{"id":39812,"date":"2016-11-21T08:00:40","date_gmt":"2016-11-21T13:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=39812"},"modified":"2016-11-21T17:56:26","modified_gmt":"2016-11-21T22:56:26","slug":"how-to-sleep-better-jet-lag-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/lifestyle\/how-to-sleep-better-jet-lag-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Ways to Sleep Better and Avoid Jet Lag on the Road"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Photo: Twenty20<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Whether you\u2019re a frequent business traveler, weekend adventurer<\/a>, or find yourself away from home just once a year, it\u2019s not easy to get your best night\u2019s sleep<\/a> when you\u2019re not in your own bed. And if you\u2019re in a different time zone<\/a>, forget it. To help you catch more zzz\u2019s so you can make the most of your waking time, here are tried-and-true tips from frequent travelers and sleep experts to set you up for slumber success.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> 7 Reasons to Take Every Last Vacation Day This Year<\/a><\/p>\n

How to Sleep Better and Skip the\u00a0Jet Lag<\/h2>\n

1. Adjust to your new time zone before you arrive.
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Jet lag tends to worsen with the number of time zones<\/a> you cross, so pre-planning your sleep schedule is crucial, says Gary K. Zammit, PhD, executive director at the Sleep Disorders Institute in Manhattan. Try to get in sync with your new time zone as soon as possible.<\/p>\n

\u201cI get the best night\u2019s sleep when I adjust my body clock<\/a> to the time zone of my destination a few days prior to traveling,\u201d says Bob Jacobs, vice president of brand management for\u00a0Westin. \u201cIf I\u2019m traveling West in a few days after being on the East coast, I\u2019ll stay up an hour or so later at night. And if I\u2019m going to the East coast after being out West, I\u2019ll start getting up a bit earlier each day.\u201d Then, keep your dozing\u00a0schedule as stable as possible in your new destination. Dimming your lights in the evening hours and opening shades for some bright light exposure<\/a> in the early a.m. may also help, Zammit says.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong>\u00a0Can Changing Time Zones Affect Your Health?<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Pack smart.<\/h3>\n

Make your destination feel like home<\/a> to minimize the impact of sleeping in an unfamiliar environment, suggests Zammit. Bring your favorite pajamas and pack your pillow or pillowcase, too. Still can\u2019t unwind? Consider picking up a lavender-scented essential oil to spritz at night or to dab on your pillow. Research<\/a> has found that lavender may have a positive effect on insomnia and depression.<\/p>\n

For business traveler Christina Lampe, packing for maximum hotel room comfort is her number one priority. \u201cYou never know how loud, bright, warm or cold a hotel room will be until you get there,\u201d she says. \u201cI always bring a blackout eye mask, earplugs or noise-canceling headphones, and two types of pajamas in case my room is too hot or too cold. I find that I sleep better<\/a> when I control the environment to make it feel like it does at home,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> 6 Signs That You\u2019re Exhausted (Not Just Tired)<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Stick to your usual routine.
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\u201cWhether I arrive at my hotel at\u00a0noon\u00a0or\u00a0midnight, I keep my routine consistent so I feel settled and ready,\u201d says Chelsea Kay Jones, of Forest Lake, Minn. Jones has worked as a Delta flight attendant for six years. \u201cI iron and hang up my uniform for the next day, unpack my toiletries and lay them out by the sink, set up my hair products and makeup for the next day, then put anything back in my suitcase I won\u2019t be needing.\u201d Sticking to your usual before-bed rituals \u2014 like reading \u2014 can help you feel more comfortable, too.<\/p>\n

4.\u00a0Get moving.<\/h3>\n

Being active during the day and avoiding naps<\/a> is helpful for most people, especially if you can get outside and benefit from light exposure, says Zammit. Taking a quick shower in his hotel room, then putting on fresh clothes and going outside helps James Shillinglaw, Editor-in-Chief of TravAlliance Media, adjust to his new environment and time zone. Going for a quick run<\/a> when he arrives at his destination also keeps his energy levels high throughout the day, and enables him to fall asleep faster<\/a> and sleep more soundly that night.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> 10 Unexpected Things That Can Ruin Your Sleep<\/a><\/p>\n

5. Be mindful of your travel diet.
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Try not to fall into \u201cvacation eating\u201d mode, chowing down on heavy, greasy foods, suggests Jones. \u201cIf you\u2019re hungry, have a light snack before bed and make sure the snack doesn\u2019t contain caffeine<\/a> or chocolate<\/a>, which can keep you up at night,\u201d says Zammit.\u00a0 Beware of foods and drinks that might cause acid reflux<\/a>, like orange juice, tomato juice or spicy foods. Instead, nosh on something simple and light, like cereal and milk or applesauce. If you\u2019ve got a few hours before bed, eating high-glycemic carbs<\/a> (like pasta or pretzels) may also help you fall asleep faster, according to research<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Take a hard look at your drinking habits, too. Since she\u2019s constantly going from dehydrating airplanes to hotels rooms that tend to circulate dry air, Jones says she drinks a ton of water<\/a> on travel days and skips caffeinated drinks later in the day so they don\u2019t hamper her slumber.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> 10 Simple Snacks for Better Sleep<\/a><\/p>\n

6. Get up if you can\u2019t fall asleep.
\n<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cIf I wake up in the middle of the night, I get up and do something, like read or watch TV,\u201d says Shillinglaw. \u201cI try not to just lie there when I find myself awake. I get out of bed, do something productive, and then go back to sleep in an hour.\u201d Most experts<\/a> agree that if you wake up and can\u2019t fall back asleep within 15 to 20 minutes, you should get out of bed and do something else. You\u2019ll drift off again later, and your body will thank you the next day.<\/p>\n

Want more tips to avoid jet leg keeping it au natural? Check out this handy infographic<\/a> from the team at Expedia.<\/p>\n

More All-Natural Ways to Prevent\u00a0Jet Lag<\/h2>\n

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\n<\/a>
\nOriginally published May 2015. Updated November 2016.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s nothing worse than traveling while sleep deprived. These expert tips from seasoned jetsetters will help you sleep better and avoid jet lag next time you\u2019re on the road. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":54039,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,13],"tags":[189,280,341,408,174],"class_list":["post-39812","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle","category-sleep","tag-holiday","tag-sleep","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2sleep","tag-travel"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39812","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39812"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39812\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/54039"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39812"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39812"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39812"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}