The battle against jet lag

As anyone who has flown across multiple time zones can attest, jet lag can be a traveler’s enemy. You step off the plane after flying eight or nine hours — internal clock flashing noon — tired, lost, and hungry; getting to the closest bed is your highest priority.

The New York Times recently featured an article on the science behind slumber, offering up researchers’ latest findings in the battle against jet lag.

What’s the newest recommendation? It might surprise you. Caffeine.

“Using a combination of nap and caffeine is better than using them separately, if you can believe it. It takes 15 to 30 minutes for caffeine to kick in. So you do the two together. All it takes is a cup of coffee — not even a pill. By the time the caffeine is working, your nap is over,” says Dr. Rosekind of Alertness Solutions, a consulting firm specializing in sleep.

The article is geared more towards business travelers, but anyone hopping from country to country looking to spend less time horizontal upon arrival will find the read full of practical solutions used by airline pilots, world leaders, and travelers alike.

Of course, you could always follow the advice of Herbert Gold (previously featured on Vagablogging.net here), and embrace jet lag as a veil of homesickness that, when lifted, pays tribute to “life in his or her home place or designated destination with the fresh eyes of recovery.”

[The Science of Zzzzz’s, the New York Times]