4 Effective Ways to Beat Jet Lag on Your Next Trip


The wonders of modern aviation technology allow us to fly halfway around the world and visit some amazing places. But there is a big downside to long-distance travel and many people find that the first few days of their trip are a real struggle due to jet lag. You can’t fully enjoy a new country when you are exhausted and your body clock is all over the place. After a few days, you should get back to normal, but there are some great ways to speed the process along and get over jet lag a lot faster.

These are some of the best tips to help you beat jet lag and get more out of your next trip. 

Prepare Before You Leave 

You experience jet lag because of the time difference but you can prepare yourself for this before you leave. If you are flying east, your body thinks the day is shorter than it is.

However, if you try to go to sleep a few hours earlier than you normally would, your body clock will be in line with the time of day when you arrive. If you are flying west, you need to do the opposite and try to stay awake for longer than you normally would. While this will not eliminate jet lag completely, it will make it easier to adjust when you arrive. 

You should also plan activities around jet lag when creating an itinerary for your trip. For example, if you are traveling for business and you have a lot of meetings planned, think about which times of day you are going to be the most awake. You don’t want to plan a late afternoon meeting and find yourself falling asleep halfway through. 

Get An IV Drip 

IV drips are a very popular solution to a lot of health problems.

They’re great for boosting your energy or even for getting rid of hangovers. Having an IV therapy can also help you to get over your jet lag much faster. Your body will be rehydrated and you will get a lot of important nutrients at the same time. It’s a good idea to see if you can find an IV therapy practice in the area and head there shortly after landing.

Once you come out, you will be full of life and ready to explore. 

Be Careful With Caffeine and Alcohol 

You may want to enjoy a drink while you are away, but you should be careful.

Alcohol dehydrates you and that makes it a lot harder to adjust to the new time zone. Caffeine has the same effect and it also affects your circadian rhythms. A lot of people fall into the trap of drinking lots of coffee to stay awake, but that just makes things worse. You need to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and avoid caffeine and alcohol. 

Take Melatonin Supplements 

Melatonin is the hormone that your body produces to tell you to go to sleep. If you are wide awake at bedtime because your body clock hasn’t adjusted yet, you can take melatonin supplements to get to sleep at a reasonable time and reset your body clock. 

If you follow these steps to get over jet lag faster, you will have more time to enjoy your trip. 

Jeff Campbell

Jeff Campbell is a father, martial artist, budget-master, Disney-addict, musician, and recovering foodie having spent over 2 decades as a leader for Whole Foods Market. Click to learn more about me

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