[trip style = any]
You can't conquer jet lag, but you can commandeer it.
I recently read an article in T+L where the writer took multiple long-haul flights to test various jet lag cures---or so the products promised. He concluded none r-e-a-l-l-y work. Trying multiple methods, products, pills, tinctures {and cocktails of all four}, I'd agree. You can't beat the clock. Eventually, we all need sleep.
My conclusion is there’s no cure for jet lag aside from trying your darndest to get on your new time zone’s clock, ASAP. Going transcontinental in a matter of hours means there'll be moments when you’re operating on empty. Moments when you’re so tired your eyebrows feel like bricks. Moments when your mind is stuck in a pea soup-thick fog. In these moments of head-bobbing exhaustion, remember: this too shall pass sooner than later!
How To Commandeer Jet Lag 1. Mentally prepare to be dog-tired or uber-awake at unfamiliar hours. 2. Push through it as if you’re running a marathon. 3. Get onto the local schedule asap. Ex. If you land at 10pm, go to bed. If you land at 7am, *try* to stay awake until evening. 4. Take 30 min power naps if you need a pick-me-up. Catnaps help a lot.
Trip Styler Tip :: I'm a fan of natural jet lag relief versus downing sleeping pills with chardonnay, so in addition to this four-step process, I take melatonin {and calcium} to help me sleep. For the record, it was a 25-year veteran pilot who suggested it as tried-and-true coping mechanism.
Finally, when you’re in the thick of jet lag know that you’ll have on and off instances. One minute you’ll want to sleep for 24 hrs straight, and the next minute you’ll be as awake as a rooster about to sing at first light. Not even the most seasoned globetrotters can avoid this, and the only way to catch up is through perseverance and sleep.
PS - If you're thinking of knocking back a bubbly or deux on your international flight, it's true what experts say: alcohol does make jet lag worse, while water makes it better.
Related Jet Lag Strategies KinderHop :: Time Zones, Jet Lag & Kids
[photo via @tripstyler]