When you go on a trip across multiple time zones, there is a good chance that you are going to arrive at your destination feeling a little groggy. You may also start to feel a little woozy, dizzy, and nauseous. Other common symptoms from long travel include dry mouth and headaches. If you are not used to traveling these far distances, the jet lag may be even worse. This is why it can help to have some tips and tricks on how to prevent jet lag and also to reduce its severity. When you go on a long trip, the last thing you want is to arrive feeling out of it. You would most likely want to arrive feeling peppy and ready to see the sites. Of course, you’ll need a few hours of downtime, but soon enough you will be back to being you. Here are five helpful jet lag prevention tips.
- Begin adjusting your internal clock before going on your trip – jet lag comes from messing with the body’s internal clock, so you want to make sure that you set the clock according to the time zone you will be traveling to in advance of your trip. While you are finding a hotel in Hong Kong, you may want to find out how many hours ahead the country is and then try to slowly rearrange your schedule accordingly. For instance, you may want to go to sleep later or earlier – and you want to wake up earlier or later too.
- Try not to drink alcohol on the way to your international destination – if you drink, you will undoubtedly make the jet lag worse. Ideally, you want to stick to plenty of hydrating liquids, like juice and water. When it comes down to it, alcohol can further jar your internal clock, so that when you arrive at your destination you really feel like you’ve been hit by a truck.
- Don’t drink any beverages with caffeine – rest is important while you are on the way to your destination, so you’ll want to stay away from heavily caffeinated beverages. For instance, you want to keep away from coffee and tea, because those things may keep you up.
- Make sure that all your clocks are set to the time you are arriving in – sometimes, just physically seeing that the clocks are so far ahead can make you feel woozy. This is especially the case if you travel to a distant time zone. Ideally, you want your wristwatch to be changed to the time at your destination – and you want to change the time on your computer and phone.
- As soon as you get to your hotel, take a nap – this nap will help offset and reset your clock. Many people get to their destination and try to stick it out. Even if its dinnertime and you see people eating at the delicious hotel restaurant, you want to refrain and immediately head to your hotel room for a nap – you’ll thank yourself later.