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Want to deal with jet lag and get over your long-haul flight faster? Then follow these tips to do so.

Avoid Caffeine and Alcohol

Hydration is key when it comes to combating jet lag. The last thing you want to do is drink alcohol on a plane. Being in a plane can be dehydrating enough as it is. However, even worse, it can alter your sleep patterns considerably. The same is true with caffeine. Try to avoid drinking caffeine and alcohol before you go to sleep at night before a trip. Both of these things should be avoided before sleep every night. The National Sleep Foundation recommends that people avoid consuming anywhere from 3 to 4 hours before going to sleep. 

Adjust Before The Trip

You want to try to start adjusting your sleep habits to your new time zone even before your trip. While this isn’t always going to be possible for everyone, it’s a good habit to get into. If possible, you can start adjusting an hour here and there which can help you ease into the new time zone. Try to head to bed an hour earlier if you are going east. If you’re traveling west, just go to bed later each night.

Sleeping Pills

This isn’t the best way to combat jet lag, but it is effective. However, you need to talk to your health care practitioner about it. Sleeping pills can be an effective way to get yourself adjusted to a new sleeping pattern, but you don’t want to rely on them as a long-term solution. However, there are other better alternatives as you can see here on Unwindcbd.com

Avoid Electronics Before Bed

You want to try to avoid using any blue light-emitting devices before going to sleep. It’s known that these devices can expose you to blue light which can simulate exposure to daylight. For this reason, it’s best to avoid using electronics with screens for at least 2 hours before going to sleep. This is a good way to keep yourself from falling asleep. When you expose yourself to blue light, it can trick the brain into not producing melatonin which is your body’s natural sleep hormone. 

Avoid Napping

Napping is not a good idea if you want to adjust to a new time zone. If you are looking to get rid of jet lag, resist the urge to nap. If you are going to take a nap, keep it under 30 minutes. Anything over 30 minutes and you’ll find it negatively impacting your sleep at night. 

Supplement 

Supplementing with melatonin is one of the best things you can do if you are looking for help to sleep. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends supplementing with melatonin if you aren’t able to fall asleep in the new time zone. This is your body’s natural way of helping you sleep. By supplementing with it, you can make it easier to fall asleep at night.

Expose Yourself To Sunlight

When you are traveling in between different time zones, you want to try to spend more time outside. This is especially true when you get to your destination. If you get to your destination early in the day, try to spend some time outside immediately after getting there. This can help your body adjust to the daylight. Keep in mind, that if you are going to be spending time outdoors in the sun, you’ll want to protect yourself with sunscreen, a hat, and sunglasses.


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