Expat Women
Health|Flying talk
How to beat the dreaded jet lag Judith Coulson, Executive Director of BKK-Health.com, explains the best way to approach a long-haul flight
■ THE summer season’s here and for many expats that means one thing – it’s time to take a trip back home to catch up with family and friends and enjoy a welcome break from work. Before you can take pleasure in these rewards though you have to face the dreaded long-haul
flight – the 11 hours cooped up in a poky seat, the lack of a night’s sleep, the eating at odd hours and the rapid dehydration. All of which result in jet lag on arrival. Not pleasant. At all. But, unlike economy seats, long haul flights needn’t always be a pain in the bum. Below are a few tips you can follow to help you reach your destination feeling bright and fresh and ready for anything.
Stay hydrated Before and during the flight drink a lot of plain water. Dehydration, intensified by the dry cabin air, is one of the main causes of jet lag, resulting in headaches, nausea and stiffness during and after a long haul flight. When I fly I always take a water bottle with me which I can ask the flight attendants to refill. This is
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great because I don’t have to bug the attendants often (as is the case when using a small plastic cup), the bottle is easy to store, and, like the bottle, I’m constantly topped up with water.
When to sleep and when to stay awake Consider the time of arrival at your destination and plan your sleeping, reading or movie times accordingly. If you arrive at your destination in the morning, and there is a whole day ahead of you, try to sleep 5-7 hours before arrival. So in my recent case of arriving at 06.45am in Europe, I ate dinner and watched a movie for the first two-three hours of the flight and then tried to get some sleep. If you arrive at your destination in the evening or late afternoon, try to sleep the first four-five hours and stay awake the rest of the flight, so you are able to get a good night’s sleep a couple of hours after arriving at your destination.
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