Pilots often suffer from jet lag. In this article we will share some tips from 'sky warriors' on how to beat it.
Flight crew are more than professionals in airline safety, pushing carts during turbulence and putting bags into tiny overhead compartments; they are also major sleep ninjas who often wake up and go to sleep in different time zones. Lives of those who travel from one exotic country to another, stay in 4 star hotels and have bright smiles on their faces aren’t as glamorous as they seem to be. The truth is, flight attendants and pilots often suffer from insomnia, jet lag and constant fatigue. This is why most of them have own recipes how to get enough sleep and be able to bring comfort and safety to hundreds of people. In this article we are going to share a few tips on how to beat jet lag taken from flight crew experience.
Ready, set, go!
‘The kind of fatigue a crew experiences is unlike normal fatigue. It's hard to explain, it's like a combination of physical fatigue, mental fatigue, being on your feet for hours and also the result of being stuck in a metal tube with low oxygen levels and breathing in recycled air filled with millions of germs’, says Hillary, a former flight attendant for Singapore Airlines. In 2014, after quitting her job, she wrote a blog post in which opened up about the flaws of stewardess job.
As being a member of flight crew is very hard physically, you always have to stay in good health in order to avoid fatigue and jet lag. For ‘sky warriors’ it is just the necessity that can save hundreds of lives. Therefore, always have a good rest before the flight. Nothing is as important as your sleep, meal and health
'To sleep or not to sleep, that is the question'
Scientists say that the hardest flights for our body to bear are those from West to East. When you land and it’s sunny there and just the middle of the day but it’s already late evening back home and you haven’t slept for half a day. ‘I can’t nap for a few hours and then go about my day and feel normal doing so — and I feel even worse after a nap,” recommends Heather Poole, the author of Cruising Attitude: Tales of Crashpads, Crew Drama, and Crazy Passengers at 35,000 Feet. After a long flight go outside, stay in the sun and when it hits 10 pm go to bed. Acting like this will give you an opportunity to sleep at night and have a full rest.
Choose a zone
To sleep according to your home time zone or the one you are in? All up to you!
The other way to level the effects of jet lag is to make a constant decision and pick a zone according to which you will always rest.
‘The hardest part is adjusting to different time zones and trying to get enough sleep before flying,’ says Senior Pilot, Captain Han Hee-seong, 58. ‘This problem plagues all of us pilots throughout our career.’
There isn’t a right answer which zone to pick because each body is individual and the only option to find out what is best for you is to try. Set your clock on the home time and sleep at ‘home night’ or be flexible and go to bed only when it gets dark outside.
WATCH: How to Beat Jet Lag and Other Top Travel Tips from Brian Tracy
Cliché rituals
Pilots and FAs claim that their jobs often demand being prepared for unexpected like delayed flights and unplanned calls. The only way to be ready for this is to keep up to healthy daily routines - doing morning exercises, drinking lots of water, eating healthy (Heather Poole recommends cherry coco smoothie). These rituals can help stay strong and keep immune system at the top-notch. Healthy body easily overcomes jet lag, rests quicker and resists diseases, so try to wake up 20 minutes earlier and make an investment in your health.
Medicine to the rescue
Use sleeping pills cautiously
‘My personal method is to use sleep-aid medicine only as a last resort,’ says stewardess Tyler Herrick in the interview for Yahoo Travel.
Even keeping up to all the above-mentioned routine, some pilots and flight attendants still from time to time can’t fall asleep. This usually happens after overloaded months or at the end of the 6-month period before a vacation. If you are one of them, consult your therapist and ask him to prescribe a light sleeping drug. Use it only as a last resort. Alongside, some experienced pilots say that supplement melatonin is as effective in getting them to sleep but, unlike pills, completely natural and far less harmful.
Develop bed etiquette
Scientists often warn us about harmful habits that we’ve developed in the last years. For example, using our phones or tablets in the bed. This keeps our nervous systems excited and prevents us from falling asleep quickly. So, you might want to stop using your digital devices an hour before you go to bed.
If you do yoga, meditate for 5-15 minutes. This will help get rid of unnecessary thoughts and relax your body.
Also, make sure that your mind knows it’s time to rest – shut down the drapes, put on your eye mask, earplugs and, if you do have such a habit, turn on your favorite noise. Make sure that you won’t get distracted while you are sleeping – set the alarm and turn on airplane mode on your telephone.
Jet lag, fatigue, insomnia… These are the most common health problems that flight crew members suffer from. We have shared some secrets and tricks that experienced FAs and pilots use to beat jet lag and, generally, stay healthy. You may want to try some of them or stick to the proven recipe of a professional. It’s all up to you! We just wish you a good health