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6 Sleep Tips While You Travel Internationally

International flights can do a real number on the human body. Anytime someone has to cross over multiple time zones, their body seems to raise all kinds of objections. By the time they land in their final destination, they end up facing the potential of having physical issues that make it difficult for them to enjoy the first two or three days in their destination. It’s called jet lag.

6 Sleep Tips While You Travel Internationally

As you contemplate your own international travel, you should know there are things you can do to minimize the likelihood of facing jet lag issues. To help you in that endeavor, here’s six traveling tips worthy of your consideration.

1. Adjusting Your Sleep Schedule

If your sleep patterns are interrupted for the first couple days of your trip, you would be losing valuable time. You can avoid that by starting the process of regulating your body clock to fit your destination’s timezone while you are still at home. All you have to do is temporarily (three or four days) go to bed and awaken at the times you will be doing so during your travels.

2. Avoid Red-eye Flights

When someone takes a red-eye flight anywhere, they are doing a majority of their travels at a time they would normally be sleeping. This is one sure way to throw one’s body clock off for at least a few days. If you can avoid going through the travel portion of your trip under unusual circumstances, you’ll probably save yourself a lot of physical and logistical issues.

3. Stay Hydrated

Nothing will zap your body strength quicker than allowing yourself to become dehydrated. Hydration issues will exacerbate jet lag. One of the unfortunate things about high altitudes is they tends to extract fluids from the body. Before, during and after your flight, you want to make sure you drink plenty of fluids but make sure you don’t include coffee and soda pop in the list of fluids you drink. 

4. Create a Sleeping Environment

Sleeping in unfamiliar environments while you travel creates variables in your sleep patterns. You may sleep on a mattress specifically made for side sleepers at home. When you travel, you don’t know what type of mattress you’ll end up sleeping on. This can create aches and pains that lead to poor rest. Call ahead to hotels you’re looking to stay at and ask what type of mattresses they have in the rooms. This will help narrow down the hotels that will give you the best rest. 

5. Eat for Sleep

If you intend to sleep during the flight, you need to properly regulate your body to do so. That means avoiding some foods and including others. Of course, you need to avoid caffeine products and high acid foods that will challenge your body. What you can eat and drink are products that contain melatonin and tryptophan, byproducts that promote the brain’s secretion of serotonin, the neurotransmitter that induces sleep. 

6. Dress Proper

Much like you would do at home, you can improve your rest by dressing comfortable. While you might not want to bring your pajamas, you likely do have clothes that make you feel comfortable enough around the house to spend your day lounging. If it’s plane appropriate, you should wear those clothes during a long flight.

If you follow these tips, you’ll have an opportunity to improve your chances of landing and avoiding jet lag issues. That’s one way to ensure the first few days of your trip are just as enjoyable as the last few.

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