How to beat jet-lag

What is jet-lag? It's the disruption of the body's normal rhythms.

Determine what time of day you will be getting up and going to sleep at your destination. Then develop a plan to start switching to that time zone before you leave.

For instance, if you will be flying from New York to Paris (time difference is 6 hours), get in bed 1 hour earlier for a couple days, then 2 hours earlier, then 3 hours earlier. Get halfway to your new time zone.

Once you arrived to your destination keep the lights ON during daytime and open the curtains.

You can try melatonin supplements or this new sleeping skill you have just learned.

Drink plenty of water. If you aren't a big water fan, drink some other fluid that is not high in sugar or caffeine.

Avoid junk food, salty foods, caffeine and alcohol on the plane. When you arrive resist the urge to nap during day time

Get outside during the daylight hours, even if it's just to sit in a café and relax.

After you had a couple good nights sleep, your circadian clock was reset. When you return home, use the same tactics.

When you return home, it's typical to have an energy crash. Don't go to work on the first day. It may take two weeks after returning home to get back to a decent energy level and finish your jet-lag.

Melatonin is often touted as an aid in fighting jet leg, (jet leg) but the long term effects of taking the synthetic hormone are unknown. "The most worrisome experiments involving melatonin are those that show increasing of cancer in certain species of mice.

Sleeping pills don't fare much better. This is a dangerous approach as sleeping pills induce a comatose state with little or no natural body movement can lead to fatal blood clots (deep vein thrombosis)

One of the best ways to get the needed rest during flight is this skill you'll just about to learn. It is easy to use, you can't forget it home and have no side effect.

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