Anyone who flies through multiple time zones has to grapple with the bio-rhythmic confusion known as jet lag. All your life you’ve done things on a 24-hour cycle. Now, after crossing the Atlantic, your body wants to eat when you tell it to sleep and sleep when you tell it to enjoy a white water rafting tour. You can’t avoid jet lag, but by following these tips, conquering jet lag symptoms will be a breeze.
Leave home well rested
An early-trip cold used to be a regular part of my vacation until I learned this very important trick: Plan from the start as if you’re leaving two days before you really are. Keep that last 48-hour period sacred (apart from your normal work schedule), even if it means being hectic before your false departure date. Then you have two orderly, peaceful days after you’ve packed so that you are physically ready to fly.
Use the flight to rest and reset
With a few hours of sleep during the transatlantic flight, you’ll be functional the day you land.