How to beat JET LAG
I’m a routine person. I work as a Chiropractor and so everything is “booked in” to a time schedule. I wake up bang on 6 am without an alarm daily (5 am during summer months) and felt I had grooved a regular circadian rhythm. Even when I studied at Uni, I was sleep deprived, yes, but our classes started at 8:30 am every day and when had this rotating time table by which life was constructed. By no means am I a structured organised person, but perhaps also being a woman with a regular monthly cycle further cements a ‘pattern’ to life.
So, I used to find that whenever I changed time zones even by only a couple of hours it used to hit me really hard.
Flying internationally with timezone changes of 6 hours? Horrendous. 12 hours to Canada or the US? Someone shoot me!
The long haul flights would take me a week to adjust to the time zone there then coming back, even if I launched straight into work and my previous routine. I would have my head asleep at the dinner table with risk of suffocating in my food. Driving home from work was outright dangerous.
The jet lag affected me so much my body would freak out and I would get my period the next day. In 2015 when I got to North America, I was there for a month. I had 3 cycles in 6 weeks. Unbeknown to me, even though I didn’t consciously feel “stressed”, my body was experiencing complete upheaval and elevation in cortisol due to lack of sleep. Too much elevated cortisol has an inverse relationship with progesterone and hence why I would get my period super super early. Men, unfortunately for you there’s not so clear a physical manifestion of excessive stress to the system.
Other signs of jet lag include:
Disturbed sleep — such as insomnia, early waking or excessive sleepiness
Daytime fatigue
Difficulty concentrating or functioning at your usual level
Stomach problems, constipation or diarrhea
A general feeling of not being well
Mood changes
I used to experience all of the above and I tried all the remedies.
Herbal support, fasting, sleeping tablets, melatonin, setting my watch to the destination time, trying to just stay awake through will power, booking a transit hotel for a nap etc etc. Nothing worked.
So, I had a break from international travel for a year and after working with health mentor/coach/rock Courtney Townley of Grace & Grit I had established very regular eating patterns. I ate every 3–4 hours a meal high in protein. I was cycling carbohydrates, I had stress reduction strategies which saved me and I resolved to apply this to my international globe trotting adventures.
My first trip was a last minute flight to Chicago. Now, I live in Perth, Western Australia and Chicago is one of the furthest places you can fly to before you start going back the other way. The most direct flight involves 8 hrs to Hong Kong, then 15.5 hours to Chicago. Its a straight time zone flip.
There are people who are used to shift work such as mineworkers, hospital workers and the like who maybe don’t experience jet lag symptoms. My question at this point would be “why open an article which states HOW TO BEAT JET LAG as it’s title?” and if you’re an exception, high five for you as you don’t even have good circadian rhythm to start with.
So! my plan for that trip is the one I have now used 4 times in succession to literally not get jet lag at all is this:
You must eat 3 meals a day beforehand to work. If you’re someone who does not eat food then get into a habit at least a month before travel of eating breakfast, lunch, dinner at the same times daily.
Have a coffee when it’s Breakfast time in your destination.
For example, if I am due to board at 10pm which is 10am Chicago time, I have a coffee at 8pm Perth time. I drink coffee every morning so this works for me, if you don’t drink coffee, omit this step.
Eat your meals regularly at 4 hourly intervals, then FAST during the destination’s night time.
So I would eat a meal at 8pm Perth time (8 am Chicago), then 12 am (12 pm Chicago), then 4 am then 8am (8pm Chicago) then FAST for 8 hrs. Repeat starting with coffee until at destination.
Hydrate like a MoFo
Water is paramount.
This seems pretty straightforward right?
Correct, it is. But it goes against what I had researched previously when trying to beat jet lag.
Australian Business Traveller says “ Eat light in flight, and protein upon landing”. OK it might work for you, test it out.
Medical news today says to try melatonin and strategic napping. Have you tried napping on non business class flights on command when you’re not tired? I rest my case.
Melatonin is a slow and long acting hormone activated when the sun goes down. For most people, screen and computer time and artificial light stuffs this up anyway so good luck with that.
What is a hormone we can activate and manipulate immediately that is fast acting? INSULIN. Another? CORTISOL.
It’s not rocket science. It’s just science.
Former sufferers of jet lag, you’re welcome.
Interested to hear thoughts and other suggestions!
