If you’re an experienced traveler, you know how rough jet lag can be. If not, you’ve probably heard of the toll it can take on you physically and mentally. 

 

With the holidays just around the corner, we want to help you prevent jet lag as best as possible, as well as alleviate the stress we all seem to get caught up in trying to make it to all the chaotic festivities. Have no fear, dear one, Cured is here.

 

Before we dive into how to prevent jet lag, we need to understand what it is and the symptoms you should anticipate.

 

What even is jet lag?

 

Jet lag, also known as jet lag disorder, is a temporary sleep problem that can affect anyone who quickly crosses over multiple time zones. 

 

This can completely disrupt your body’s natural circadian rhythm, which tells your body when it should go to sleep and when to stay awake. A word from the wise, the more time zones you cross, the more likely jet lag is to kick your tush. 

 

In the travel community, it is widely understood that you should anticipate one full day of recovery per one hour of time zones skipped. So, if you’re traveling to London from Denver, you’ll be seven hours ahead of your home base, and it’ll likely take around seven days to feel like your normal, functioning, whole human self again.

Symptoms

Jet lag symptoms, just like any ailment or disorder, can hit individuals at varying intensities. You may only experience one, or perhaps you experience several. Here are a few of the most common:

• Disorientation
• Irritability 
• Disturbed sleep — such as insomnia, excessive sleepiness, or early waking
• Headaches
• Difficulty functioning at your usual level
• Digestive issues — if you’re already susceptible to this, it’s likely to intensify 
• A general feeling of being unwell

 

 

We know that list can seem intimidating. The beautiful part of traveling is that you get to experience new settings and situations, and you just want to be on your A game, right? 

 

Preventing Jet Lag

 

Before you get discouraged, we’re here to help. Here are our top suggestions to help you prevent jet lag:

 

Arrive early (x2).

If you can manage it, try to book your flight so you land in the morning hours of your end destination. This will make it easier to stay awake and alert on the day of your arrival. If you have an important event that requires you to perform well (like helping your grandma cook brunch for 30 extended family members), you’ll want to try to land in the morning hours a couple of days before you need to be firing on all cylinders to get over the worst of the jet lag induced brain fog.

 

Get plenty of rest before you go.

This is not the time to procrastinate packing until midnight when you have a 6 a.m. flight, or stay up most of the night because you want to sleep on the plane. That’s a big no-no. You will be much better equipped to handle the jet lag later if you rest when you have the chance.

Hate to break it to ya, but even if you need to sleep on a flight, it’s not always the easiest thing to do, even on those dreadful 14-hour long hauls across continents. So soak it up while you have control over your environment. If you are too excited about your upcoming travels to fall asleep, pop a few Cured Zen tablets to help you chill out and get the rest you need.

 

Stay hydrated.

Be sure to drink plenty of water before, during and after your flight. On top of dry cabin air on flights, it is easy to forget to keep hydrating between your commute to the airport, baggage check, security, poking around at out-of-your-price-range airport shops, boarding your flight, swiping through the endless in-flight movie selections, and scurrying off the plane. 

 

Dehydration makes jet lag symptoms worse, so we also suggest giving a hard pass on alcohol and caffeine before and during your flight, even though traveling typically makes us want one or the other (and sometimes both!). The altitude will only increase the likeliness of becoming dehydrated, and you’ll only hinder your ability to overcome jet lag in the long run.

 

Stay calm.

Do you get jittery on planes? Get annoyed with the loud talkers and crying babies? Panic a little when you experience turbulence? We’ve got you. Be sure to pack either CBD Gel Caps or our Cured Classic Mint CBD Oil to help you calm down during the little stressors you will inevitably run into during the less-sexy moments of every travel experience. 

 

Allowing yourself to get stressed out can raise your cortisol levels and take a toll on your immune system, which completely contradicts your efforts to prevent jet lag. You’re almost always going to run into stressful situations when traveling, especially flying, so be sure you’re prepared to manage it when it happens.

 

Sit in the sun.

As soon as you get the chance after landing, allow yourself to sit in direct sunlight for at least 10 minutes if you land in the morning or early afternoon. This will help regulate your circadian rhythm in your new location. This is also the perfect time to take a few Cured Rise capsules to help your body find its most efficient state, increase your cognition, and start your day off on a calm note.

 

Pro tip:

Be sure to take Rise and Zen every morning and night to help you adjust to your new time zone. These are chock full of adaptogens + CBD to help you resist stressors of all kinds, perform when you need to, and calm down so you can get plenty of rest on your well-deserved holiday.

Already love traveling with Cured? Tag us in your travel photos on Instagram and let us know how it has helped you!