Everyone travels differently, though, whether it’s the airport rituals like a beer first thing in the morning or bringing back a fridge magnet from wherever you go.
The one thing that most people who travel share, unfortunately, is the feeling of jet lag. If managing your jet lag can help ease travel anxiety, these tips might help.
Why do we get jet lag and is there anything you can do to manage the symptoms?
What causes jet lag?
The name gives it away somewhat, but jet lag is a sleep disorder caused by travelling through different time zones.
Sometimes known as jet lag disorder, the temporary sleep problem can affect anyone who quickly travels across multiple time zones. Your internal clock, or your circadian rhythm, is thrown out of whack when it goes through such sudden changes – such as rapidly going from day to night if you cross hemispheres.
The other cause for jet lag is a lack of oxygen.
Cabin pressure during a flight is lower than sea level, so your body’s ability to absorb oxygen is reduced. This can lead to you becoming ‘anoxic’ – or short of oxygen. This brings with it feelings of lethargy, exhaustion and restlessness.
Even after your flight, you’ll take a while to readjust. This is the jet lag phenomenon. The main symptoms might include:
- Difficulty sleeping at bedtime and waking up in the morning
- Tiredness and exhaustion
- Finding it difficult to stay awake during the day
- Poor sleep quality
- Concentration and memory problems
- Jet lag can also be associated with indigestion, constipation, diarrhoea and bloating.
What can help with jet lag?
Jet lag is not too serious and you’ll usually adjust after a few sleepless nights and syncing back on to a regular rhythm, but not everyone always has that luxury.
If you need to be up and about – either with the kids or with work, for example – there are some things you can do that might help alleviate jet lag symptoms and get you back on track quicker.
Exercise can help manage jet lag
Jet lag expert and founder of travel wellbeing company JetFuel, Papillon Luck, says exercise is a game changer for realigning the body.
‘Exercise plays a major role in helping to prepare and acclimatise across all three stages of pre, during and post travel,’ Papillon explains.
‘Exercise helps regulate the body’s temperature, which is another way for our circadian rhythms to re-adjust. A great travel hack is to add in a cold shower post exercise to regulate your core temperature.’
Getting out – even if just for a brisk walk – will allow you to take in some fresh air, get used to the daylight hours in a new time zone and get the blood pumping.
Yoga poses that can help after travelling
An extension of exercising, there are specific yoga stretches and movements that might aid with jet lag.
Spinal curl ups
This will help if you’re struggling with discomfort and stiffness after sitting for so long – discomfort that might stop you from sleeping.
- Whilst lying on your back, tilt your pelvis under and gradually peel your spine off the floor, beginning at the tail and articulating through the vertebrae, working up through your lower and middle back, until you are resting on your shoulders.
- Pause here for a moment to see how it feels to let the weight drop through your shoulders (mini massage) before gradually curling back down to the floor.
- Repeat a few times.
Supine leg stretches
These simple stretches can stimulate blood flow and reduce fluid retention.
- Raise one leg up and gently bring the thigh towards the chest.
- Hold the back of the thigh or the calf and ease open the knee as far as it will comfortably go, gradually stretching the back of the leg.
- Continue bending and stretching each leg a few times, moving slowly, exploring until the movements feel easier and more elastic.
- At the very top of the movement, you could experiment with flexing the toes to bring them towards your face to mobilise the ankle.
Legs up against the wall
This is a good exercise to do for tired or swollen legs when coming off a flight.
- Elevating the legs promotes lymphatic drainage from excess fluid build-up. Set up a comfortable space around a wall with your hips raised on a pillow and as close to the wall as possible, then slowly start walking your feet up the wall until your body is in an L-shaped position.
- Organise your legs into a comfortable position – they can be slightly bent if that feels good.
- Now focus on your breath – try elongating your breath, taking a deep, slow inhale through your nose and a deep, slow exhale through your nose.
Stay hydrated
Dehydration is one of the biggest causes of feeling tired and lethargic.
If you’ve also been travelling, you might be missing out on some key nutrients and proper hydration.
Therefore, ensure you are drinking plenty of water and eating good quality food (particularly fresh fruits and veggies).
Watch what you eat when travelling
Flying puts strain on the body, including your digestive system, so don’t overload it.
A light, healthy meal like a salad or soup is a much more sensible choice than something heavy which could cause discomfort and tension, thus making you more likely to struggle to sleep and worsen any jet lag.
Use your time on the plane wisely
A good place to start when it comes to tackling jet lag is on the plane itself.
Ex-crew member Jo Fiander tells Metro.co.uk: ‘Make full use of your time on the plane. For example, adjust your watch/phone to the new time zone as soon as you get on the plane to help your brain adjust.
‘Also force yourself to eat at your usual time, but in the new time zone, wait if you can – even if starving or eat something even if not hungry.’
Avoid alcohol
A glass of red might help you unwind, but, for a little while after flying, it’s best to avoid alcohol of all kinds.
Not only can alcohol dehydrate you, alcohol before bed can mess with your sleep.
Prepare for jet lag problems
Though it might not speed up your recovery, knowing to pre-empt some of the problems caused by jet lag could help you out in the long run.
Your short-term memory, for example, could be impacted by jet lag. By jotting down important information – numbers, addresses – you can at least have a bit less stress, which might help you sleep easier.
Hopefully, these tips can help you bounce back and keep your holidays a happy memory.
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