When you travel you get time changes and when you get time changes, the chances are you will get jet lag. This article will cover some things you as a traveler can do to help deal with jet lag when you are traveling.

Get Flights That Work With Your Sleep Schedule
Fighting jet lag actually starts before you actually go and travel. The first thing deals with the ticket you will buy. If you will be flying, you will have a big time change. So what you might want to look at is doing an overnight flight so you can sleep on the plane. This will ensure you are well-rested and you can go when you get to your destination. For those that can’t sleep very well on the plane, this may not be an answer. But for many people especially kids it actually works really well because the kids will fall asleep on the plane and sleep the whole way there.

Adjust Your Bed Time in Small Increments Before you Travel
some other things you can do before you travel is to go to sleep about 30 minutes earlier each day because just that hour and a half or two hour difference in your bedtime feelings can make a big difference. For instance, if you are going from New York to Ireland, that’s a five hour time difference. If you do this, the two hours of adjusting your sleeping will only feel like three hours and you can deal with that. So try adjusting your sleep before you go.

When you Arrive Stay Awake Until Bed Time in Your New Destination
If you are flying from the US to Europe or to Asia, you should have an overnight flight and so you will arrive in the morning or midday. You will be exhausted and feel like you need to sleep. The thing is you got to be very careful with sleep when you get in. What you really want to do is stay awake until at least 6:30 or 7 o’clock at night in the country you are going to. This is because if you fall asleep at noon and you sleep until midnight, what are you going to do from midnight to 7:00 a.m? Not much to do – so it is important to force yourself to stay awake.

Use Sleep Aids Like Melatonin or Dried Cherries
For those people that find it hard to sleep after a long flight sleep aids such as melatonin or dried cherries can really help you sleep better. Before taking any of these substances, I really recommend you talk to your doctor because they can give you stuff to help you out to get through those first couple days. It can make a huge difference.

Stay Hydrated on Your Flights
When you are on those flights, anytime they come around and bring the water by drink the water. You need to stay hydrated to fight off jet lag. It’s not just on the planes; it’s also when you get there. Drink lots of water and drinks and stuff like that. Stay away from alcohol the first day or so to get your body to adjust if you are having jet lag. Staying hydrated is one of the important keys to fighting off jet lag.