For regular travellers, the misery of jet lag is a familiar burden, disrupting sleep patterns and digestive systems for days after long-haul flights. While transatlantic journeys have become more affordable since the late 1970s, the physical toll on the body remains unchanged, driven by factors like oxygen-poor cabin environments and abrupt time zone shifts.
The Science Behind Jet Lag
Jet lag primarily stems from the body's internal clock struggling to adapt swiftly to new time zones. This disruption often leads to sleep disturbances and digestive problems, with eastward travel proving particularly brutal. Older travellers, especially those over 60, tend to suffer more severely than younger counterparts.
Many veteran travellers rely on solutions like melatonin supplements or strong coffee, but the most effective wisdom often comes from airline personnel who face these challenges regularly.
A Pilot's Proven Strategy
Alfonso de Bertodano, an airline captain with 35 years of experience, has developed a straightforward and proven strategy to combat jet lag. Speaking to Mundo Deportivo, he emphasised the importance of syncing with local routines immediately upon arrival.
"To avoid jet lag, if I'm going to be in a place for two or three days, I try to meet up with people who are eating lunch or dinner at their usual time," Alfonso explained. "Otherwise, it will take you six days to get over it."
His approach involves minimal schedule changes: arriving at a destination at 8pm local time (which might be 2am in his home country of Spain) and going straight to bed without social outings like dinner or drinks.
Maintaining Your Home Schedule
As a pilot who needs to remain alert and refreshed for his job, Alfonso sets himself a countdown of seven or eight hours of sleep, waking up regardless of the local time. "That way, I maintain my Spanish schedule," he shared. "Because jet lag isn't just about sleep. It's about muscle tone, it's about the digestive tract... It's not the same to feed your body at 3 in the morning as it is to feed it at 10 or 11 at night."
The Power of Social Adaptation
Alfonso emphasised that mingling with locals and adapting to their routine as swiftly as possible is the secret to overcoming jet lag. "The ideal thing is to be with people who are having breakfast, lunch or dinner at their usual time, and you're with them maintaining neural activity, brain activity and muscle tone activity," advised the pilot.
He added that this social adaptation accelerates recovery: "You'll adjust much more quickly than if you do it on your own. And when you return, it's exactly the same. That's why when you arrive, you might sleep for a little while, but I immediately set my alarm clock to wake myself up and get on with my daily life."
Taking Control of Your Body
The aircraft commander acknowledged that his method is tiring but effective. "It's tiring, but you get your body used to performing like that. In the end, you have to control your body because if you let your body control you, you'll end up curing your jet lag, or getting over your jet lag, in six days instead of 24 or 48 hours."
By prioritising meal timing and social routines, travellers can significantly reduce jet lag recovery time from days to mere hours, making long-haul travel more manageable and enjoyable.
