I love sleep. Like, I’m a zombie if I don’t get my 8 hours. I just can’t shake that groggy feeling you get when you’re overly tired. (Screw you, jet lag.)
Another thing I love is travel. Flying across oceans, exploring new cities, trying new foods. Crossing time zones makes it pretty much impossible to reconcile sleep and travel. Can’t a girl see the world while being well rested?!
Thankfully, I have picked up a few tips and tricks to help me sleep on planes and beat jet lag once I land.
1. Avoid caffeine, sodium and carbs
I would say at least 24 hours before but especially on the flight – avoid caffeine, sodium and carbs. Sure, this seems impossible but it does wonders for you body while your traveling. Being 30,000 feet in the air is hard enough on your body so don’t throw any more shit at it than necessary.
2. Drink water
We’ve heard it 1000% times but just do it. I like to drink at least 8oz every hour and if you have a cocktail on the flight double your intake for each drink. You’ll have to pee but you need to move your legs anyway.
3. Wear eye mask and ear plugs
If you can sleep on planes try to make it as sound as possible. I like to take a bit farther and wear ear plugs under my over ear headphones. Yeah, it also helps with the chatty neighbor. Win, win.
4. Go for a walk
As soon as you land, hit the ground running. Seriously. When you arrive at your hotel or apartment, do NOT go to sleep. Just don’t do it. You’ll waste the whole day and you won’t adjust at all. Either grab a workout or start walking. It’s the perfect time to walk to the farthest coffee shop to get that ‘Gram because now is the time to add caffeine back into your diet.
5. Supplements
If you’re into supplements, probiotics or adaptogens, bring them with and use them. I always have ashwaganda, collagen, oregano oil and melatonin with me when I travel. I use most of them on a daily basis so why wouldn’t I want to continue to use them when I’m not home.
Ashwaganda relives emotional, physical and mental stress, collagen is a vital building building block, oregano oil help prevent illness, and melatonin helps you fall asleep. I only use oregano oil if I’m feeling lousy and melatonin if I can’t sleep at night the first night after my travels, but the other two I use on the reg.
(PS – What works for me, might not work for you. I’m not a doctor so please consult a physician before incorporating supplements into your diet.)
Travel is hard on your body so make sure you take care of yourself on either end of a trip. These tips help me so I hope they help you beat any sort of jet lag. And if you have any tips, let them in the comments.
If you’re looking for more travel tips, head over to the Travel Tips section.
