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| Title | OVERCOME JET LAG |
| Category | TRAVEL TIPS |
| Jet It Off! Studies have shown that about 94 per cent of long haul fliers do experience some form of jet lag. And we know it's definitely no fun to feel awful on your first day of a much-awaited holiday! What is Jet Lag? Jet lag occurs because changes in time zones confuse the body's 24-hour inner clock known as circadian rhythms'. Physical symptoms include fatigue, insomnia, and disorientation; swelling limbs, ear/nose/eye irritations, headaches, bowel irregularity and light-headedness. Jet lag seems to be worse when flying eastward. Travelling north to south within the same time zone, on the other hand, produces none. How To Overcome Jet Lag Jet lag is not the easiest battle to fight and it can take as long as one day to adjust for each time zone you cross. It is not the length of your flight that will determine how much jet lag you might experience but how many time zones you have gone through. However, if you are prone to jet lag, don't despair. Here are some tactics on how to combat jet lag: - Take the doctor's advice and get a good night's rest before the trip. If you are travelling across time zones, try to adjust your sleep time prior to your travel to accommodate the time differences. - If possible, try to take a night flight so that you can sleep on the flight, or the alternative is to arrive at your destination at night so you can head straight to bed. Try to adapt to your new time zone as quickly as possible - especially at meal and sleep times. - Avoid caffeine, alcohol and heavy meals but drink lots of water and do some light exercise during the flight. Though these are good, sound advice, many people still get the jet lag blues, which have propelled launches of more potential remedies and a series of self-help books on the subject. - Take some pills to help counter jet lag. Melatonin made of a substance that is naturally produced in humans at night, helps your body to re-set its internal clock into the proper sleep/awake cycle. If taken in the morning, it helps you stay up later. If taken at night, it encourages sleep. However, it appears to work for some people but give others side effects like depression, headaches, hypothermia and restless sleep. - Another pill is No Jet-Lag, a homeopathic remedy. The pills made of natural ingredients such as club moss and wild chamomile are supposed to reduce anxiety and promote sleep. Chew one tablet each time the plane takes off and each time it lands and one every two hours while flying. However, it is advisable that to consult your doctor first. - Research has shown that certain vitamins in the body are depleted in a plane's unnatural atmosphere. Therefore, it is recommended that you take vitamin B12 two weeks before and one week after flight. Regular doses of vitamin C throughout your travels also help. Potassium can also be drained from your body on a long flight due to inactivity. So do drink lots of orange juice or eat a banana. - People who are unfit or exercise less are more prone to getting jet lag. Thus, exercise, both in the air and upon arrival, will help you feel rejuvenated. The Sheraton hotel chain has introduced a low-salt, high-protein, easy-to-digest 'body clock cuisine' menu at various airport hotels. The diet is supposed to help your body cope better with the time change. Hilton International has 'Sleep-Tight' rooms that provide earplugs, eye masks, black-out drapes, and a night-stand orb that simulates sunrise and a light box designed to jump-start jet-lagged biorhythms. (Adpated from gettinghere.com) | |
| Date Posted: 22/03/2001 02:57:02 PM |
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