Traveling the world is one of my absolute favorite things to do, and with that comes a lot of rewards and quite a few challenges. One thing about traveling that has always fascinated me was the change in time zones. The U.S. is divided over 6 times zones: Hawaii, Alaska, Pacific, Mountain, Central, and Eastern, and the world as a whole has 24 time zones. I love the fact that someone on the other side of the world is doing something totally different than I am at this very moment. When I am going to sleep, someone is just starting his or her day. However, there is one thing that a lot of world travelers don’t talk about. If you have ever gone overseas, and have experienced time travel for yourself, you are probably thinking of the same word I am about to refer to. Jetlag…gross. Jetlag is a result of expecting our bodies to adjust to whatever time zone we travel to, in which it fails because we are only human. It’s all fun and games until you reach your final destination, and then your body shuts down because it’s technically the middle of the night where you came from.
Due to my constant time hopping for work, I sometimes believe that I have grown out of becoming jetlagged. It’s not until I am lying in bed, fully awake at 4:00am, that I am reminded it’s impossible to skip the jetlag part of traveling. Considering that we are not mutations or super heroes, it is ultimately inevitable to avoid becoming jetlagged. My worst jetlag experience happened recently after my trip to Ireland. This trip was my fourth time visiting Europe and each time has been vastly different. I struggled a lot with sleep after returning home, even though it was such a short trip. Looking back, I feel that I did all of the wrong things to cope with jetlag. To avoid trouble in the future, I have put together a few tips that can help all of us avoid becoming grouchy, sleep-crazed, jetlag monsters.
Health and Hydration
Staying healthy is an important thing if you are a frequent traveler. It is also very important to maintain when pushing your body to adjust to different time zones. Let your body rely on the energy from healthy foods to remain balanced. Staying hydrated is also if not more important. Not only do you need to drink a lot of water on a regular bases, but it is vitally important if you travel often. As a flight attendant, I have recognized that flying frequently will dry you out. Drinking a lot of water will keep your skin from getting dry, and will help profusely when getting over being jetlagged.
Avoid Napping (no matter how enticing they are)
This is by far the hardest thing to do when getting through jetlag, but I have found it to help me adjust faster. Whether you are arriving to your travel destination or you are arriving home, fight all urges to take a nap. If you can’t seem to function, a power nap is fine, but don’t let it take over your day! In my opinion, it is better to struggle through one day of abnormal sleep patterns, than finding yourself napping all day and staying awake all night.
Prepare Sleep Schedule Before Trip
This last tip isn’t necessarily essential, but it’s at least another thing that allows you to focus more on your trip and less on sleep. If you have enough time to do this, try slowly adjusting your sleep schedule before your trip, so that you are close enough to that time zone. You can maybe go as far as trying to adjust your sleep schedule before returning home, so that you can adjust quicker after your trip.
I am obviously only speaking through my own experiences and not scientific facts, so go ahead and do some of your own research if you desire to learn more. I do hope that my tips have shed some light on some of the challenges of traveling the world. Keep these tips in mind for the next time you decide to hop across the pond!
Illustration once again by the lovely Gibby Johnson! Check out her Etsy Shop here.