One of the biggest vacation killers will be jet lag. Before you end up stepping on a plane, there are things you can do to help to reduce your experience with this and get you ready for your vacation in advance.

One approach that many people will take is not sleeping the night before you are planning to board a plane for a long flight. Instead, the goal is to sleep on the plane and be awake when you land at your destination. The lack of sleep will help you to fall asleep fairly quickly on the plane and by the time you reach the new time zone, you will be ready to take it on.

Photo by GinFizz on Flickr

Of course, if you find that you are having trouble falling asleep, you can take something that helps you to sleep. An antihistamine can be a great ideal for helping you to relax for a few hours of sleep or you can try melatonin. Both can be inexpensive and help you to fall asleep and stay asleep on your flight.

While flying, it will also be a good idea to avoid drinking anything but water in the air. The reason is that caffeine, alcohol and sugar can cause you to become dehydrated and lead to jet lag. If you need a pick me up after you get off the plane that is fine, but try to avoid consuming these items on the airplane.

Adjust Your Watch

Adjusting your watch as you board the plane can also be a good idea. As you are boarding the flight, you can have your watch on the time of the new time zone you are going to. When you focus on the new time before you land, you can get your body prepared for the chance in advance and avoid the feeling of lost time when you have landed.

One other thing you will want to avoid when you are traveling is to not take a nap the moment you hit your destination. Upon arrival, check into your hotel room and then head on out and go until you are tired for the day. Try to treat your schedule there like you would when you get home and that way, you can easily adjust to the new time zone that you are in.

While on your flight, also make sure you get plenty of exercise to help reduce jet leg and to avoid problems with blood clots during your flight. Spend some time before you board your flight to walk around and then stretch as you can on your flight, even if you do nothing more than get up on occasion and move around between your seat and the cabin. This can help you to keep your blood flowing.

Keep in mind that everyone is different and while some of these items may work for you, others might not. Try to explore some of the options mentioned here and see how they help to reduce the experience that you may have with jet lag.

Have a jet lag recovery tip? Let us know in the comments area.

HowOMG.com