Travel is a great and wondrous thing. Whether you go from one side of the country to another or make an international trip, the excitement of travel can be endless. However, the not-so-great thing about a long trip is the change in time zones. Yes, we’re talking about the dreaded jet lag.
Jet lag occurs when our body hasn’t properly synchronized to the new time zone it is in; the times are off, and it can really mess up how we sleep. Even so much as two hours can throw your entire nighttime off. Maybe 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM don’t seem so far apart, but suddenly 10:00 PM and midnight feel worlds apart when it comes to getting into bed.
Whether you’re faced with a simple two-hour time change or are into the double digits, here’s how to get a good night of sleep.
Try a Sleep Patch
A sleep patch has the ability to relax you right before bed, which can help you fall asleep faster. Look for patches with ingredients like hemp extract and melatonin, acting as a combination to help you achieve the quality of sleep you’re looking for. These patches are simple: all you have to do is stick it on the inside of your wrist and let it do its thing! Instead of scrolling on your phone for endless hours, stick on a patch and rest easy, no matter how much jet lag you’re experiencing.
Have a Nighttime Routine
A nighttime routine can be the difference between a good night of sleep and a groggy one, and it’s important to stick to routines no matter what time zone you find yourself in. Here are some things you can do right before bed:
- Read a book: One of the worst things to do before bed is stare at a screen (TV, phone, or otherwise). To have a better night of sleep, try to read a book right before bed. If you want to be sleepy, but perhaps aren’t yet, a book can entertain you just enough to keep the mind going for however long you need it to. Even the act of reading—your eyes moving the same side-to-side motion—can have such a calming effect that you’ll soon begin to doze off naturally.
- Wash up: When you take a shower, wash your face, and brush your teeth before bed, you feel refreshed, which can trigger your brain to start to power down.
- Play white noise: If you can’t fall asleep without noise (like that of a TV), try playing white noise on a nearby audio device. The sounds of white noise, or even nature sounds, have a soothing effect on the mind. The repetition eliminates outside noises and becomes a sort of focal sound for you to focus on.
The benefit of a nighttime routine is that you’re checking off a list of nighttime to-dos, which triggers the mind to power down. It’s the same way as when you arrive at the office. Do you just jump into your work? Not very likely. Most people have a routine that they settle into to start the day. Pour a cup of coffee, set up the desk area, comb through emails, prioritize tasks for the day, and so forth. Then, think about it: why would the end of the day be any different? When you start to establish a nighttime routine and checking off ways to unwind your day, you’ll tell your brain that it’s time to start going to bed and get a good night’s sleep.
Keep to a Schedule
One of the best ways to get a good night’s sleep is to try and keep your bedtime to a set schedule. A sleep schedule acclimates your body’s internal clock, and when faced with jet lag, this can be extremely hard to do. However, if you can create a sleep schedule even while away that’s closest to the one you have at home, you’ll find yourself falling asleep faster and getting better quality. It’s not the easiest thing to do—as a matter of fact, when traveling, this can seem near impossible—but it can truly make all the difference.
Conclusion
It can be hard to get a good night’s sleep when you’re feeling jet lagged, but if you follow these simple steps, you’ll soon find yourself dropping the dread associated with jet lag. It’ll take time, but it’s possible. Which tactic will you try first?