Jet lag: arguably the worst side-effect of traveling. In case you’ve never traveled long distance before and have no idea what jet lag is, it is when your internal clock gets screwed up because you’re flying (or driving) into a different time zone. Anyone who has traveled long distance will know that it is downright awful. But now, the exhausted days and sleepless nights are behind you, because this post will teach you how to beat jet lag.
Eat healthy!
When you’re already feeling gross from lack of sleep and a long plane ride you may want to stuff yourself with comfort food, but trust me you will feel so much better if you eat healthy.
Do something interesting
Here’s another anecdote for you guys: The first night I was in China, we went to calligraphy lesson. Which sounds cool in theory, but in reality we were just subjected to an boring lecture and PowerPoint. As a result, half of us ended up sleeping through the presentation. It may have seemed rude, but we couldn’t help it.
So instead of making that same mistake, do something you are genuinely interested in! Now is not the time for that stuffy museum walk that you planned just so you could feel “cultured”. Instead, try visiting a really famous movie set from a movie you might be obsessed with. (Harry Potter anyone?) Or go shopping if that’s your thing. Trying to stay awake on a plane? Watch a new movie you’ve been dying to watch, or a hilarious movie so you can’t stop laughing long enough to even feel tired. If you’re genuinely interested, you’re not going to want to miss a thing, which will give you more incentive to stay awake.
Related: 20 Things to Do on an International Flight
Keep hydrated
Keeping hydrated will make you 10x more likely to stay awake, and it’s good for you! Trust me I have experience in trying to stay awake at my boring office job.
Do something active
The day I got to Rome with my school group, we had just flown a flight from 5pm to 1am our local time. By the time we got to Italy, it was about 3pm in the afternoon but we still had half a day’s itinerary to get through! We were all exhausted and falling asleep, until our first activity – gladiator school! We ran laps, did push-ups, and went sword fighting for two hours, and no one was falling asleep on us then.
So do something active right after sitting on a plane for hours on end! Go hiking, swimming, or even a walking tour. If you’re stuck on a plane until nightfall, get up and walk around. These will help you stay awake until the time comes to sleep.
Do not even come close to a bed
If you check into your room with the intention of just “resting for a few minutes” I guarantee that you will mess your sleep schedule up. Because, let’s be honest here, you haven’t got the best discipline. One minute on a nice relaxing bed turns into three hours in a blink, and then your chances of falling asleep at night will go down drastically. Check your bags somewhere, then get the hell out of the hotel room. Go do one of the aforementioned activities instead.
Hopefully these tips will help you and your sleepless nights will be over forever.
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Got what you think is a better tip? Leave it in the comments below!
