How to Beat Jet Lag, Leave the weary days behind !
Written: Nov 04 '02 (Updated Dec 30 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Simple and easy to follow. Comes with Eye mask and Eye shades
Cons: Can't get replacement easily.
The Bottom Line: The title says it's a practical guide. Well wearing the glasses and shades at inopportune times isn't always practical.
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| popsrocks's Full Review: How to Beat Jet Lag : A Practical Guide for Air Tr... |
Have you ever been on a flight and noticed people wearing sunglasses during the flight. They may be using the methods detailed in this book.
WHO AUTHORED THE BOOK
I found this book in a clearance rack in a local store. It cost $8.00. I read it and it all seemed to make a lot of sense to me. The book is authored by four Doctors that were Senior psychiatrists and research scientists at the National Institute of Mental Health. It was written in 1993.
WHAT IS IT BASED ON
The doctors studied the biological rhythms of our bodies and how it is affected by exposure to lightness and darkness, and rest and activity. These rhythms are known as circadian rhythms.
This book is designed to maximize that information in helping the body minimize the affects of flying through different time zones and experiencing jet lag. Those feeling of fatigue, upset stomachs, light headedness, not being able to sleep and other symptoms will no longer have to be tolerated. It is totally drug free and in my little experience does work! The doctors detail very specifically how to use dark shades over the eyes and eye masks to manipulate the amount of natural and artificial light and dark your body needs.
ABOUT THE BOOK
The book opens with a series of short chapters.
-The Symptoms of jet lag
-Your biological rhythms
-The importance of light and dark
-Being in the light and dark
-Activity and rest
-Meal times, Diet, and alcohol
-and others
Following chapters go into more depth of individuals with different needs. That is those with sleep/wake differences like night owls and early morning risers. There is an area on the Concord, taking connecting flights, red eye flights, and quick round trips.
The rest of the book details your particular flights and needs. Are you traveling east to west or west to east? How many time zones will you be crossing? What time of day are you traveling? For calculating zone crossing there is a map that will give that information. You would look for the city you are leaving from and then find the destination city or city closest to your destination. Once found simply count the time zones between them. With this information you follow the table in the book to locate the pages where you will find your own specific information.
In the back of the book you will find a Table of cities. This can be used to find the time zone distances too.
EYE SHADES AND EYE MASK
The book come with eye shades, Klingers and an eye mask. The eye shades are simply very dark sunglasses. For packaging reasons they give you these Klingers, eye shades. They are packaged flat in the book and open up to mold around your face. They "cling" on.
The eye mask is the type that most airlines will provide for longer trips. Anything that comfortably covers the eyes and keeps out all light will do.
Throughout the book they have warning and disclaimers about walking around in the dark with the eye shades and that safety is the #1 priority.
Once you have your time zone and east west information simply go to the appropriate page and follow the instructions.
SOME DETAIL
The detail given tells you when to keep yourself exposed to light and when to avoid light. An example would be the following describing how to deal with a flight going east through five time zones. That would be a flight like traveling from east coast USA to England.
1. board the plane
2.after 10pm in your original time zone, being exposed to light will interfere with your efforts to beat jet lag. Therefore at 10pm in your original time zone, put on the dark glasses. If you expect to go to sleep then put on the eye mask. When you do wake up immediately put on the eye shades.
3. FIRST MORNING AT DESTINATION: After about seven hours, the plane has crossed five time zones and lands. Be sure to continue wearing the dark glasses and be as inactive as possible until 9AM in the time zone of your destination. Until 9AM, being in light will interfere with your effort to beat jet lag.
4. At 9AM in the time zone of your destination, remove the dark glasses or mask. After 9AM to noon, exposure to light and being active will help you beet jet lag. If possible maximize your exposure to sunlight in these hours.
This particular chapter continues for a total of nine sections with detailed instructions advising how to continue using the light and dark to beat jet lag. It tells you when to try to get to sleep, when to arise, what naps you should or should not take, and continues detailing for the first night, second morning, second night, and third morning.
These chapters are very detailed for shorter flights and also longer flights such as a trip from the east coast USA to Hong Kong.
MY EXPERIENCE
I have a bit of experience with these methods. I have recently, and happily, been doing more north-south flights to the Islands, Florida, and Mexico so I haven't used the method very often recently. I have though, within the last two years, been to Italy and England. I have also been to Texas and California a couple of times on business trips.
Using the shades took some getting used to and was not a natural way of flying. I didn't use the "Klingers" because I didn't like the look or feel of them. I enjoy reading on flights and it is not recommended to have artificial light at certain times. Walking around in the plane, that is to use the restrooms, is also inconvenient. You could even be self conscious wearing the sunglasses. I know I would have been with the "Klingers". It is doable however.
On my overnight flight to Italy I followed the directions and have to say I never had any effects of jet lag. The same was true with my flights to and from England. On a prior flight to England we were totally exhausted for two days. It took a lot out of us. With this method we felt great. We were full of energy and never felt any fatique.
My flights to the west coast was equally successful. One wasn't. On that trip I was with my partner and we did a lot of talking etc. and being with him, we wanted to maximize business talk on the plane. It's a funny thing, in the course of a regular business day we found little time to talk to each other. On the plane we did. That also affected my using the methods described in the book. I mention this because there may be reasons some flyers may not be able to follow the directions well. I could also see this being a problem while traveling with a family or a larger group where people may have different needs that you may be involved with.
The book runs about one hundred thirty five pages and has some simple illustrations that help enhance the step by step directions.
HOW TO BEAT JET LAG,
A practical Guide for all travelers.
Some times it seems impractical but if followed gave great results.
A few other travel books reviewed by pops
1,000 Places To See Before You Die
Wonderful Weekends From NY
National Geographic, National Parks Guide
National Parks For Dummies
How To Beat Jet Lag
Las Vegas Frommer's
An Off Beat and Informative Look At Australia
Recommended:
Yes
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