Not ever. So I'm sharing my secrets today.
My very first international trip was to London with my family (and 50 college students. My parents taught study abroad and my mother ran the London program). I loved every second of it. From the adorable bright red telephone booths, to the massive towers and quaint flats, everywhere I turned I felt like I was living in a classic children's book, or discovering a new trend. But I had horrible jet lag that sometimes lasted for days.
Now Michael and I try to get overseas at least once a year. Our jam-packed trips usually include visiting two to five cities in a 10-day period, with little time for sleep. But I think we've figured out the whole jet lag thing once and for all, at least for us.
Depending on what time we board the plane, we check the current time of the place we're headed. If it's bed time for them, then it's bed time for us. Even if it's 10 in the morning. We sleep on the plane. Even if it's only a couple of hours, it helps. Can't sleep? Take something.
When we arrive in our location, we go with the flow of that city's schedule. Even if we arrive at 2:00 p.m. their time and it's 10 p.m. in Dallas, we stay awake. We bring along caffeine pills and power through it, knowing that the next day will be a lot easier.
Even if we're exhausted, we try to stay awake until at least 10 p.m. that night (sometimes a lot later). This helps us to fall asleep and stay asleep. That's one problem I had in London. I'd wake up at 2 a.m., stay up for a couple hours, then go back to sleep.
You'll most likely lose out on some sleep. But it's worth it when you're out exploring the world. Some things in life are worth losing sleep over, and this is one of them.
Do you have any tips for avoiding jet lag?
