Arriving at an exciting destination comes with a lot of emotions. There is nothing worse than adding sleepless nights to the mix, right? Below are six of my favorite tips for avoiding jet lag.
In this post-pandemic travel period, I load up on vitamin C - usually a few weeks leading up to each of my trips to Italy. I also take Airborne or Emergen-C a full 24 hours before getting on the plane. While this doesn't help with jet lag itself, it does keep me from getting sick while on my tours.
Prepare for your trip in advance. Make sure the last couple of days prior to leaving you are completely relaxed and well-rested. Otherwise, if you are rundown and fly there is a higher chance you will get sick and will spend the first part of your trip trying to recover. Keep the stress at bay by working with a travel consultant (me) or choosing to travel on a guided tour of Italy. All the prep work is done for you. You just have to pack and get on the plane.
Reset your clock. When you board the plane change your watch to the local time of the destination you are traveling to. Try to stay up that bit longer or go to sleep earlier to get your body clock onto this new time schedule.
Eat, drink, and rest. Opt for lighter meal options and drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration. Continuously ask for water throughout the flight. Stick to water or fruit juice, and avoid caffeine, alcohol, and high sugar drinks. NOTE: I always enjoy one (just one) glass of red wine with dinner. It's my only weakness in these tips. Sorry!
Sleep. While those in-flight movies are tempting, opt for sleep instead. You may want to take your own fold-up travel pillow for extra comfort. I like to bring my largest, softest scarf to use as a blanket instead of the one the airline offers. Earplugs are a good idea if you are a light sleeper. Lavender scented wipes help keep germs away (especially important in post-pandemic travel) and encourage relaxation.
MOST IMPORTANTLY: When you arrive at your destination, try to stay awake until the early evening. Don’t sleep, otherwise, you won’t be able to sleep at night. The best method to stay awake is to stay active. The adrenalin of being on an exciting tour of Italy should keep you awake!
What do you do to avoid jet lag? Post your tips in the comment section below.