THE A TO Z OF JET LAG

HOW TO HIT THE GROUND RUNNING AFTER YOUR FLIGHT

Getting up and away to a dream destination is such a joy, but less so if you lose the first few days to a bad case of jet lag. Kylie Smith, a former long-haul flight attendant, gives us her best tips on how she combated jet lag during her many years on the go.

TAKE A NAP, BUT ONLY AT CERTAIN TIMES

“Many of us followed the rule that if you got in very early to a destination, a quick power nap (90 minutes max) would steer you straight. If you sleep for too long, you’ll throw off your patterns, so keep it short!

And if your flight gets in after 11am, forget about the nap.

Try to stay awake until it’s an appropriate time to go to bed that night. Keep yourself awake by going for a walk – the more sunlight you get, the better.”

STOP CHECKING THE TIME

“My rule of thumb is to never think backwards. When you get on the plane, set your watch to the time at your destination and from then on that is the only time you think about! The number of times I’ve overheard people saying, ‘Okay, so it’s 9pm here, but that means it’s 10am in Auckland,’ and it drives me up the wall every time. The more you think about what time it is back home, the harder it is to psychologically and physically adjust to the new time zone. Don’t do it!”

JUST BECAUSE IT’S

THERE, YOU DON’T

HAVE TO DRINK IT

“It was never me having to deal with the jet lag, so when people asked for another glass of Champagne or their third cola, I always happily filled up their glass. But, however tempting a free wine is, the aim should be to drink water only – and a lot of it. The cabin air is very drying – and being hydrated is key to getting over jet lag. Stay away from the coffee if you can too. Just the smell of it in the cabin should be enough to perk you up!” WHEN I TRAVEL…

“Now, I break up a long-haul flight – I pace myself and stay a night or two in a layover so it’s not too much of a shock to the system. If I can, I arrive in the evening so I can have a meal, walk around, and go to sleep, to get into a normal sleeping pattern quickly. I only eat lightly on the plane. If it’s a night flight, I’ll use earplugs and an eye mask and take half a sleeping pill – it’ll mean I’ll often wake up after a few hours but that’s good because you need to stretch your legs. Then I’ll check the time and either stay awake or pop that other half. I always pick the aisle seat now too. The threat of deep vein thrombosis is real, and with the amount of water you should be drinking, you’ll need to get out to the bathroom a good few times.”