The holiday season is coming up and since my folks live across the ocean it looks like we are all going to be dealing with some jet lag. However over the years I have practiced a few tips which have helped prevent it from getting too bad.
Before you get on the plane …
Make sure that you and your kids drink drink plenty of water whilst flying – at least 8 – 12 fluid ounces every hour, preferably mineral water.
Avoid coffee and alcohol on the plane, as both are diuretics and they can therefore cause you a dehydration problem.
If you are due to arrive at your destination in the morning, try to sleep on the plane. Use a mask, earplugs and an inflatable neck support if these things help to induce a sleepy condition or increase your comfort so that it is more likely that you can sleep.
If on the other hand you are due to arrive in the evening, try to stay awake on the plane. Keep yourself busy by watching the in-flight movies, listening to music or doing something reasonably active like puzzle solving. Give the kids coloring books or let them play with a Sony PSP.
Avoid taking sleeping tablets if you have kids with you. They need looking after!
After you arrive…
•If at all possible, try not to go to bed until the nighttime after you have arrived. Do this and it really does minimize your jetlag problems, probably the single most effective step for doing so.
In the arrival airport, use the stairs and walk about as much as possible to get your body moving and back to normality as quickly as possible.
Your body has a natural electromagnetic system which will have been thrown out of synch by flying. Try to swim in the ocean (for the salt water), take a warm Epsom salts bath or walk barefoot on the ground in an effort to return your system to its normal state.
Get outside and go for a walk, especially if you can do so in the sunshine. Both the sunshine and the exercise help to reinvigorate you, meaning that you will feel less tired or jaded.
Take a nice long relaxing shower or bath as a way of rehydrating your body, and keep drinking plenty of water. In the first few hours after arriving, it will probably help if you can avoid coffee, tea and alcohol for exactly the same reasons as highlighted previously.
These tips are both for adults and kids and can go a long way towards preventing the terrible fatigue of jet lag.