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The biggest downside to long trips is the dreaded jet lag. Whether you're off on a short family holiday or frequently need to travel for business, nothing kills your time like jet lag.
When you only have a week to spend somewhere the last thing you want to do is waste it sleeping through the days because your body still thinks it's in your home time zone.
So how do you get around jet lag? Well it seem that just about everyone has their own personal formula for avoiding it, but there are some common themes that doctors agree help.
# Drink lots of water -- Dehydration will exacerbate the effects of jet lag leaving you even more tired and cranky. Drink plenty of water before and during your flight. We recommend buying your own bottled water once you're past security, since some airlines have been known to refill their bottled water with the stuff in the holding tank -- yuck.
# Avoid Alcohol -- Yes we like a drink on the plane too, but because of altitude, pressurization and dehydration, one drink inflight is the equivalent of nearly two and a half on the ground. On long flights it's a disastrous recipe for a hangover, which isn't going to help your jet lag. Try water instead.
# Stretch -- Many people find that long periods on a plane leave them cramped and muscle fatigued. Get up a move around a bit (if you're drinking water as suggested you'll probably need head for the toilet a few time anyway). Although not everyone find stretching a necessity, it's worth a try.
# Force yourself onto local time -- This is the single most helpful thing, when you land, no matter what time your body thinks it is, force yourself to stay up until your normal bedtime by local time. For instance, you land in London at 4PM, your body still thinks it's in Bangkok where it' the middle of the night -- avoid the temptation to nap. Take a walk, do some pushups or whatever you need to do, just don't go to sleep until 10 PM local time (or whenever you normally go to bed).
# Force yourself to sleep -- If you're moving in the opposite direction, ask your doctor to prescribe some sleeping pills (or use over the counter or natural alternatives like melatonin). That way, even if your body thinks it's early morning, you can go to sleep at the reasonable local hour.
# Adjust ahead of time -- It's not for everyone, but one way to avoid jet lag is to simply adjust to your destination's time zone before you leave.
For some other ideas check out the [http://www.britishairways.com/travel/drsleep/public/en_us British Airways Jet Lag Calculator], which was developed in conjunction with sleep specialists.
And of course be sure to add your own tried and true jet lag tips.
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