Conductors and Jet Lag - Part 3
By Sasha Mäkilä on Thursday 19 January 2012, 12:41 - Permalink
Flying east happens always against the clock. Your day becomes suddenly shorter than 24 hours and that is why adjusting is more difficult that way. When I fly to Europe from the US the flight usually departs in the afternoon and I will be in my destination early next morning. I end up losing approximately the amount of hours the flight takes, and since I cannot do much productive work during the flight I try to use those hours for sleeping as much as possible.
As I wrote in my previous post on the topic, adjusting your timetables beforehand will help you a little bit in your destination timezone. But this time you really need some discipline to set your alarm a little bit earlier every day and skip that late-night partying (although I must say sometimes partying hard after a concert pays off in later concert engagements - so choose wisely!). On the plane, sleep mask as well as earplugs or noise-canceling headphones is a must. Also, when trying to sleep it is worth getting extra legroom, so consider reserving your seat at the exit row or maybe even upgrading to a higher class if your budget can take it.
When in your new destination, your body clock will be still several hours offset and you will have a strong urge to sleep long in the mornings and stay up until 4AM updating your Facebook status. You now need to use all the possible means in your arsenal. Get out of the house in the morning when there's plenty of light and take a walk outside in the fresh air. Use tea or coffee liberally, or energy drinks if you happen to be a soda person, or get caffeine tablets from the pharmacy. Try to fill your day with activities starting in the morning.
If you absolutely cannot resist sleeping, it's time for a power nap. Wait until you really cannot resist falling asleep and set your alarm for 20-30 minutes later. You can also try what is called a "caffeine nap" and have caffeine just before taking the nap so that it will add to the revitalized feeling when you wake up. Sometimes I feel I need to sleep properly during the day but then the risk is you sleep for so many hours that it will mess up your internal clock even more. I have a sure-proof method to avoid that: before napping I simply drink as much water as I can comfortably take - the nature takes care of the rest!
In the evening you might want to take all the precautions that people suffering from insomnia take. Make sure the lights are down and the atmosphere is relaxed. Have some herbal tea, read a book, make sure there are no pressing issues to occupy your thoughts. If you need something more to help your system to adjust, try the "darkness hormone" melatonin - it is considered to be safe although some people say it has no effect to them. I would not want to mess with prescription sleeping pills unless I have exhausted all other options, and so far I haven't.
This post concludes my 3-part series on jet lag. I hope it will help my jet-setting musician colleagues or anyone flying long distances (crossing more than 4 time zones) regularly. As always, you are more than welcome to send your own tips and comments below!