Recover Faster From Jet Lag

Reset your internal clock quicker and start enjoying your trip

• Common Problems
• Family Travel
• Sleep Solutions

Nothing's worse than arriving in Europe for a vacation only to spend the first three days feeling like you've been hit by a truck as you try to recover from jet lag. To reset your internal clock more quickly, follow this advice:

• Allow a day for every time zone you've passed through to fully recover from your jet lag.



• If you're flying east, book an early flight. If you're flying west, however, book a later flight.



• Begin preparing for time changes a few days before your departure by getting up a half hour to an hour earlier or by going to bed later (depending on where you're heading).



• When you get on the plane, immediately adjust your watch to the time of your destination. If it's nighttime, try to sleep.



• Use sunlight to reset your clock. After flying west, spend a few hours outdoors in the afternoon; after heading east, take a half-hour walk outside in the morning.



• Consider taking melatonin when you get on the plane to help you sleep, and then again after arrival when it's time for bed to help reset your body clock.

From Stealth Health

 

• Defuse Stress for a More Enjoyable Day
• 37 ways to calm down fast.
• 
• Make the Most of Your Vacation
• Come home relaxed and refreshed after a more active, yet indulgent trip
• 
• Achieve a Deep, Uninterrupted Sleep
• 24 ways to get the rest you need.
• 
• Travel Smart: Dollars and Sense
• 
• Stay Healthy on Your Next Flight
• 18 strategies to leave stress and sickness behind
• 
• Learn the Art of Self-Massage
• Reduce tension in seconds -- anywhere
• 

My father was often away on lengthy tours of duty, leaving my mother to manage five kids by herself. While he was away we used to sneak into their room to sleep. So before shipping out one time, Dad reminded us to respect Mom's space and sleep in our own rooms. Upon his return, as he disembarked the plane with the rest of his unit, my brother ran up to him, jumped into his arms and loudly announced, "Dad, you're going to be so happy. While you were gone this time nobody slept with Mom."

-- Kathleen Hodge