Friday, November 30, 2012

Suffering from Jetlag? Try These Home Remedies




Flying across the world to new countries, lands and experiences is an exciting adventure. In the olden days, people had to take large ships when travelling across the seas. These trips could take anywhere from a few days to a few months, depending on the destination. However, today we are lucky enough to have flight technology, allowing us to travel anywhere on Earth within a short time period. Unfortunately this at times can have a price, as moving into different time zones without letting our bodies gradually adjust can be difficult to deal with. If you are travelling soon or have traveled recently, try these home remedies.

Before Your Flight

Avoid flying when sick. If your body’s immune system is down, you may be more susceptible to suffer from jetlag afterwards. A simple home remedy includes planning your flight accordingly. If you are flying west, try to fly later at night. If you are flying east, try flying earlier in the morning. This will help decrease the severity of the time difference while you are in air. Another good home remedy would be to research the time zone you are entering. As a home remedy perhaps you could try adjusting your schedule closer to that a few days before your departure. Also, drink ginger tea before your departure.

On the Plane

Many airlines will provide you with a variety of options for food and beverages. As a home remedy, try avoiding drinking alcohol while on the plane. Instead, stick to water or juice to help avoid jetlag. Alcohol in its own can make you more drowsy, and may make you sleep more on the plane. This can be an issue as many long flights will adjust the lighting on the plane to help passengers better adapt to the change in time. They may shut the lights off at what normally would be 3:00pm for you, but perhaps it is 10:00pm at your destination. Another home remedy would include getting up to walk and stretch often during your flight.

Once You Arrive

A good home remedy for avoiding jetlag once you arrive at your destination would be drinking caffeine during the day to decrease daytime sleepiness. Of course, try to avoid these substances close to bed time. In order to help increase your energy and alertness throughout the day, try eating protein-rich foods. To help sleep at nighttime, try eating carbohydrate-rich foods. 

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