Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Tips on Jet lag

Here are a few unsolicited tips regarding jet lag and how to avoid it. A jet lag can be a nuisance, an irritant, especially for those plying between India and United States, nations on opposite sides of the globe, with some 11 to 13 hours of time difference, depending on which part of US you live. The long journey can put one's body clock out of whack and life into topsy-turvy.

Jet lag can vary from individual to individual. From those who experience  little or no jet lag, to those who have to make a trip to the Doctor's office for medication when their jet lag stubbornly refuses to relent. But most get it, in some degree, to some extent.

For me it lasts 3 to 5 days, now more on the later side. It's more, when I am in India, where after a sumptuous lunch, I take a long siesta, which is more like my nightly sleep per body clock. Back on US soil, it lasts for fewer days, probably because I immediately go to work.

Here are a few tips on how to minimize the jet lag. This is hardly scientific, rather based purely upon my personal experience.

Try not to sleep during the day. Keep yourself busy, sip some caffeine, especially late in the afternoon when your eyelids refuse to stay open. The more you sleep during the afternoon, longer you body takes to adapt the new edition of clock.

Drink plenty of water and go easy on food. Don't splurge on fried foods and alcohol when you still have a jet lag, it can cause havoc to your system.

Last but the least, time is the best healer. Let your body clock take its own sweet time to adjust. If it's already a week since you have landed and the jet lag stubbornly refuses to go, better see a doctor.

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