When It’s Worth Trying To Avoid Jet Lag

When It’s Worth Trying To Avoid Jet Lag

Jet lag is a constant challenge for global travellers, and we’ve offered plenty of tips on how to minimise it. Those tactics can be useful, but as The Wall Street Journal points out, it’s not always worth it.

Photo by madmack66

The most popular method requires you to alter your sleep schedule before your flight. This is sensible if you’re flying from Australia to the US, but the Journal suggests it’s a waste of time in many cases:

For short trips, readjusting the body’s clock might not seem worth the effort. Jim Waterhouse, a professor of biological rhythms at Liverpool John Moores University in Liverpool, England, says he often recommends that people crossing three time zones or less and only staying three days or less might want to consider maintaining the same sleeping and waking schedule from home rather than trying to shift the body clock. “Keep your watch set to the time at home and act accordingly,” he says.

It’s not a fixed rule since everyone’s a little different. Still, if you’re planning a big trip and debating on whether or not to go through the trouble of adjusting your sleep schedule to avoid jet lag, the three time zones or three days rule is a good guideline to start with.

To Avoid Jet Lag This Summer, Travel Like a Scientist [The Wall Street Journal]


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