Travel Tip #56 - Dealing with Jet Lag

     If you've never experienced jet lag, then you probably haven't traveled very far. Although it is associated with changing multiple time zones, that isn't the only factor. Part of it comes from just traveling for long periods of time. If you are like me, you can't sleep for an extended period of time while traveling - especially when cramped into a seat on a plane with no room to stretch out your legs. If I could afford to travel first class, it might be different, but as it is, I usually sleep in 10-15 minute increments on planes before I'm jostled, woken by an announcement, or have to adjust my position because I have a crick in my neck or a cramp in my leg. By the time I arrive at my destination, I need a nap - and I never take naps. For this reason, traveling a couple of hours east is nice because when it's time for bed, I can go right to sleep.

     The difficulty comes when you travel west, or to another hemisphere. I'm sure I experienced jet lag when I went to Chile, but since I was also dealing with culture shock and a language barrier, it isn't something that sticks out. The first time I recognized the symptoms of jet lag was when we went to Hawaii. Hawaii was four hours behind Utah, so we were exhausted by the time 6:00 rolled around. We went to a movie with my aunt and uncle, and I could barely keep my eyes open. The next morning we woke up at about 4:00 am, so we went out to see the sunrise. It was awesome, but the that evening we were tired again and went to bed early. It took several days to finally get fully acclimated. 

     When I went to Europe, the effects were even more pronounced. However, I was better prepared to deal with it. I was with a group each time, and the group leaders had dealt with jet lagged tourists often enough to know what type of activities would keep us up and moving. They also made us stay awake until the locals were getting ready to hit the sack. It meant a really exhausting first day, but by the next day we were rested and ready to go. That is the key, get on track with the local time your first day there. It will be tough getting through that first day, but it will be worth it.