Anybody who has travelled to different countries and jumped on a number of time zones can tell you that jet lag is a total DRAG. Jet lag can affect most people who travel and it has symptoms such as drowsiness during the daytime, insomnia, irritability, poor concentration, headaches and unusual hunger. As a common rule, for an hour of time difference, it’s going to take one full day to get you back on track. That means that if you are going somewhere that’s 3 hours ahead then it’s going to you three complete days to feel normal again. Fortunately, there are several things you can ensure to fend jet lag or make the experience less intense.

Either if you want to go on a European vacation or just go on a 48-hour trip on the other side of the coast, the following tips can aid you to adapt with the time difference and enjoy your travels more.

Here are 6 Jetlag tips to keep you traveling!

1. Adjust Your Habits

Jet lag can greatly affect people who have rigid sleeping habits. Thus, if you have an upcoming trip, try slowly adjusting your bedtime by sleeping earlier or alter for four days at least before traveling. If it can help you prepare mentally, add your destination to your phone’s world clock and check it from time to time to jog your memory of the new local time.

2. Take Melatonin before Sleep

If you are going to travel to a place that’s a few hours in advance, sleeping at night is going to be hard. You can try taking OTC (over-the-counter) melatonin supplement – which is a natural hormone that regulates the circadian rhythm – to aid you in sleeping for the first two nights. If you haven’t tried taking melatonin before, make sure that you consult your physician.

3. Don’t Drift Off Too Early

If you are going to travel to a place that’s hours behind your time, it’s imperative that you must keep yourself awake up to a normal hour on the first night that you land. Regardless of how tired you are, make sure to stay awake at least until 9 or 10 in the evening. Also make sure to keep away from caffeine so that when you doze off, you’ll sleep soundly. If you can achieve to stay awake till sleep time, hopefully, you’ll go to sleep easily and then wake up feeling revitalized at a normal hour.

4. Use the App to Nap

Apps such as Jet Lag Rescue or Jet Lag Genie can make things easier through generating a schedule on when to eat, nap, sleep and take melatonin so you can adjust to the new time zone effortlessly.

5. Hydrate

A lot of jet lag’s symptoms like irritability, headache and abdominal discomfort can be worsened by dehydration. Hence, when drinking a lot of water can’t cure your jet lag issues, it can somehow prevent these symptoms from getting worse. Avoiding alcohol and caffeine is also a good idea for the first two days; these substances can be dehydrating.

6. Savor the Sunshine

Sunlight is an important stimulant when it pertains to the regulation of your biological clock. Devote a lot of time outside if you can manage it on the first day in your new time zone. When it is sleeping time, it’s ideal to use blackout shades or a sleep mask so you can sleep uninterrupted.