How to prepare for changing time zones with long air flights

The rapid change of time zones causes a failure of our biological clock, which manifests itself in the form of insomnia, inattention, concealment and increased fatigue. These symptoms may pursue us from several days to week after the flight.

When crossing a few time zones, our internal clock diverges with geographic, as the duration of the day and night changes, because of which the usual rhythm of sleep, nutrition and mining of hormones is disturbed.

But if we will prepare the body to change the belts in advance, we can, if not completely, then significantly minimize the consequences of the disorders of the daily rhythm, which is also called Jetlag (eng. Jet Lag, Jetlag, time zone changing syndrome).

According to research, traveling to the East is given to our body harder than west. Perhaps this is due to the fact that for most people it is easier to sleep longer than getting up before.

In a much greater degree, the presence and severity of symptoms of changing time zones depend on the characteristics of the body of the traveler and its status right before the flight. Long flights should be consciously prepared.

Take preparations with melatonin

Melatonin is a hormone that is responsible for the regulation of daily rhythms. With the help of drugs with melatonin, you can quickly translate your biological clock.

To rebuild on a new day of the day, coming into place, take 1.5 g melatonin at night. It will help you fall asleep, and all the next day you will feel cheer. Do the same and on return home. If you have to overcome 6 or more time zones, it is better to start taking melatonin before bedtime the day before the upcoming departure and continue his reception another day or two after arrival.

Start rebuilding your daily schedule

If you have the opportunity, then start rebuilding your daily schedule a few days before departure. Go to bed one hour later or earlier (depending on the flight direction) than usual.

If you have to overcome three time zones, then three days before the flight lie to sleep an hour earlier, in two days – two hours earlier, per day – for 3 hours. Thus, you can prepare your body and get rid of the negative consequences of changing time zones.

Translate hours

Armed with a plane, first of all Move the clock at the local time of the country of arrival. Throughout the flight, try to live in a new time.

For example, a flight from Moscow to Khabarovsk will fly out at 6 o’clock in the evening, when there is a deep night in Khabarovsk, it means immediately after takeoff, sleep for several hours and wake up hours at 8-9 local time, t.E. 1-2 nights in Moscow. Most passengers will sleep, but you better see the movie or read the book, but on arrival you will feel much better than the rest of the passengers.

Sit on a diet

Among frequent passengers and travelers, a popular diet developed by the Argonne National Laboratory (The Argonne Anti Jet Lag Diet). In short, the essence of the diet is as follows:

• 4 days before departure, you are very tight, in food there must be a large number of proteins.
• Three days before the flight, your daily diet must be the most light. Eat fruits, vegetables, lightweight soups.
• Two days before the trip again, eat tightly.
• On the day of the flight it is easy to snack and when you arrive your first calorie breakfast local time, the body is relatively easy to restructure under the new day rhythm.

Fly with transfers

If the change of time zones you are experiencing particularly hard, we recommend that you fly with transfers and, if you can do, do in the way. If you do in the way of stopping, your body will be easier to rebuilt, try to take a shower during stops, breathe fresh air and t.D.

Drink more water and moisturize the skin

Dehydration helps to strengthen the adverse effect of changing time zones on the body. This is due to the fact that during the flight a person has to spend hours in a dry air-conditioned aircraft interior.

Before the flight and after landing, moisture the skin with cream or use the thermal spray, it will not be superfluous and drip the eyes with special drops, so-called artificial tears.

Be physically active

During the flight, try to warm up more often, sneeze, make a slight charge right in the chair. Every two hours, get up and walk through the cabin or at least just wait at your place.

If you regularly play sports, it will be much easier to cope with the change of time zones. The exchange of substances of the trained person is more active, it is easier to rebuild and adapts to changing external circumstances.