sleepy. But during daylight hours, melatonin levels are low and you feel alert. Artificial supplements are on the market, but side-effects are not proven as yet, so please consult your doctor before thinking about going down that route.

8. Research has shown that natural daylight has a huge impact on our body clock. If you need to be awake at your destination, but your body craves sleep, sit in daylight for 15 minutes, letting your natural, rather than artificial, melatonin levels decrease and giving your body the idea that it’s time to wake up.

9. After a long flight, it has been proven that massage helps the body get over the after effects of flying, as well as reducing jet lag. A massage rehydrates the body and relaxes you at the same time. Ask for either a soothing or a revitalizing treatment, depending on the time of day.

10. The easiest way to stave off jet lag is by flying either First or Business Class, if you can. Comfortable seats and relaxing sleep are still the best way to pass long hours crossing time zones, so check your frequent flyer miles and see if next time you can get an upgrade. (Source: Qatar Airways magazine)