Jet lag is one of the most challenging parts of traveling. This can be especially true for less experienced travelers, and it affects everyone differently. Derek can adapt pretty easily within a day or two. But for me it takes me at least a week, maybe longer, to acclimate to a new time zone. The symptoms are more severe for me, too.
The length of your trip is can determine how quickly you have to push yourself through the rough patch, but if you’re traveling for the first time or you have experienced severe jet lag in the past, it may be a good idea to plan in some extra time to adjust to your new surroundings. The more time you give yourself to start feeling back to normal, the more you’ll enjoy the rest of your trip. These are some of the best tips we’ve come up with to get over those miserable, groggy, jet-lagged days.
Sleep
Get plenty of sleep! But maybe not right away. If you arrive early in the morning or during the day, push through the exhaustion of traveling and wait until it’s dark outside to go to bed at night. Likewise if you arrive at night, get straight to your accommodation and get to sleep! This will help your body start to adjust to the environment around you.
The best way to set yourself up for success is to plan your travel time accordingly. If you have early morning travel plans, take a nap on the plane so that you can stay awake once you land. If you land during the day, make sure you stay awake so that you’ll be able to sleep once you land in the evening.
Once you get to sleep on your first night, give yourself as much time as you can before that alarm goes off in the morning. If you were ever going to make sure you got a full 8 hours of sleep, this is the time to do it! Maybe even longer, if you can. Just be sure you get up at a decent hour, so you’ll be able to go to sleep at a reasonable time the next evening. The goal is to start your days and nights on the right foot from the moment you land in your destination. This is probably one of the biggest things you can do to prevent severe jet lag.
Staying hydrated
Drinking a lot of water will go a long way to helping you feel like a human again. This is especially true if you’re in a warmer climate than you’re used to. It’s easy to get dehydrated on international flights, and the last thing you need on top of regular jet lag is a dehydration headache!
Be sure to check in advance if the tap water is safe to drink in the country you’re visiting. Otherwise you’ll need to find somewhere convenient to buy bottled water. Travel with a little bit of cash in the currency of your destination just in case your cards won’t work. If nothing else, buy some before you leave the airport. It’s worth it to make sure you’re doing everything you can to combat jet lag hangover.
Don’t get too adventurous with trying new food
There’s no need to try scorpion or duck blood soup the day you arrive. When everything is new and different, don’t pressure yourself to try all of the local cuisine right away. Eating more familiar food will help you to adapt at your own pace. Bland food with plenty of carbs will help you feel full, without shocking your system too badly right away.
It’s also fun to try some of the chain restaurants from back home if you can find them. They almost certainly won’t be like home, but it will probably be close. You may be surprised by the items they have the menu!
You can also try to find a local American (or whatever country you call home) restaurant. You’ll have plenty of time to try all of the great local specialties later, but it’s always interesting to see what another country thinks your food is like. And comfort food goes a long way to making you feel better! It will probably be a little more expensive than the local food, though, so be ready to pay a little more.
There’s no shame in staying in to watch a movie on your laptop
Rome wasn’t built in a day, so you don’t have to see it all in one day either! If you’re feeling rundown, there’s no reason not to delay some of your sightseeing for a quiet night in. As long as you have time to hit all of your must-see items, don’t worry about spending a night in watching a movie or reading a book. Being rested and refreshed will help you enjoy the rest of your experience just that much more!
Stay close
Don’t stray too far from your accommodation at first. You’re already going to be tired and worn out, so don’t overdo it. Visit the sights that are closest to where you’re staying and work your way further out from there.
Schedule breaks into your day. Give yourself plenty of time to see each of the places you’ll be visiting, plus travel time in between. It’s tempting to try to cram as much into your schedule as possible on a trip, but you don’t want to feel rushed. Anything you can do to make yourself feel relaxed and stress free in those first few days will help you get used to your new environment.
That said, it’s best not to book activities with appointment times right away either. You just want to make sure that you’re well acclimated and feeling yourself before you sign up to be somewhere at a specific time!
Be patient with yourself
Give yourself time to get used to everything new around you and let your body catch up. Even though these tips will help, sometimes it just takes time. It really just comes down to taking it easy and listening to your body and the way you feel. The more time you can give yourself to adapt, the more you will enjoy the rest of your trip.
As you travel more you’ll start to learn how long it will take you to kick jet lag. You’ll be able to start planning accordingly. Good luck!
Do you have any other tried and true tips for beating jet lag? Let us know in the comments below!
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