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Jet Lag Remedies: Cure Jet Lag Naturally and Effectively

passenger plane under white clouds

With all the stress associated with holidays, jet lag is one extra thing that travelers shouldn’t have to suffer from. With sufficient preparation, travelers can take steps to decrease the discomfort and inconvenience of this common travel-related problem.

Causes of Jet Lag

First, it is important to be aware what jet lag is as understanding what it is provides insights on how to combat it. Jet lag is the disorientation the body suffers from when one’s biological clock is no longer in sync with the actual time at one’s location and can be attributed to situations where drastic changes to one’s time zones occur.

Symptoms of jet lag include tiredness, drowsiness and general difficulties with functioning at the travel location. The severity of these symptoms, as to be expected, are closely tied to the time difference between departure and arrival locations.

Ways to Combat Jet Lag

There are preventative exercises travelers can engage in even before their long distance flight occurs. First of all, combating jet lag is all about having the ability to allow one’s body to adjust to the new location’s time zone. Therefore one can easily start by beginning to adjust little by little; for example, if the possibility exists one can change their sleeping and waking times by an hour at a time until it is close to coinciding with the time zone at their arrival location.

It is also important that travelers do not resort to caffeine or alcohol while trying to combat jet lag. They must remember that the body is under enough stress already and cannot tolerate additional quick changes to its natural state.

Another way to combat jet lag is by arming the body with rest and relaxation during the flight. This takes the edge off the stress of flying while also energizing travelers which helps them prepare for the days ahead.

Natural Cures and Remedies for Jet Lag

There are several ways travelers can lessen the effects of jet lag and increase their travel enjoyment. It is the lack of proper preparation and knowledge that most likely contributes to un-enjoyable trips caused by permanent drowsiness.

Cures and remedies for jet lag are usually of the natural variety, with sunlight and exercise being among the most effective. Travelers should ease themselves into their current time zone rather than attempting to wage a battle with their bodies in attempt of a quick recovery.

Ways to do this include conforming to the new time zone and planning everyday activities such as meal times and sleep to take place in sync with the new location. This aids travelers’ biological clocks to successfully begin resetting.

It is important to plan travel activities ahead and to allow for a rest upon arrival and save the first day of travel for relaxing. Light activities can be enjoyed, such as exploring and generally acclimating to the new location and surroundings.

Even though there is no such thing as a “quick cure” for jet lag, having these remedies in mind can help travelers to decrease the stress associated with long distance flights.

Melatonin for Jet Lag

There have been discussions about a suggested new way to combat jet lag by making use of melatonin. The way this treatment works is that hormones in travelers would be manipulated through the use of melatonin during the few days before their flight. However, there has been opposing research to imply that melatonin may not have any effects and worse, a miscalculation of the amount of melatonin used may result in excess stress to the body, meaning excess effects of jet lag.

To conclude, the best ways to combat jet lag is through helping the body with natural aids in order for it to be able to adjust to the arrival environment. Travelers need to eliminate as much stress or excitement as possible while adjusting in order to make the most of their travels during the holidays.