I eschew medications whenever possible, as you might already know — and that belief applies to combatting jet lag as well…
…so when I saw that the team behind the official weblog of Expedia in Canada created an infographic in this article which discusses nine natural ways to cure jet lag, I felt that I needed to pass it on to you in case any of the suggestions work for you — and that infographic is included in this article for your convenience.
Here are the nine natural ways to cure jet lag — without the details, which you will find in the infographic — but with my comments:
1. Spend the Day Outside
This is an excellent suggestion. You may be tempted to relax in your hotel room after a long journey — but do not do that. Even if you do not want to leave the hotel property, at least go outside by the pool or walk on the grounds…
…and speaking of staying active…
2. Stay Active
I personally stay active simply by exploring the city or country where I happen to be located at the time — and that helps to keep my mind off of any potential jet lag which could try to creep up on me while checking off places which I want to see and experience. I can do this all day…
…although:
- After escaping a predicted snowstorm in Atlanta and successfully bypassing a ground stop as a result to…
- Find myself in Terminal 4 of John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York; and
- After embarking on two long international flights — one from New York to Abu Dhabi and the other from Abu Dhabi to Johannesburg...
- …and landing in Johannesburg in the morning to embark on a road trip to Lesotho, I was not expecting to…
- Change a flat tire after hitting a pothole with the rental car
- Wait at the border in the pouring rain for four hours
- Double back to get gasoline because there was none available where I was going, and
- Be locked out of the hotel until 1:30 in the morning at where I was supposed to stay…
…but I must say — tired as I was — all of that garbage kept my mind off of jet lag.
Whew…I became tired just writing that paragraph. How in the world did I do all of that — and in the economy class cabin all the way through? What was I thinking?!?
3. Wear “Re-timer” Glasses
I have never heard of “re-timer” glasses.
I may be wrong; but somehow, I do not consider this a “natural” way to cure jet lag — but it is not medication, so…
4. Nap For Up to 20 Minutes
I try not to sleep at all until bedtime at the local time of where I happen to be located; but if you are extremely tired, a nap for up to 20 minutes can be a good refresher which can help you during the long stretch to bedtime…
…but be sure that you have an alarm of some kind to wake you up — because if you are absolutely exhausted and you sleep beyond those 20 minutes, that could potentially turn into a deep sleep and ruin your good night’s sleep later on when you truly need it.
5. Invest in Ear Plugs and an Eye Mask
I never use ear plugs or an eye mask — ever — whenever I want to sleep; so this suggestion does not apply to me. However, if you believe either of these items will work for you, go for it.
If you are a frequent traveler, chances are that you will receive an amenity kit from an airline which contains these items — if you do not already have a collection from past flights…
…but if you do not have an amenity kit from an airline or a hotel, the “bloggers” at BoardingArea and Prior2Boarding fairly regularly and often give away amenity kits as prizes — so keep an eye mask out for one of their contests. You will usually have a decent to good chance of winning one to get your ear plugs and eye mask — as well as toothpaste, a toothbrush, and other goodies.
6. Choose a Natural Tea
I do not drink tea — but I usually do not suffer from jet lag anyway. Although I have no problems going to sleep after drinking a cola, ensure that the tea is not loaded with caffeine, as that can potentially keep you awake.
7. Take a Cold Shower in the Evening and a Warm One in the Morning
I only recently began taking cool showers; but only when the weather is hot and humid, as I really did not understand the purpose of cooling down a room with air conditioning — only to have the heat and humidity of a hot shower combat the work of the climate control system.
I still prefer long hot showers most other times; and although I do take them in the morning, I prefer to take them in the evening. I feel clean, relaxed and comfortable prior to going to bed — and extra points if the shower head has several settings which include at least one water massage.
Further extra points if the bed is comfortable and has ample blanket and sheet coverage, as I will be out like a light after a good shower.
8. Avoid Alcohol and Coffee Before Bed
This is not a problem for me, as I do not drink alcoholic beverages or coffee…
…but although he said that he was not sleeping well, I do wonder if Yihwan Kim of Mile Writer, who voluntarily experimented — mostly driven by curiosity — with what life would be like traveling for a month without consuming alcoholic beverages ever had problems with jet lag; and if those problems were mitigated or eliminated as a result of quitting drinking alcoholic beverages for a month.
9. If You’re Only Away For a Day or Two — Do Nothing
The last thing you want to do is go through the trouble of acclimating yourself to one time zone by the time you are ready to return to the time zone from which you came — so this is good advice.
Summary
This information is presented to you in case the article in which I explain how I avoid jet lag with six tips does not work for you. After all — just because something works for me does not necessarily mean that it will work you too; and vice versa.
Here are the six subheadings for those tips from that article — but without the details:
- Adjust Yourself During Travel — Not When You Arrive
- Food and Beverages
- Entertainment During Travel
- No Medications
- Acclimate to Local Time
- Leave Home Well Rested? Maybe — and Maybe Not…
Photograph ©2007 by Brian Cohen.
