Jet Lag - Arrival at Your Destination

Together with the best preparation in the world before leaving home, and having taken a couple of simple precautions during your trip, you will inevitably suffer the effects of jet lag, unless you also keep your"no jet lag" plan as soon as you arrive at your destination.

Here, however, we will need to sound a word of caution. 1 common problem with jet lag is that, for many people, the true effects of jet lag are not immediately apparent and it may take a day or two to"catch up" with you. In addition, the excitement of arriving at your holiday destination, or for an important business meeting, may also tend to mask the symptoms of jet lag.

So, if you arrive at your destination feeling like a million dollars and throw yourself into your holiday or business activities - beware! Jet lag will almost certainly creep up and hit you on the back of the head just when you least expect it.

If your destination is in a time zone that is behind the time back home it's often claimed that taking a nap as soon as possible after your arrival is useful. That is, however, not advisable, unless you really believe that you cannot press without some sleep. If that is the case, try and take just a brief nap lasting no longer than about thirty or forty minutes. The best cure for jet lag, and its associated insomnia, is to press on into the normal bedtime at your destination and, thereby, to immediately begin the process of adapting your internal body clock into its new surroundings.

If you arrive at a destination that is ahead of your home time then try to sleep through as much of the night as you can, despite the fact that your body still believes that it is the middle of the day. Here the use of natural remedies such as herbal teas, as well as a warm (but not hot) bath, aromatherapy or relaxation and meditation exercises can be particularly useful in activating the body's natural sleep cycle.

Light also plays a very important part in lessening the effects of jet lag and you should attempt and expose yourself to as much daylight as possible during normal waking hours. If you arrive during the day avoid the temptation to sit down and rest in your hotel room or couch and get out and about in the daylight until it is time to your normal evening routine.

You should also continue to pay attention to your diet. Eating and drinking to excess is often a normal part of any holiday or business trip, but try to avoid over-indulging at the first two or three days after arrival. In particular, restrict your intake of such things as caffeine and alcohol, as well as other stimulants.

Finally, do not neglect your body's need for exercise. Taking regular daily aerobic exercise for at least twenty minutes (even though that's only a brisk walk back to your resort rather than a taxi ride) is an important part of any plan to treat jet lag.