THE MOSLEY CURE FOR JETLAG

NOT many people will be travelling right now, but when the world returns to normal, as it surely must one day, flying will still present sleep problems.

Since jet lag is caused by the imbalance between your internal body clock and your new time zone, the journeys with the most brutal effect are the ones that involve flying through multiple time zones.

Before I found ways of coping, jet lag would leave me feeling dazed and irritable, madly craving carbs at crazy times of the day and night.

The good news is there are things you can do to reduce its impact.

Below is an example of what I do to minimise jet lag, based on experience and chats with air crew and sleep experts.

If I am heading to New York — five hours behind the UK — I like to get an early-afternoon flight. When I get up, I skip breakfast and aim not to eat until at least 1pm (9am New York time). This ‘fast’ helps to reset your body clock.

At the airport, I set my watch to New York time, then walk around a lot. I do squats and use airport chairs to do triceps dips. I don’t drink any alcohol or caffeine. If I get a 1pm flight, I will have a light lunch on the plane, and then nothing until I have a high-protein evening meal when I get to my hotel (around 6pm).

I go to bed at 9pm, having swallowed a melatonin capsule and a sleeping pill.

The next morning, I get up at around 6am and when it is light I go for a 30-minute walk (or run, if I’m feeling energetic). Then I have a proteinrich breakfast, such as eggs, and get on with my day.

I normally take melatonin on the second night, and sometimes a sleeping pill. I find that within a day or two I can sleep happily without them.

On the way back to London, I get an early-evening flight, after lunch at 2pm. I skip dinner and, with the aid of melatonin and a sleeping pill, try to get to sleep. I also skip breakfast on the plane.

When I get home, after a 14hour fast, I have breakfast. I go for a brisk mid-morning walk. I have a light lunch, a protein-rich evening meal and go to bed at my normal time, after taking a melatonin capsule and a sleeping pill. This usually works brilliantly.