Prime Medic's Blog
Effective Ways to Overcome Jet Lag
Anyone who frequently or occasionally travels across numerous time zones is susceptible to developing a brief sleep condition known as jet lag, sometimes called jet lag disease.
Your body has circadian rhythms, which function as its internal clock. They send messages to the body telling it when it should be up and when it should be sleeping.
In this blog, we will look at ways to avoid jet lag to enjoy your vacation to its fullest.
Understanding Jet Lag
Your body's internal clock remains synchronised to the time zone of the region you were initially in. This results in jet lag. This means your body has not adjusted to the new time zone. The greater the number of time zones that you have travelled across, the greater the likelihood that you may have jet lag.
Jet lag can result in daytime weariness, a general sensation of unwellness, difficulty remaining attentive, and gastrointestinal issues. To tackle these symptoms, ensure you get an online prescription for melatonin from the wide network of online doctors on Prime Medic before you leave Australia.
Even though the symptoms are only short-lived, they can negatively impact your comfort when travelling for work or pleasure. However, there are things you can do to help avoid or at least decrease the effects of jet lag.
How To Prevent Jet Lag
There are a few fundamental steps that, if taken, may help avoid jet lag or decrease the symptoms of having it. Although jet lag usually resolves itself within a few days, if you’d like to avoid it altogether or if the symptoms don’t seem to be improving even after some time has passed, you may want to book an online doctor’s consultation.
- Adjust Your Schedule Beforehand
Make little tweaks here and there to your routine before you depart. Try to fall asleep an hour early every night for the few days leading up to your vacation if you will be travelling to the east. If you're going to be travelling west, try delaying your bedtime by an hour for a few evenings before you leave. Try to plan your meals so that you'll consume them around the same time when you're away from home.
Keep to the new timetable you made. Before you go, ensure your watch and/or phone are set to the correct time. Even if you arrive at your destination feeling exhausted, you should make every effort to stay awake until the evening hours of the local time zone. Make an effort to schedule your meals in accordance with the mealtimes of the locals.
- Get There Early
If a major occasion or meeting needs you in your peak condition, it’s a good idea to arrive a couple of days early so that your body has time to adjust to the new environment. Get lots of rest in the days leading up to any special occasions. . A lack of sleep will make jet lag more severe.
- Stay Hydrated
Be sure to stay hydrated. To mitigate the negative effects of the dry air in the cabin, it is important to consume a lot of water before, during, and following your journey. The effects of jet lag might be made worse by dehydration. Limit coffee and alcohol as they can cause dehydration and disrupt sleep patterns.
Try to get some sleep on the aircraft. Headphones, earplugs, and eye covers are some accessories that may assist in blocking sounds and light.
Keep Track Of Your Circadian Rhythm
Your body's circadian rhythms are strongly influenced by the amount of light you are exposed to. Following a trip to the west, exposing oneself to bright light during the late hours will facilitate adjusting to a time zone that is later than normal. After travelling east, getting some exposure to early morning light can help you adjust to the new time zone, which is earlier.
The only exception to this rule is if your trip took you through more than eight different time zones. The body may think that the early morning light is that of the evening. It is also possible to confuse the light of the evening with the light of the early dawn.
Therefore, if you've travelled over eight different time zones towards the east, you should avoid strong light during the early morning hours by wearing sunglasses. Then, during the first couple of days that you are at the new place, make sure that you let in as much sunshine as you can in the later hours of the afternoon.
If you have travelled westward across eight different time zones, you should initially limit exposure to the sun for a few days while you adapt your body clock to the new time zone.
Make sure you follow these tips to make travelling fun, and if things start to go south, use Prime Medic’s wide network of online doctors to make things easier for you. Remember, Prime Medic doctors can only help you if you are currently in Australia. If you anticipate jet lag becoming a problem on your journey, it can be a good idea to speak to an online doctor before you go.
