| The secret to combating jet lag, and arriving at your | | | | effective solution. Of these chamomile and lavender, |
| destination with little or no jet lag, lies in sound | | | | often taken in the form of a tea, are perhaps the best |
| preparation well in advance of your date of travel. This, | | | | known. If these don't work in your particular case, then |
| however, is only the foundation of your "anti jet lag" | | | | a slightly stronger and extremely good alternative |
| plan and all of your sound preparatory work will be | | | | would be either valerian root or melatonin. |
| wasted if you don't also ensure that you follow a | | | | 3. Relax to soft, soothing music. |
| sensible routine during your flight. | | | | As an alternative to sleep, or indeed in addition to |
| Here are just five of the many things that you can do | | | | sleeping, try listening to soft, soothing music in |
| during your flight to reduce, or eliminate, the effects of | | | | preference to watching the in-flight movies. Even |
| jet lag: | | | | better; try some form of gentle meditation or relaxation |
| 1. Make sure that you get adequate rest. | | | | exercises. This will not only help reduce the effects of |
| Many people find that they can't, or simply don't want | | | | jet lag, but will also help maintain a normal level of blood |
| to, sleep during their flight. This is fine, although trying to | | | | pressure and good circulation throughout a long flight. |
| get some sleep can certainly be helpful. If you can't, or | | | | 4. Ensure that you take some exercise. |
| don't want to sleep, then you should at least ensure | | | | Although it can be tempting to stay in your seat |
| that you take the opportunity to rest and should also | | | | throughout the flight, getting up from time to time and |
| try to plan your rest so that you will be aligned as far | | | | strolling around the cabin will refresh your body and |
| as is possible with the time at your destination. | | | | promote both mental and physical activity. Some light |
| If, for example, your twelve hour flight will get you to | | | | exercise, particularly for your legs, will also help prevent |
| your destination early in the morning, try to get some | | | | the possibility of deep vein thrombosis - clots forming in |
| sleep during the second half of the flight. | | | | the legs. |
| 2. Make use of simple, natural sleep remedies. | | | | 5 Keep yourself well hydrated. |
| If sleeping during the flight proves difficult, even with the | | | | The artificial environment created within the aircraft |
| use of such things as ear plugs and an eye mask to | | | | cabin by both pressurization and forced ventilation can |
| help simulate nighttime conditions, you may be tempted | | | | lead to dehydration and so it is extremely important |
| to resort to the use of sleeping pills. Don't succumb to | | | | that you maintain your fluid levels. Drink plenty of water |
| this temptation! | | | | or fruit juice, but avoid tea and coffee and other |
| A discussion on the rights and wrongs of using | | | | caffeinated drinks. You should also avoid carbonated |
| sleeping pills is beyond the scope of this article | | | | drinks and alcohol. |
| (although I do cover the subject in depth in articles and | | | | One part of the secret to arriving refreshed at your |
| elsewhere on but, suffice it to say, that the use of | | | | destination after a long flight is to ensure that you take |
| sleeping pills during your flight will add to the problem of | | | | the opportunity to rest and relax during the flight and |
| jet lag, rather than assist in reducing its effects. | | | | that you avoid stimulants. Taking the simple steps |
| There are however a number of natural sleep | | | | outlined here will certainly go a long way towards |
| remedies available today which can provide a very | | | | preventing jet lag. |