Some of us handle jet lag better than others. I am definitely in the Others category! It’s a struggle, so I have found a method that works for me, that I have shared with others many times. Not going to lie, it sounds a little extreme…..but, if your trip is a week or less, it will get you more out of your first 2-3 days, versus stumbling around like a refugee from the Zombie Apocalypse, because jet lag has your brain and body in a fog.
One of the questions I get most often about traveling internationally is, is it worth it to upgrade to business class? That depends. Can you spend that money without even thinking about it? How well do you sleep on planes at all? Could that money be used to extend your trip by 2-3 days? We have flown business class on long haul flights, and yes, it’s nice, but since I have found a routine that works for me, I don’t really want all that food, and I never sleep all that well on a plane anyway, even in a lay flat space. You know what is less expensive than business class? An extra night’s hotel space. If you can shift your trip a day earlier, add an extra night at your hotel. That gives you a very leisurely day to just wander, and you can sleep as much as you want. I would still at least follow the quick and dirty version below, even if you take that route.
The first step on my protocol is slowly adjusting to the upcoming time change. I would recommend you start this ABSOLUTELY no later than 7 days before your flight. The quick and dirty version is to get up half an hour earlier each day, then the day of your flight, get up at the equivalent of 8:00-9:00am in the time zone you will be landing in. That gives your body a good jumpstart on adjusting to the time change, and you should be ready to go to sleep when you get on the long flight. I actually expand this to at least 2 weeks before, so I have two days at each earlier wake-up. If I’m going across the Atlantic, I’m getting up at 2:00am the day of my flight, which is 8:00am in London, and 9:00am in Rome.
The second step is to cut sugar consumption at least 5 days before, and severely limit carbs of all types (other than cruciferous veggies which are very low carb) 3 days before. Carbs contribute to inflammation, which causes you to hold on to water bloat. One of the issues on long haul flights is swelling of legs and feet, and this helps with that tremendously, as well as giving your body a better foundation for recovery from the wild time swing. There is method to my madness, I promise! It has made the world of difference for me. I also wear compression socks and use an inflatable footrest, on flights longer than three hours. That means I no longer have issues with swelling at all, after once seriously wondering if I was getting off the flight barefoot, because I couldn’t stuff my swollen feet back into my shoes.
The third step is to HYDRATE, starting 3 days before the trip. Plain water is not enough. You need electrolytes, but without sugar and chemicals. A pinch of pink Himalayan salt will do the trick, in every glass of water. Drink that water like it is your job, and continue this the day of the flight, and at least two days afterward. Much of jet lag is dehydration.
The fourth step addresses my worst fear about traveling, which is illness. People aren’t always as clean as they could be, and using a space has been used by a gazillion other people, enhances the risk of picking up a nasty bug. Take Clorox wipes and clean EVERYTHING you will touch. Your tray table, including the little knob to hold it closed, your seatbelt, both buckle and the belt itself….all areas around the window, and the window shade, the armrests, the airflow nozzle and reading light button in the ceiling, and all surfaces of the setback on front of you. DO NOT put your hands, or anything else, in the seat back pocket. They almost never get cleaned and can be DISGUSTING. I have a tray table cover, with pockets, that hold way more than the seat back pocket anyway, and I know it is clean! I also take a wipe with me and use it for opening, closing the Lavatory door, pushing the FLUSH button, etc. So far, I have never spent part of a trip in a haze of flu, a cold, or the dreaded Norovirus.
The last step goes back to hydration. Your sinuses drying out is one of the things that contributes to contracting illness while flying. If I’m not asleep, I use a facial hydration mist about once per hour or so, and make sure to inhale in through my nose, to hydrate my sinuses.
People often say all of this sounds extreme, but I challenge you to think about it. If you go to bed at your normal time tonight, and get up at 2:00 am tomorrow, to be up for the day, do you think you will feel like you are ready for a full day of sightseeing and activities? Probably not.
Vagabond.Belle 