How Business Travelers in NYC can Overcome Jet Lag Quickly
Business travelers visiting the Big Apple do not always time to recover from a long flight before it’s time to deliver peak performance. Knowing how to overcome jet lag quickly ensures you’re feeling mentally and physically on point when you meet with your clients.
What is Jet Lag?
Jet lag is a temporary sleep disorder that occurs after you have traveled across multiple time zones. Air travel disrupts your circadian rhythm, also known as your ‘body clock’, which tells your body when to wake up and go to sleep. It usually takes a day or two to adjust to the new time zone, but some people may experience lingering symptoms.
Being out of synchronization with the local time is inconvenient for anyone, but especially for business travelers to NYC who have clients to meet and productivity goals to reach.
The farther you travel, the worse your symptoms can be. In addition, the symptoms of jet lag are generally worse when you are traveling west to east. So, if you’re traveling from the west coast to NYC, you can generally expect it to take a day or two to get accustomed to the time zone.
Symptoms of jet lag include…
- Daytime sleepiness
- Fatigue
- Difficulty concentrating
- Headaches
- Confusion
- Lethargy
- Irritability
- Mood swings
- Difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep
- Digestive changes
How Business Travelers can Overcome Jet Lag Quickly
Ideally, planning to arrive in New York City a day or two in advance will give you some buffer to work with. This extra time can help absorb any travel delays as well as provide the opportunity to start getting accustomed to the new timezone. Unfortunately, this isn’t always an option for everyone.
Overcoming jet lag quickly takes some planning in advance of your trip. While it may not be possible to prevent jet lag, you can certainly reduce the severity and duration of symptoms.
Before you go…
- Adjust your bedtime: Move your usual bedtime an hour or two (depending on where you are going) a couple of days before your trip. This will help you adjust to the time in your destination faster.
- Choose a flight that works with your schedule: If you’re a morning person, a red-eye flight might be perfect for you if you can sleep on the plane. If you’re an evening person, however, a morning flight could make your jet lag symptoms even worse. Pick a flight that works with your natural body clock.
In transit…
- Avoid excessive caffeine and alcohol: While caffeine can give you a jolt to get moving for an early morning flight, resist the temptation to grab your usual second or third cup so you can get some shut eye on the plane. Alcohol, meanwhile, can take the edge off of the stress of travel, but it can also impair your ability to get some sleep in transit.
- Consider a nap: A nap can help you feel refreshed when you get to your destination, especially if you didn’t sleep well the night before.
When you arrive…
- Exercise or stay active: Whether you hit the hotel gym or take a walk around town, staying active can help you stay awake and alert, helping you adjust to the local time zone faster.
- Think in local time: Reset your watch and phone when you get to your destination and think about time in terms of what the clock says, not what your body is telling you – a classic case of ‘mind over matter’.
- Stick to your usual schedule in the new time zone: While your usual bedtime might seem impossibly far away when you’re exhausted, sticking it out will help your body clock reset faster.
- Take a shower: If you’re feeling sluggish, a cool or cold shower may help you stay awake long enough to get to lights out time in the new time zone.
- Stay in the sunlight as much as possible: Staying in the sun can help your circadian rhythm adjust to the new time zone more quickly and reduce the length of your jet lag symptoms.
- Leave your work at the office: While this might not be possible for everyone, it’s a good idea to try to relax and unwind when you get back to your hotel room. Thinking about work will keep your mind awake and can make it difficult to get to sleep.
- Avoid excessive caffeine and alcohol: Although caffeine can help you get through the day, drinking a cup too late can cause sleeplessness. Alcohol can be helpful when it comes to unwinding, but a few drinks too many can affect the quality of your sleep.
- Consider an Energy Boost IV: An Energy Boost IV can help rehydrate and reinvigorate you after a long trip, as well as improve your focus and concentration.
Related:
Simplify Travel Testing With In-Home Appointments
Some airports offer testing at the terminal, and you can always get rapid tests at select locations in your city. If you want to save yourself the hassle, Drip Hydration offers in-home rapid PCR tests with results available in just under two hours. We recommend testing before and after travel to ensure the safety of your loved ones. In-home tests are a fast and convenient way to get a Covid test for travel so you can move ahead with your travel plans or resume your daily activities when you return.
If you are not pressed for time, we have in-home standard PCR testing with results available in one or two business days. Although not recommended for travel, we also offer antigen and antibody tests for individuals who want to get test results for reasons other than traveling.
Please give us a call or book an appointment using the button below to learn more about getting an in-home Covid test for travel and availability in your area.
