Everyone looks forward to summer vacation! It’s the time of year when you get a chance to get away with your family to see amazing new sights, learn about different places, and really relax and recharge. Unfortunately, if your summer vacation is taking you to another time zone, there’s a really good chance that you’ll arrive back home after your vacation’s over with a serious case of jet lag.
A bad case of jet lag can make you feel like you need another vacation just to recover from your flight back from your vacation. Instead of feeling rejuvenated, you’ll feel completely rundown, and you’ll start to wonder if it might be a good idea to stay home next summer. Stop right there, though, because you actually don’t have to suffer from jet lag. In fact, if you follow a few simple steps, you can arrive home and ready to get back to “real life” as soon as you step off the plane.
Shift Your Schedule Before a Long Trip
First, if you’re planning a trip to a different time zone, start to shift your schedule to match your destination’s time zone a few weeks before you leave. Of course, you won’t be able to change when you go to work, but you can get up an hour or two early to hit the gym and then come home and get to bed early to do it again the next day.
If you do this for two to four weeks before you travel, you’ll basically be on schedule for your destination by the time you’re ready to head to the airport. You’ll feel more rested, and you’ll get more out of your vacation time. Plus, believe it or not, you’ll actually have an easier time snapping back to your normal schedule when you get home, too.
If you’re only going on a short trip, though, you should avoid shifting your schedule. In fact, if this is the case, you may be able to enjoy your vacation time on an earlier or later schedule than a lot of people keep at your destination. It might seem odd, but why not enjoy the sunrise every morning or stay out late every night?
Stay Hydrated
Airplanes have notoriously dry air. Add the changes in pressure that you’ll feel throughout the trip, and you’ll be feeling a lot more tired and worn out than you would if you were just going about a normal day. One of the best ways to combat feeling exhausted when you step off a plane is to make sure that you’re well hydrated. Start paying attention to how much water you drink each day a week or two before your trip, and continue to maintain good hydration throughout. You’ll feel much better when you land in your hometown.
Don’t Sacrifice Your Sleep to a Bad Mattress
Finally, you may not have any control over the mattresses you sleep on while you’re on vacation, but you can control the one you sleep on at home. A good mattress that’s well suited to your body will help you wake up feeling refreshed, not stiff and sore. It’ll also help you sleep soundly throughout the night, so you’ll feel like you really recharged your batteries every morning.
A mattress from Amore Beds can help you and your spouse enjoy the best sleep of your lives, so even if you do feel a little jet lag when you get home from your trip, you’ll recover in no time with some great sleep on a quality mattress.
Sources:
http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/how-to-beat-jet-lag
https://www.eightsleep.com/2014/11/03/ten-steps-to-avoid-jet-lag-this-summer/
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2016/03/24/beat-jet-lag_n_9543236.html