Jetlag tips from the crew
If you travel enough, sooner or later you will fall victim to the ever-popular traveling syndrome unofficially known as “hyperboeingtinitus,†“the funk,†or more commonly known as jetlag. It is the feeling of severe lack of energy, weird sleeping patterns, always feeling tired, no vigor, depression and about a day or two of being in a daze. As far as I know, nobody has ever died from jetlag, but sometimes you feel as if you are dead inside.
Jet lag occurs when a traveler passes over a number of time zones that disrupt the normal “circadian” rhythm which helps humans wake up in the morning and go to sleep at night.
Some say it’s caused by dehydration from the airplane trip, altitude sickness, lack of sleep, and even from polar radiation. While all of these may be true, the one definite factor is the change in sleeping patterns. You arrive in Italy and it may be 1 o’clock in the afternoon, but your body is not convinced, and insists that it is 3 in the morning.
Other factors include the stale cabin air, dry atmosphere, lack of exercise or movement, your current health, and the worrying and anticipation of the trip. While traveling may be a wondrous occasion, it can be quite a stressful one as well. Some prepare too much, while others not enough. Some people drink too much on the flight (I am more inclined to say that is a hangover instead of jetlag). All of these are contributing factors to this syndrome.
Jetlag tends to be more severe traveling from west to east as you are losing time, while east to west is less severe because you are gaining time and more apt to transition into your normal daily activities easier.
A commonly asked question is whether or not crewmembers get jetlag. There is no simple answer. Some do and some don’t. The ones that usually don’t are the ones that fly similar trips with similar hours. Say I have a month of trips, flying to South America, to Asia, to Germany, and the last one being a shuttle trip across America. I pretty much accept the fact that I am going to be in a deep jetlag for most of the month. However, if I were to fly to London every week at the same time, my jetlag would be minimal.
Speaking for myself, most of the time I don’t get jetlag. It’s all in the sleep pattern. I can stay awake for thirty-six hours straight and then sleep for twenty plus at a time. It is only when I don’t disrupt my sleeping pattern that my jetlag sets in. For example, if I have two weeks off and I don’t fly anywhere, my sleep pattern returns to what people consider normal. This seems to disturb my pattern of disrupted sleep. I know it is fairly hard to comprehend, but it isn’t if you live it.
Here is a list of some crewmember preventive jetlag measures. While many of these tips seem like common sense, often we seem to check that in along with our luggage.
Top Crew Tips to Prevent Jetlag (or at least minimize it).
1. Try to get some sleep on the plane. You’d be surprised how many people force themselves to stay awake for the movie. Bring ear-plugs, a neck pillow and eyeshades, anything to help you get some sleep.
2. Don’t overdo the stimulants. Limit the booze, coffee and sleeping pills. They may do for an immediate fix, but might affect you negatively.
3. Water with a twist. Try to hydrate (water) yourself more than the flight dehydrates you. One of the best tips that seem to work well for me is the water supplement method. Instead of drinking plain water, add some type of juice (I recommend cranberry), this way instead of flushing your system, you retain more. Comparing my jetlag symptoms after drinking plain water versus adding a juice, I have always felt better with the combo.
4. Take supplemental vitamins before, during, and after your trip; and a skin moisturizer is a good item to have nearby at all times. Melatonin and zinc have had reportedly good results for jetlag. Eat lots of vegetables and healthy foods, or at least bring some supplemental bran with you.
5. Take a long hot shower as frequently as you can. You may feel paralytic when you first wake up but get into the shower and feel 100% better immediately. If you are up to it, go for a long walk or a run when you settle in. The more oxygen, fresh air and exercise, the better.
6. Stay away from products claiming to be miracle jet-lag cures. I have seen everything from lights under the knee-caps to polar radiation hats. The only thing these items will reduce is your wallet size.
7. When you arrive try to adapt to the new time of day immediately. For example, force yourself to stay awake until the time of day you would normally go to sleep back home. Don’t try to see everything in one day. That is, of course, as long as you have more than one day.
8. Get up and stretch. Okay, maybe not during the service but your body is not used to sitting down or sleeping in an upright position. Break it up a bit, instead of ringing your call button, come get a drink in the back. We don’t bite; well most of us don’t.
9. If you are returning from a holiday, or a long business trip, allow a couple of days afterwards to recover. Don’t go into work the next day.
10. Don’t worry so much. Try to have fun–even if you are on business or if the trip is costing you a fortune. Life is an adventure, and this is just another chapter of it.
There was a finding by a Swedish scientist that proved that sexual intimacy the night before a flight lessened the symptoms of jetlag. I anxiously showed a copy of the article to my wife, and she replied that I had better find a new job. Not exactly the result what I was hoping for. Good luck and may you be jetlag free.