Travelers’ Biggest Headache: Jet lag!

By Haydé Escalante

When we travel we all want to make the most of our precious time away, but sometime we don’t realize our bodies need extra time to adjust to the new time zone. We experience fatigue, confusion, insomnia at night, irritability and hunger at inappropriate times- in other words: Jet Lag.

Here are our top tips for fighting it.

Prepare your body for the change

Three to four days before leaving, push your schedule one hour backward or forward depending on your destination. This will give your body enough time to adjust to the new time zone. If you are traveling east go to bed earlier; if you are going west try going to bed later.

Book overnight flights

This is one of the best ways to imitate your normal home schedule! You’ll have dinner at your usual time and arrive in your destination early in the morning or in the afternoon; perfect for you to begin your routine in your new surroundings.

Sleep or nap on the plane

Try your best to sleep during your transatlantic flight. Traveling can be very tiring and stressful but you can help reset your mood by resting; this way when you land you’ll be fresh as lettuce (as we say in Mexico!). If you are taking a very long flight, take extra care to help create a comfortable environment to sleep in- an eye mask, pillow, ear plugs, etc.

Traveling West?

Get up early and catch the morning sunlight. Avoid the afternoon sun in order to help shift your circadian rhythm backwards.

Traveling East?

Get active during last bit of sunlight in the evening to adjust your circadian rhythm towards the sleeping phase.

Anchor sleep

Try to get as much sleep as you would back home. It is recommended to sleep at least four hours on local time so you can get used to the new time zone.

These are some of our tips- if you have any additional points to share please share them with the community. Most importantly, have fun and enjoy your trip!

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