A Guide To: Jet Lag

w h a t  i s  j e t  l a g  ? . . .

The cause of jet lag is simple. As the body crosses time zones its circadian rhythms (the internal body clock that tells us when to sleep) becomes disrupted. Deprived of exterior stimuli (light, dark or a day-to-night routine) our body clock becomes confused. As a general rule, it takes one day to recover from every hour lost or gained.

h o w  t o  c u r e  i t  ? . . .

The golden rule is to try and book a flight which allows you to sleep while it is night at your destination. That way, immediatley on arrival, you can enjoy some daylight and try to enjoy a full days activities.

o n  b o a r d . . .

A window seat on a flight makes snoozing much easier. Eat something light; dried fruit, nuts, salad or a yoghurt and try to avoid booze, caffeine and salty snacks. You know the rules, drink plenty of water! 

p l a n  y o u r  f l i g h t s  . . .

New York - depart fom London during late aftenoon, return from New York on an 8pm flight.

Los Angeles - depart from London around lunchtime, return from Los Angeles on a lunchtime flight.

Sydney - depart from London at midday, return from Sydney on a 9am flight.

Phuket - depart from London no later than 4pm, return from Phuket on a midnight flight.

Goa - depart from London before 6pm, return from Goa on a midnight flight.

Carribean - depart from London during late afternoon, return from the Carribean on a 8pm flight.

p e r k  u p  a  j e t  l a g g e d  b o d y  . . .

Upon arrival I like to get outside and exercise a little, a brisk walk usually does the trick. Before bed I'll apply a deep-conditioning body moisturiser like Dermalogica Body Hydrating body cream (£37) all over then, using wet hands, I massage a few drops of the organic Weleda Lavender Relaxing Body Oil (£9.95), which always ensures a beautiful sleep and even gives an amazing sheen to skin for when you wake. Lastly, I apply Bliss Sleeping Peel Mask (£25) on my face which gently unclogs pores and has my skin squeaky clean by morning.

s l e e p  i n  a  b o t t l e  . . .

If I'm still feeling grotty by the second night of the trip, I turn to the ultimate late-night skin saviour, Guerlain Secret Late Night Recovery Treatment (£64). Dubbed 'sleep in a bottle' just three pumps before bed leaves me a changed woman by morning. It can be used upto three times per week, but not on consecutive nights. 

o r g a n i c  j e t l a g  r e m e d y . . .

Arnia/Cocculus 30c from The Organic Pharmacy (£8.50) provides natural relief before, during and after your flight.

p i l l o w  m e n u . . .

When I stayed at The Benjamin Hotel, New York, I had a choice of 11 luxury pillows on a 'pillow menu' in my room. There was a hypo-allergenic one to relieve sneezing, itchy eyes, sinus congestion and morning headaches and a Gelly Neckroll that could be heated or chilled depending on what was required. You can buy the pillows directly from their website. Their sleep concierge, Eileen Gill also recommends a massage, hot milk and cookies, and an aromatherapy-laden, lukewarm bath. rachel xo