The worst jetlag I’ve ever had was going from London to New Zealand, a 36 hour flight east.
Now what does it matter that it was a flight going east?
A huge matter, it makes almost all the difference between severe jetlag and no jetlag – although we didn’t know that back then.
We could choose to go either west via Los Angeles, or east via Hong Kong. The one going east was cheaper and shorter, so we chose that one.
If we would have gone west our experience with jetlag would most likely have been different.
Jetlag tends to be a problem if four or more time zones are crossed, and the effects are generally worse travelling eastwards than westwards.
This is because the body copes better with a lengthening day than a shortening day.
Travel – A Little At A Time
Make stopovers on your way. Stay for a while in Hong Kong before continuing, this makes it both easier to cope with jetlag as well as long flights.
I’d actually prefer a 15 hour flight, a few nights in a cool city, and then another 15 hours. It’s more fun that way as well.
Drink – But Stay Sober
Jetlag effects are also generally made worse by dehydration, caffeine and alcohol, which put stress on the body and increase fatigue.
Have you ever seen really drunk people and found it wierd that they got so drunk only by a few of those tiny ‘plane-sized’ bottles?
When flying, it takes a lot less to get drunk. Having one glass of wine on a flight is the same as having two glasses on land.
So keep hydrated, but with non-alcoholic drinks.
Sit – In The Middle Of The Plane
To prevent motion sickness, move to the centre of the plane where it tends to be more stable.
I hope you find some of these natural preventions to be helpful and that you can implemet these simple tips on your next overseas trip.
have you ever had a bad jetlag experience? And also if you have any other great tips to help avoid and cope with jetlag I would love to hear?
