The problems of the frequent time zone traveler are more difficult to treat. Their homeostatic rhythms are constantly out of whack. But there are solutions effective strategies for the occasional time zone traveler:

• Store sleep before the trip, getting adequate or extra sleep for 2 to 3 nights prior to departing.
• Adjust to the new time zone in advance. If you’re going from Los Angeles to New York, start going to bed an hour earlier each week for the three weeks prior to the trip. By the time you leave, your body will be adjusted to Eastern time.
• Limit caffeine and alcohol during and prior to the flight.
• Sleep during overnight flights, using a sleep aid if necessary.
• If the trip is less than a week and cross many time zones, do not adjust your sleep and wake times. Keep going to sleep and waking up on home time.
• If the trip is longer than a week or if only a few time zones are crossed, then immediately adjust your sleep and wake times to the new time zone.
• If needed, use a sleeping aid on the first night in the new time zone. Make sure you take it at the new sleep time, not the old one.
• Do not nap unless you are truly exhausted and limit it to 30 minutes.
• If possible, wear dark sunglasses when it would be dark at home and turn on bright lights when the sun would be up. If not possible, try sleeping each night during four of the hours you would sleep at home. Add to either side of this block as needed.

Following are some effective strategies for the frequent time zone traveler:

• Store sleep whenever possible.
• Catch up on sleep when possible.
• Maintain one four hour period every day for consistent sleep.
• Limit sleeping pill use.
• Prevent dehydration on flights by drinking more water.
• Use dark sunglasses and bright light to keep in synchrony with your four hours set sleep time.
• Use caffeine only when absolutely necessary.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 2nd, 2007 at 3:35 am and is filed under Jet Lag. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.