When you fly over several time zones, you may suffer from jetlag, or time difference stress.
But why is that? And how can it be avoided?
read more about jetlag and see 7 tips for avoiding jetlag on your trip to Asia.
What causes jetlag?
The internal clock is regulated by different hormones that the body produces at different times of the day. Your body has adapted to the time zone of your own place of residence
When you travel east or west across time zones, your body needs to get used to the new time zone, and this getting used can show up as jetlag symptoms.
The time difference stress is especially felt when traveling from west to east. According to the theory, your body thinks the day will lengthen when you fly west, and correspondingly shorten when you fly east.
7 tips for avoiding jetlag
If you tend to suffer from the symptoms of time difference stress, the following 7 tips can be helpful when traveling to Asia.
1) Go to bed earlier
Start adjusting your circadian rhythm before you leave.
If you’re facing a flight to the east, it may be a good idea to go to bed the night before an hour or two earlier than usual. You can try to sleep on the plane when it is night at your destination.
Pack products to help you fall asleep to help you fall asleep, such as a sleep mask, earplugs, a travel pillow and a warm sweater.
2) Adjust your meal rhythms to the time in the target country
The meals we eat during the day are also involved in regulating our body’s internal clock and rhythm.
Your body can get used to the time difference faster if you eat your meal according to the travel destination’s time zone a few days before the flight – so eat a meal whenever there is meal time in your destination country.
3) Remember to move
You should exercise before the flight. Exercise can help your body relax and make you feel fit for the duration of the flight. For example, you can walk around the airport while waiting for a flight departure, climb stairs instead of an elevator, and so on.
If you have to stay awake at your destination, walking also gives you comfortable energy, so you don’t fully fall asleep even before bedtime.
4) Drink water, avoid alcohol
It is important to drink plenty of water both before and during the flight and also after.
The air in the machine is very dry, and staying in dry air can also dry out your body. Dehydration, in turn, exacerbates the symptoms of jetlag.
Alcohol in particular causes dehydration. Even if the drinks served on the machine are tempting, you should stay on the non-alcoholic line.
5) Close the phone and other screens
If you plan to take a nap or sleep longer on the flight, you should turn off your phone, tablet, and other display devices at least an hour in advance.
Namely, the blue light of electronic devices can interfere with falling asleep.
6) Follow the daily rhythm of the travel destination
Once you arrive at your destination, it’s a good idea to try to follow the local daily rhythm as far as you can. So if you arrive in the morning, try to stay awake all day until bedtime.
Sunlight has a very big effect on our inner clock. If you arrive at your destination in the morning or during the day, you should go for an outdoor walk and enjoy the energy provided by the sun’s beneficial light.
7) Take a short nap
However, if staying awake feels impossible, you can take small naps. However, be sure to turn on the alarm clock! If you sleep for a long time in the middle of the day, you may not get sleep in the evening, which makes getting used to the time difference even more difficult.
A good length for naps is about half an hour, but no more than two hours.
