Overcoming jet lag: These tips will help you – BRAINEFFECT

A trip to the other side of the world is often accompanied by jet lag, which occurs because your body clock is no longer synchronized with the daily routine at your destination. Keyword: different time zone. Learn what you can do to overcome or even avoid jet lag in the following guide.

1. Overcoming and avoiding jet lag

Jet lag temporarily disrupts your circadian rhythm . When you cross multiple time zones on your trip, this often happens: Due to the time difference, your day-night cycle functions differently at your destination than at your departure point, as your body clock is no longer synchronized with its new environment .

If you fly from the northern hemisphere to the south or vice versa, there's no time zone change, so jet lag doesn't occur. However, jet lag can become a problem if you travel from east to west or west to east . Below, we'll explain how to overcome and avoid jet lag.

You can find a summary of all tips and hacks against jet lag on our YouTube channel .

2. Overcoming jet lag – What helps against jet lag?

Jet lag affects everyone differently. However, everyone can use the following dos and don'ts to keep the effects of jet lag a little more under control.

Do's – What to do if you have jet lag

Once you've been hit, you can combat jet lag with the following biohacks.

Live according to the rhythm of your destination

It makes a big difference whether you 're flying east or west . Jet lag is often more severe on eastbound flights. Therefore, adjusting your rhythm to the new time zone is even more important.

We therefore recommend that you plan your arrival time for the evening if possible. If you can still see the sunset, this will help you adjust. Then go straight to bed. The strain of a flight is enormous for your body, which needs time to regenerate [1].

Avoid double jet lag on short trips

Especially if you travel a lot for work and only have a few days in your destination before flying back, the risk of double jet lag increases. This occurs upon arrival at your destination and upon your return. Therefore , on these short trips , you should maintain your normal circadian rhythm and avoid adjusting to the new environment.

Drink enough water

A flight puts a strain on your body in various ways. The dry air in an airplane is particularly hard on your body, especially your mucous membranes. Therefore, make sure you drink plenty of water during the flight. Up to 2 liters is ideal – depending on the length of the flight .

This has another advantage: by drinking enough fluids, you also ensure that your concentration remains intact, because water is THE secret performance food . This way, you can still send an email or two from the plane and make the most of your flight time.

Jetlag überwinden

Don'ts – What not to do if you have jet lag

At least as important as the dos are the don'ts. You should keep these tips in mind during the flight and after arrival.

Avoid alcohol and coffee

As mentioned above, you should drink plenty of fluids when flying. Avoid alcohol and coffee, as they can further dehydrate your body. Furthermore, alcoholic beverages take effect even faster above the clouds, thus accelerating your jet lag symptoms [2].

Overexerting yourself physically

The poor air quality , cosmic radiation , and the poor-quality food on board pose a real challenge for your body. Combined with the time difference, your body is exposed to a multitude of stressors that it must cope with.

Running a marathon or plunging into the hectic office routine immediately after arrival is therefore not a good strategy. To be ready for your next tasks upon arrival, you should allow yourself some rest and sleep and avoid overexerting yourself physically.

Not getting enough daylight

The sun's movement determines your day-night rhythm. Too little sunlight can therefore contribute to persistent daytime fatigue. Depending on your flight direction and arrival time, we recommend getting plenty of daylight.

Daylight signals your body to release certain hormones (e.g. cortisol and serotonin) and initiate processes that wake you up [3].

3. What remedies are there for jet lag?

You can also counteract jet lag with natural substances and supplements. Learn more about these remedies and how they can help here.

Successfully combat and overcome jet lag

Now you know what you can do about jet lag. The lighting conditions during departure and arrival are crucial. Your drinking and eating habits can also have a positive effect on your jet lag. Make sure you choose the right foods. But none of this helps prevent jet lag.

Wondering how to avoid jet lag? The following biohacks can help ensure your next long-haul flight doesn't affect your performance.

One day per time zone: This is how long it takes for our body to adjust to the time difference

How quickly you cross different time zones has a significant impact on how severely you experience jet lag. A flight to a time zone that differs significantly from your usual rhythm can throw you off track for quite a while.

According to general scientific findings, you can usually handle a time difference of up to three hours quite well . If your flight alone takes at least six hours , you'll need a few days to get back into the groove.

A rule of thumb is that for every hour of time difference , you need roughly a day to adjust. So, if you're flying to New York, you'll need about five days to combat jet lag [4] .

4. How to prevent the next jet lag

You can counteract jet lag with various measures. Which ones are right for you depends, among other things, on the direction you're flying. Below, you'll learn what you can do specifically.

What do I need to consider when flying east?

If you are flying east, the following preventative measures can help you avoid jet lag:

Book your flight so that you arrive at your destination at bedtime.
Go to bed about 30 minutes earlier every night for a week before your flight.
Before your flight, eat more carbohydrate-rich foods like rice. They'll make you more tired.
Wear blue light blocking glasses at home once the sun sets and throughout your flight.
Adjust your watch to the new time zone in good time.
Go to bed immediately after landing.
Wake up with the sunrise and head outside to soak up some daylight.

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What should I keep in mind when flying west?

Jet lag symptoms are less severe on westbound flights. These biohacks will help you travel without jet lag:

Make sure you watch the sunset every evening for three days before your flight and allow enough evening light to reach your skin and eyes.
Before your flight, eat more protein-rich foods. Their digestion will keep you more active and prevent you from falling asleep as quickly.
Put on your blue light blocking glasses a little later than usual and soak up some blue and green light from artificial light sources (e.g. LED) through your eyes.
Set your watch to the new time zone.
Wear blue light blocking glasses during the flight as well.
Use our BRAINEFFECT ANTI-JETLAG . It contains 1 mg of melatonin to help you fight jet lag and fall asleep faster. You can find all the information about this sleep hormone here. It also contains vitamin B6, which helps banish tiredness at just the right time.

Are you interested in learning more about jet lag? Then get more out of your trip with our podcast .

5. Conclusion

Jet lag is your body's natural reaction to the unfamiliar day-night rhythm at your destination after a long east-west flight. Drink plenty of water during the flight to help prevent jet lag. As a rule of thumb, you need about one day for each time zone you cross to get rid of jet lag.