Always hit by jet lag? Sleep doctor offers tips to manage it
KELOWNA, Canada – Jet lag can always be a hassle when going on international trips as the need for sleep takes away time that could be spent on other activities.
Jet lag is what happens when one’s sleeping pattern is affected when flying across time zones, and one’s body clock has not adjusted to the time zone of the new destination.
Maria Patricia Ann T. Puno, MD, a doctor at the Makati Medical Center’s Neurophysiology and Sleep Disorders Laboratory explained that travel affects the circadian rhythm – the internal clock in our bodies that tells us when to sleep and be awake.
It is an amazing feat then that many athletes manage to compete at a professional level while flying across time zones for the tournaments they participate in.
Legendary tennis player Roger Federer previously said he handles jet lag by “thinking ahead,” forgetting the time of his original destination and quickly adjusting to new time zones by eating and going to bed at the right times.
Dr. Puno attributes Federer’s ability to manage jet lags to his and fellow athletes’ discipline, diet, training, and sleeping habits. The sleep doctor offers some jet lag hacks that for those who need it, especially those who are going to future international trips.
1. Adjust sleeping hours
According to Dr. Puno, athletes adjust the time they sleep a week before their actual trip.
They wake up and go to bed between 30 minutes to an hour before their usual schedule, repeating the process each day until waking and bedtimes are as if they are already in their destination.
2. Ideal surroundings
The area one sleeps in is crucial to getting proper shut-eye, though it may be difficult when on a plane or in a hotel.
Instead, one can make changes by setting a favorable room temperature like the air-conditioner between 15°C to 19°C and minimizing the use of gadgets at night.
Dr. Puno said gadgets like smartphones and laptops emit blue light, which affect the natural production of melatonin, the sleep-regulating hormone. When there is not enough melatonin, sleep gets disrupted.
Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast Rhys McClenaghan combats that by using glasses with red lenses that is effective at blocking blue light.
Rugby player Lucas Lacamp, meanwhile, wears an eye mask to block off light, as well as listening to music or use noise-canceling ear plugs.
3. Diet watch
Dr. Puno shared that heavy meals make one sluggish and sleepy, so to fight jet lag, one should eat light instead.
That mean focusing more on protein rather than carbohydrates, and skipping stimulants, such as coffee, soda, and alcohol during the first few days of one’s trip.
4. Power naps
Yes, short-term sleeping times can be effective.
Carlos Yulo, the Philippines’ first multiple Olympic gold medal winner, took 20-minute naps during the Paris Games. He would take these naps while on the bus, after podium training, and just before going to the competition area.
Dr. Puno added that napping should not take long and not be done close to one’s actual bedtime.
5. Travel time
Booking a morning flight lowers the chance of affecting one’s circadian rhythm, explained Dr. Puno.
The doctor also advised keeping an eye on the time at one’s destination as it conditions the brain to believe when it should be working or resting.
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