25 tips to reduce jet-lag

With holiday season upon us, and business travel at it's peak as we race to the end of the working year, I have no doubt - tips to reduce jetlag will be an asset... if not for now, but in the months to come!

Given that jetlag is primarily caused by the mismatch between your internal body clock and the external clock (also known as a circadian misalignment), it is difficult to completely avoid. That said, by following go-to guide, with a decent 25 tips, you can tweak your actions before, during and after the flight, modify your caffeine consumption and even your diet, giving you the best opportunity to start your trip fresh, fired up, and ready to go.

IN THE WEEK BEFORE YOUR FLIGHT:

1. When booking your flight, take into account your flying time. If you know you sleep well on planes, take an overnight flight. If you struggle to sleep, pick a daytime flight. Make the journey easier for yourself, right from the start.
2. If possible, shift the times you start your bedtime routine, sleep, wake, drink caffeine, and eat; forwards or backwards - to align more closely with your destination. For example, if you travel from Sydney to London or New York, or London to Mexico,?undertake these activities earlier than usual - as you’re going ‘back’ in time.?
3. Aim to shift each activity by 30 minutes, per day, for at least 3-7 days before you fly.
4. To know the difference between your current and future timezone, simply add your destination to Apple’s ‘Clock’ app.
5. The app TimeShifter can make this shift / calculation easier (not sponsored, just helpful!)
6. Prepare your travel sleep kit and order anything online you need: blue light blocking glasses, eye mask, pillow, blanket, light therapy glasses (mimicking sunlight), magnesium and other sleep supplements (I like CBD and Reishi Mushrooms), chamomile tea sachets, comfy travel gear, healthy go to snack pack (see below).
7. Don't freak out - not EVERYTHING needs to get done before you travel. Often we stress ourselves so we have 'done it all' before a trip, especially if it's long, which means we are frantic in the weeks and days leading up to the flight. Realistically, most things you need can be done online, and can be done when you arrive - so just do what you can, and save what you can't for later.

ON THE PLANE:

1. Take a low dose of melatonin - it can help you fall asleep earlier.?Note melatonin, clinically, is most helpful for 2 weeks (or so), so this should be a temporary, not permanent.
2. Change your actual clock as soon as you get on the plane, to that of your destination.
3. Continue to sleep, eat and being alert to align with your destination - as much as possible. If you aren't tired enough to sleep, a meditation with your eye mask will help. If it’s daytime at your destination, then do your best to stay awake - expose yourself to light and keep mentally stimulated. Note this may not be at the time the airline serves you food / has lights on, so be prepared!
4. Use 100% blue light blocking glasses to encourage sleepiness pre-sleep (2 hours), and use light therapy glasses (emitting light similar to sunlight) (30 minutes) to help you wake up at 'sunrise'. For frequent travellers, these are essential in your travel kit.
5. If you have a stopover, continue to operate on your destination time - not the local time.

EATING ON THE PLANE

1. Eat protein rich, whole-food options - e.g. roast chicken and veggies, turkey, eggs, vegetarian quiche - protein is the building block of melatonin, the sleepiness hormone. It also aids satiety, and can balance blood sugars - reducing cravings.
2. Avoid red meat, fried foods and heavy, cream based meals - all can be difficult to digest, delaying sleep.
3. Stick to cooked veggies over raw ones, as again, they can be difficult to digest.?
4. Avoid dressings, sauces, desserts - sorry to be the fun police, but sugar and fat can promotes lighter sleep.

SNACKING ON THE PLANE

1. Bring some sleep suitable snacks with you: protein smoothie, nuts, boiled eggs, wholegrain crackers and tuna - all are rich in sleep supportive nutrients such as omega 3 fatty acids and protein

DRINKING ON THE PLANE (BOOZE, COFFEE AND MORE)

1. Caffeinate in your future time zone morning - if you can. Ideally, avoid caffeine in your future time zones afternoon and evening. If impossible to avoid, at least opt for green or black tea instead of coffee for your caffeine option, they both contain L-theanine, a constituent which helps the body relax.
2. Stay hydrated - flying pronounces dehydration, which may lead to waking up with a headache, feeling fatigued. If you can, drink coconut water - the electrolytes naturally reduce dehydration.?
3. Avoid alcohol - again, fun police here, but alcohol is only going to make jetlag worse: it increases fatigue, lethargy and dehydration, all of which can already be brought on by the flight itself. BUT - if you MUST have a champagne in the air (when in business / first class, it is quite nice I must say), then at least do it WELL AWAY FROM BEDTIME. And only have one. A small one.

UPON ARRIVAL IN YOUR DESTINATION

1. If you need to be ALERT (e.g. it's morning, or it's afternoon and you're dying to sleep but don't want to ruin your sleep): take a cold shower, practice breathwork, meditate with a loud timer (so you don't fall asleep), listen to uplifting music, do a light workout, go outside / to bright light for 20 minutes. If it's before 12pm, drink caffeine too.
2. If you need to be more TIRED (e.g. arrive late at night and are not tired enough), have a sauna (allow 90 mins before bed though, ideally), get a massage, take melatonin / other sleep supplements (e.g. CBD, ashwagandha, reishi mushrooms, magnesium), read a book, meditate, avoid TV / social media, have a warm shower, practice your bedtime routine (and if you don't have one, use my signature bedtime routine, here ).
3. If you want to nap (anytime before 330pm): keep it shorter than 30 minutes, use an eye mask and finish the nap before 330 - you should get a second wind without ruining your sleep.
4. Subscribe to my Linked in newsletter, Sleep For Success !

This article is another instalment of Sleep for Success - a LinkedIn series empowering you to your best nights sleep. With sleep imperative for optimal wellbeing and peak performance alike; it's a pleasure to leverage my 14 years of academic and professional experience to share expert tips, tricks and techniques to help you sleep longer, deeper and wake more refreshed. Supercharged by sleep, look forward to achieving more, in less time, with less effort. Please share with anyone you feel will benefit, and of course, sleep well - Olivia.