Should I eat when jet lagged?

Drink water, drink water and drink water. Avoid caffeine, alcohol and salted snacks. If you've decided to not eat inflight and give your body a break from digesting, that's great. But if fasting doesn't appeal, pack healthy snacks that will help you reduce the effects of jet lag.



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Stress: Being stressed-out can keep the mind and body on-edge in ways that interfere with sleep and make it harder to cope with jet lag. Use of alcohol and caffeine: Many people drink alcohol and coffee during flights, and these substances affect the brain in ways that can disrupt sleep.

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Jet lag symptoms usually occur within a day or two after traveling across at least two time zones. Symptoms are likely to be worse or last longer the farther you travel. This is especially true if you fly east. It usually takes about a day to recover for each time zone crossed.

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Common ways pilots avoid jetlag is staying hydrated, good rest, avoiding caffeine and alcohol, exercising, or sleeping on the airplane. For long-haul flights airlines use multiple pilots for the flight to allow each pilot to get some rest. The more time zones that are crossed, the worse the jet lag.

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“If your flight is in the afternoon or evening, eat a small balanced meal to satiate you,” says Agarwal. You'll want to consume something with protein, so eggs or fish work well. A salad with good fats like avocado and nuts will also create a well-rounded meal.

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Jet lag lasts anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. View Source . In general, symptoms persist for 1-1.5 days per time zone crossed, but the duration of symptoms varies depending on the person and their trip details.

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In addition to shift work, the two types of employees who work on aircraft, pilots (also known as flight deck or flight crew) and cabin crew (also commonly known as flight attendants), regularly experience jet lag. This further increases their risk of adverse health outcomes, particularly fatigue and sleepiness.

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Most people find that jet lag is worse when traveling east than it is when traveling west. View Source . Jet lag differs based on the direction of travel because it's generally easier to delay your internal clock than advance it. Jet lag does not occur on north-south flights that do not cross multiple time zones.

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Finally it is possible to get a 1 hour difference jetlag — if you live somewhere daylight saving time is observed and have problems adjusting to the change, you've experienced this. Traveling is often tiring even if you don't move at jet speeds and don't cross any timezones.

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According to an August article in the New York Times, your body clock makes it more difficult to travel east. Steven W. Lockley, of NASA's fatigue management team, estimates that three-quarters of the population experience more jet lag when traveling eastward.

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Jet lag can last anywhere from four to five days. Some specialists say that traveling over just one or two time zones is minimally problematic. Individuals who encounter jet lag feel better a few days after arriving at their destination. But it can take up to one week for some people to feel back to themselves.

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So, for that New York to London flight we mentioned earlier, you'd be crossing five time zones, so it could take you about five days to adjust. However, research in rodents suggests the liver, lungs, and muscles can take nearly six times as long as the SCN to adjust to jet lag.

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Our 9 Simple Tips for Avoiding Jet Lag
Make sure you start your trip well-rested. Try to get some sleep on the plane, but only at the time when it's night at your destination. Drink lots of water during the flight. You may want to take it easy on alcoholic drinks and caffeine.

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