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Friday, May 24, 2013

Dealing with Jet Lag


It may be exciting to consider those exotic cruises with destinations in a totally different time zone so far away from your home town – but you need to be careful.  That change in time zone can seriously effect your holiday, or at least the first few days of it.
In the old days, experienced travelers would laugh at anyone saying they were suffering from jet lag.  But that’s unfair.  Some of us may react more to a change in time zone.  Some of us may not react at all.  But it is a fact that changing time zones can have a serious impact on your energy levels and your sleep patterns.



Here are some tips on how to make sure you don’t suffer too badly from the dreaded “jet-lag” and get to enjoy every day of the cruise more fully.



Don’t anticipate the jet lag
Don’t assume that your jet lag is going to be as bad as those “doom” merchants may relish telling you how bad it can be. Very often they’re the ones who are envious of your exciting vacation and say these things to ease their jealousy – or they just like to put a dark side to everything.



Avoid herbal remedies and magic cures for jet lag
Unless you have already tested something that works for you, no matter how much those “doom” merchants may recommend them, avoid strange herbal remedies to ease jet lag. Such things may just cause you trouble.



Try to adjust your time clock before you travel

Many experienced travelers say that they are able to reduce the effects of jet lag by adjusting their patterns of sleep and meal times at home closer to what they  will be to those of the actual vacation. The idea is to do this at least 3 or 4 days before departure. While this may not be entirely possible, adjusting your time clock as close as possible to that of your destination will help!  
                                             
Adhere as quickly as possible to the new time clock
Once you arrive at your point of departure for the cruise, you should NOT succumb to the temptation to have an afternoon nap, or gotobed inthe veryearly evening. Even if you do feel tired, it is best to try and adapt to the new time zone as quickly as possible. 

A good way if doing this is make sure you’re getting a lot of fresh air - not too difficult a task as the cruise ship heads out to sea, or if you haven’t boarded yet, take a stroll out of the hotel and into the open air.

Avoid nicotine, alcohol and caffeine

It is also advisable to avoid your favorite glass of wine or cocktail during your first few evenings, and certainly it is a good idea to make sure the coffee you’re drinking is decaffeinated. The third thing to avoid is having a cigarette. These three things can only make it more difficult for your body to adjust to the new time zone.



Make your cabin or hotel room more conducive to letting you sleep.
Once in bed, later than you really wanted, and you’ve followed all the other tips, it may be advantageous to make sure your cabin or hotel suite is as dark as possible.  This can only help you get to sleep more easily. Experienced travelers also try earplugs to blog out any new sounds you are not used to.



Taking these tips in mind - you may actually find you have absolutely no jet lag at all!



For more advice on a variety of topics to do with your cruise, take a look at the Advice section of Prow’s Edge Cruise Magazine
at http://www.prowsedge.com/cruise-advice-tips.html

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