Are you seeking jet lag remedies for your next flight? In today’s very hectic environment it is common to start your business right after your plane touches down at its destination, jet lag be damned.
Jet lag can take many forms. Sometimes you are completely wiped out for a day or two after your long distance plane trip. Other times you may feel fine for the first couple days, but just as you are thinking that it hasn’t got you this time, it hits and messes up a whole week with sleepless nights and drowsy days.
Sleep isn’t the only issue. You may also have digestive disturbances, headaches and possibly some depression.
In medical terms, jet lag is known as desynchronosis. Circadian rhythms are, in layman’s terms, the body’s natural alarm clock, telling us when to wake up and when to sleep, and sometimes these rhythms can be upset. But if you’re driving cross country and change time zones, your body won’t be affected so much, as these rhythms are based on daytime behavior, and your body would have time to adjust. But a plane can cross several time zones in one day, and that can take a while to recover from.
Scientists estimate that the body needs about one day per time zone crossed, but traveling east is more hectic for some people. One hour time difference would constitute one time zone. So if you’re traveling from New York (East Coast) to Los Angeles (West Coast), you’d be crossing three time zones and needing about three days to recover. A flight from New York to Lima, Peru, on the other hand, would not cause you any jet lag because on this route, you move from north to south without switching time zones.
Jet Lag Remedies Through Medication
The main medication that is used to treat jet lag is the hormone melatonin. This is available without prescription in the USA, although a prescription is required in many other countries. This is perfect for travelers headed east. The most common dosage would be once at 6:30 PM the evening before your flight, then four times at 9:30 PM, corresponding to the first four nights at the destination city.
Jet Lag Remedies Can Also Be Non-Medical
There are also natural remedies for jet lag, such as exposure to light. 30 minutes of sunlight or bright light therapy (including use of anti seasonal depression lights) is enough. When traveling east, make use of light therapy in the morning so your body can get used to its new rhythm. This can also be used at midday to mid afternoon if you get sleepy or drowsy during these times.
Adjusting your diet is also helpful. Generally speaking, protein-rich meals help us to stay awake, while carbohydrates make us sleepy. Cut down on the carbs when eating breakfast and lunch, and for your dinner, you can eat a high-carbohydrate, low-protein meal. This should help you sleep at night and can be one of the most effective jet lag remedies.
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