Overcoming Jet Lag

Hello Fellow Travelers.

Someone emailed my about the dreaded JET LAG. It certainly can be a problem for you. I don't know of anything you can do to make your internal body clock sync up with the actual area clock with 100% results. Remember, there is a 10 hour time difference between California (PST) and Israel/Jordan. 

Charles Ehret and Lynne Scanlon have written about it in a book titled OVERCOMING JET LAG by Berkley Publishing. Here are some ideas loosely adapted from the book.

1. On the day of the flight, get out of bed earlier than usual. (No problem there for most of you that are meeting to catch the bus at EFCC at 4:00 AM!)

2. If possible, eat a high protein breakfast and lunch. For dinner, eat a high carbohydrate meal.

3. Drink lots of water and/or decaffeinated beverages to reduce dehydration that is common on long, international flights.

4. After the evening meal on the transatlantic flight, set your wristwatch ahead to your destination time.

5. When you set your time ahead, it is early morning hours at your destination. Try to rest or sleep as soon as possible. If you find it hard to sleep and/or if you are comfortable with the idea, take a sleeping aid (perhaps a Tylenol PM or other sleeping aid),  but do your best to get some sleep.

6. Don't oversleep at this point. At what would be breakfast time at your destination, get your brain and body stimulated. If possible get up and walk around the plane. 

7. At your destination breakfast time (6:00 - 8:00 AM) or when they serve breakfast on the plane, drink a cup or two of STRONG coffee, tea, or have a caffeinated soft drink. 

8. Keep active at this point. Stay stimulated. Read, watch a movie, play cards but do not nap.

9. At 10:00 PM destination time, try to go to sleep. Even though you feel very tired, you might consider another sleeping aid so that you sleep the entire night through.

10. If you wake up, do your best to go back to sleep. 

Remember, since we are not flying non-stop to Israel, we will have layovers to contend with. This may disrupt, to some degree, these steps to overcome jet lag. These guidelines are offered as a tool to help you have the best chance to be ready for the time change once we arrive in Israel. 

Shalom for now.

Pastor Rick