How to Travel Smart

Dr. Greg Wells

Summer is finally here and hopefully you have a well-deserved vacation lined up! However, if you're crossing time zones, travel can be accompanied with those dreaded two words: Jet Lag.

Jet lag is a misalignment between your internal biological clock and external cues, such as light exposure. This can lead to reduced alertness, nighttime insomnia, loss of appetite, depressed mood, poor balance and coordination, gastrointestinal upset, fatigue, cloudy thinking, and decreased physical and mental performance. 

Jet lag can also be made worse by travel fatigue and the general difficulties and stresses associated with long trips such as cramped environments that don’t offer much opportunity for exercise, restricted food choices, dehydration due to dry cabin air and cabin hypoxia, and disruption of sleep and routine. 

It's no fun if your first few days of your trip you're completely exhausted - not to mention the negative effects it has on your health. Fortunately, there are some simple ways you can reduce travel fatigue and minimize jet lag so you can enjoy your vacation to its fullest! 

Here are 5 tips to beat jet lag:

1. Time your light exposure

Your circadian rhythm (internal biological clock) is highly regulated by the amount of light you’re exposed to during the day. One way to adjust your internal 24-hour clock is to expose yourself to light at strategic times of the day.

Light exposure in the morning will advance your circadian rhythm (you’ll sleep earlier), while light exposure in the evening will delay it (you’ll sleep later).

If you are travelling eastward, try advancing your sleep time by one hour per night 3 days prior to travel, and expose yourself to bright light upon rising. Upon reaching your destination, advance your rhythms by exposing yourself to morning and afternoon light and avoiding evening light at your destination.

If you are travelling westward, try delaying your sleep time by one hour per night 3 days prior to travel. Upon reaching your destination, delay your rhythms by exposing yourself to evening light and avoiding exposure in the early morning.

2. Grab a bottle of melatonin

During our typical 24-hour cycle, when the sun goes down at night, melatonin is secreted by the pineal gland, causing us to feel sleepy. When we change time zones or are exposed to light at nighttime, our system becomes disrupted. 

Melatonin supplementation can be extremely helpful to overcome jet lag. Taking melatonin in the afternoon and early evening causes phase advance (you get tired sooner), while taking it in the late night or early morning causes phase delay (you get tired later). 

While taking melatonin may help with jet lag or falling asleep, possible side effects from melatonin include daytime sleepiness, dizziness, headache, and loss of appetite. It’s always advised talk to your doctor before taking it and to start with a low dose to see how it affects you. 

3. Structure your caffeine consumption

While jet lag can make it very difficult to fall asleep according to the local time, it can be almost as difficult to stay awake during the day. Stimulants, namely caffeine, have been suggested to alleviate daytime sleepiness, and have shown positive effects in circadian resynchronization when used in combination with melatonin. However, you need to properly structure your caffeine consumption to optimize your health and performance.

Slow-release caffeine might improve resynchronization faster than fast-release caffeine. So consider the type of caffeine you ingest during the day. Tossing a thermos of green tea (slow-release) in your bag for sipping throughout the day can help in reducing travel fatigue and help set you up for a night of sleep.

Caffeine remains in your system for four-five hours (or more), so avoid drinking it eight hours before you’d like to go to bed and don't take more than 1,000 mg of caffeine in a 24-hour period. 

4. Proper hydration and nutrition

Symptoms of jet lag and travel fatigue are not just due to changes in our circadian rhythm. They can also come about from dehydration and poor diet that accompany travel. Fortunately, it’s possible to minimize these symptoms by taking care of your hydration and nutrition.  

When on a flight, make sure you’re drinking 8-16 ounces of water per hour with electrolytes (rather than tea, coffee or alcohol). When at your destination, rehydrate with non-alcoholic drinks (water with electrolytes).

Bring healthy snacks on the plane (apples, nuts, carrots, whole grain crackers). What you're allowed to bring on the plane depends on your destination and the airline so make sure to check that before you fly. 

On longer flights, try to adjust to the local time meal schedule once you arrive in the new time zone. If you have to eat before bedtime, avoid meals that are high in fat, fibre, or protein, instead favouring fruits and vegetables.

5. Make time for physical activity

Physical activity can help combat jet lag and travel fatigue by boosting your physical and mental energy, and by helping you to adjust your circadian rhythm.

Exercising outside in the morning is the best way to synchronize your internal clock to your new time zone. 

If you're too tired after a long flight, even a short stretching routine in your hotel room or walk helps - just get moving!