'I'm a travel expert and my simple time zone sleep trick will beat jet lag' (original) (raw)

If you're off on the holiday of a lifetime, you don't want jet lag getting in the way - and luckily, you don't have to

Jet lag can kill a holiday - but you don't have to suffer from it

You’ve spent hours on a plane, cramped in with hundreds of other travellers and finally touched down in your dream destination. The day is young and you can‘t wait to get exploring, but suddenly it hits you - the jet lag.

The dreaded jet lag is part and parcel of long-haul travel, but it can put a real dampener on your plans to enjoy your holiday.

Jet lag can wreak havoc not only on your sleep schedule but your mental and physical health as well. Luckily, there are a couple of things you can do that can minimise the effects of it so you can get up and about as soon as possible.

Seasoned traveller and co-director of Cheap Deals Away UK Dawn Morwood says her favourite hack to beat jet lag is something she’s dubbed her “time zone sleep trick”.

“Adjust your circadian rhythms, your body’s internal clock, gradually,” says Dawn. “You can do this by basically leaving your metabolism where it is. You stay on home time for as long as you can – certainly on the plane, then adjust.”

To do this, you should try to sleep on the plane when you would usually be asleep at home. If you want to make this a little easier, try to be strategic when you choose your seat.

Dawn says: “To sleep on the plane while flying economy, you’re better off in a window seat. You only have a person who may disturb you on one side, you don’t have to move for others to use the bathroom, and you can rest your head against the plane wall.”

Trying to stay in your natural sleep cycle on the plane will help

A window seat also means better access to natural light which helps your circadian rhythm - the light from the window will wake you naturally when you need it to.

As well as trying to keep your sleep schedule normal, there are some other tips for minimising jet lag that Dawn swears by. These include cutting out alcohol and caffeine as both can disrupt sleep and not overscheduling yourself on your first few days of your holiday.

By taking it easy on the first couple of days, you can give your body a chance to recover from the flight and adjust to the new time zone.