Jet Lag is the result of lengthy air travel when you cross different time zones in a couple of hours. This causes one to feel fatigued and disoriented for several days after arrival. Jet lag can also cause lack of concentration and a general feeling of lethargy.
Usually the most visible signs of jet lag are the changed sleep patterns and hunger pangs at very odd hours of the day. Generally speaking the more time zones you go through, the more severe the effects will be.
Although it would be hard to totally avoid getting jet lag, there are several things you could try to do or keep in mind to make your adjustment to a new time zone easier.
1. Try to change your eating habits to those of the country you plan to visit a few days before your departure. This takes some will power to do as it entails weird eating habits like having breakfast at 1 am in the morning.
2. Adopt the schedule of the country you’re in the moment you arrive. Try to sleep at the correct local time and resist having naps during the day or it would just prolong your adjustment period.
3. Ask your doctor to prescribe some sleeping pills you could take an hour or so before the local bedtime
4. Eat high protein foods at breakfast and lunch and a high carb low protein dinner to prevent the urge for late night or early morning snacks.
5. Try to do a 5 to 10-minute low impact exercise routine before bedtime if you feel restless.
6. When sleep escapes you try watching a less than riveting TV show or read a book to help make you feel sleepy.