How to beat jet lag

Aug 13, 2023

Peta Bee

Tuesday November 22 2022, 17:46pm

Jet lag can blight a holiday like nothing else. Seesawing fatigue coupled with insomnia, headaches and energy dips can seem impossible to shake off when you arrive at your destination. It happens when we travel too far and too fast for our brains to adjust, causing disruption to our internal body clock and throwing our regular 24-hour cycle off kilter. In short, our bodies and brains are blindsided by changes in cues to light and dark, leaving us unsure when to eat and sleep. Thankfully, the field of circadian science has unearthed evidence-backed practices to help you ward off jet lag and at the same time dispelled myths about will (and won't) work. Here's how to prepare for your trip.

Main photo: sunrise on Australia's Gold Coast (Getty Images)

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Last year, a study from University of Colorado Boulder, funded by the US Navy, showed that prebiotics — foods that can strengthen beneficial gut bacteria — can help people to avoid jet lag. Natural prebiotic sources include leeks, cabbage, artichokes, chicory, mushrooms, apples and garlic, and consuming them in the weeks before you head off could be helpful.

"Our work suggests that by promoting and stabilising the good bacteria in the gut and the metabolites they release, we may be able to make our bodies more resilient to circadian disruption," wrote senior author Monika Fleshner, a professor of integrative physiology.

Dr Neil Stanley, a sleep consultant who was formerly the director of sleep research at the University of Surrey, says you should do everything you can "to reinforce the new time zone you are trying to stick to" — so sync any clocks on your laptop, watch and smartphone when you get to the gate.

"Sleep on the plane only if it is night time at your destination while you fly," Stanley says. "And try to get a window seat, keeping the blind open until it gets dark."

Professor Glyn Howatson, a researcher at the sport, exercise and rehabilitation department of Northumbria University, says that tart Montmorency cherry juice contains high levels of phytochemicals including melatonin, a molecule that helps to regulate the sleep-wake cycle. In one of his studies he found that 30ml shots of cherry juice enhanced melatonin levels and, consequently, may help to prevent jet lag. "Take it just before a long-haul flight and at your destination when you are going to bed," Howatson says. Try CherryActive shots.

However tricky it is, try to eat your meals at the local time of your destination. "For long-haul flights, take time differences into account and eat all your meals a little later even in the days leading up to your flight as it has been shown to help," Stanley says. In 2016, a study at the School of Psychology at the University of Surrey found that jet lag in long-haul cabin crew was alleviated when their meal times were regulated to their home time zone on their days off.

Many celebrities are obsessed with the idea of "earthing" or "grounding" — making contact with Earth's surface by going barefoot when they step off a plane. The theory is the practice draws energy needed to help reset your inner body clock, soaking up the ground's negative charge to leave you feeling more refreshed. Stanley describes it as "nonsense", explaining that jet lag is caused by disruption to our body clocks as we travel across time zones. "Taking your shoes off to gain electrical connection with Earth won't make a scrap of difference," he says.

Compressed cabin air is exceptionally dry. Dehydration can affect sleep and therefore can make jet lag symptoms such as fatigue seem much worse. The Aerospace Medical Association recommends drinking about 225ml of water for every hour in the air, even if it means more loo visits. "Avoid alcohol on a flight, as it will only dehydrate you more," says Ian Marber, a nutrition therapist.

Exercise won't cure jet lag, but there's plenty of anecdotal evidence that it helps people to adjust to new time zones, partly because physical activity regulates serotonin and neuropeptide Y, neurotransmitters that help to control mood, appetite and endocrine function. If your flight arrives in the morning, get some exercise as soon as possible, even if it means a short walk outside.

A 2019 study in the Journal of Physiology showed that exercising at around 7am, or between 1pm and 4pm, helped to re-establish circadian rhythm. "A little outdoor activity will help you to adjust to a new time zone by increasing your exposure to daylight," says Dalton Wong, founder of Twenty Two Training. "If you arrive in the evening, just some gentle stretching will be beneficial."

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