You may be able to reduce jet lag by adapting to your new time zone quickly. It may help to take supplements and get daylight exposure, among other practices. Jet lag occurs when you travel quickly across time zones and your body’s usual rhythm falls out of sync. It usually lasts just a short time.
Your body will eventually adjust to its new time zone, but there are ways you can try to get yourself on a new schedule more quickly and reduce jet lag symptoms.
How to Get Over Jet Lag: Is It Real?
Yes, jet lag happens when you alter your natural circadian rhythm because you travel to a new time zone. Your circadian rhythm is your internal clock that your body uses to manage sleep and wake times.
Traveling disrupts the measures your body uses to manage its internal clock, such as daylight, your temperature, and your hormones.
Some symptoms of jet lag include:
Headache
Fatigue
Insomnia
Difficulty concentrating
Mood swings
Lack of appetite
5. Tips to get over it
Yes, jet lag happens when you alter your natural circadian rhythm because you travel to a new time zone.
01. Adapt quickly to your new time zone
When you arrive at your destination, try to forget your old time zone as quickly as possible. Your technology will likely update clocks automatically, but if you have a manually set watch or travel clock, set those to the new time as soon as you depart.
You’ll have trouble at your destination if you continue to eat and sleep according to the old time zone. Eat meals and go to bed according to the time at your destination.
02. Manage sleep time
Make sure you sleep when it’s most appropriate for your new schedule. Your flight may be in the air during your destination’s nighttime, so try to log some sleep while airborne. A few things that’ll help you rest include:
noise-canceling headphones
white noise
eye masks0
earplugs
comfortable travel pillows and blankets
You should also avoid the urge to nap when you arrive, if it’s during the day. This can make it difficult to sleep later on.
03. Drink water
Long-distance travel may cause dehydration, and you may even reduce water consumption during travel to avoid bathroom breaks. Think again about this choice. Proper hydration may help manage jet lag symptoms and travel fatigue.
Carry an empty water bottle through airport security and fill it up once you’re in the terminal. You can also purchase water at the terminal or request it in-flight. Continue to drink plenty of water upon your arrival.
04. Try light
Jet lag interrupts your internal clock in part because your exposure to light changes when you travel and change time zones.
Getting outside in the sunshine can wake up your body and reduce the release of melatonin hormones that make you sleepy.
Exposing yourself to morning light will help if you need to wake up and function earlier when you travel east. Getting more light at night can be useful if you need to stay up later in your new time zone when you travel west.
You can also use a special lamp to expose yourself to light. The types of lights that may help decrease your jet lag can be in the form of a lamp, a light box, or even headgear. You may find these types of lights also advertised for seasonal affective disorder.
05. Drink a caffeinated beverage
Consuming caffeine won’t cure jet lag, but it may be a tool to help you stay alert and focused during the daytime. One study by Trusted Source found that 300 milligrams (mg) of slow-release caffeine enhanced alertness in those traveling eastbound.
Coffee, tea, soda, energy drinks, and even chocolate contain caffeine. Be sure to keep other substances in these drinks, such as sugar, in mind before consuming them.
Make sure to moderate or eliminate caffeine in the afternoon and evening. You don’t want to have difficulty sleeping from a combination of too much caffeine consumption and jet lag.