Jet Lag Explained and How to Combat It

We’ve all been there before: It’s Sunday night and you just got home from an awesome vacation. After a fun week and an exhausting day of travel, all you want to do is get some rest so you can be ready for an important meeting in the morning. 

But as the clock strikes midnight, you’re struggling to fall asleep. Two and even three hours later, you’re still tossing and turning awake in bed because of... jet lag.

 

What is Jet Lag?

When you travel from one time zone to another, your body’s sleep cycle takes some time to adjust (typically, it’s a few days). It causes you to become drowsy and irritable… A.K.A it is the worst no matter if it hits on vacation or when you’re back at home.

Jet lag can really throw a wrench into your vacation plans. If you aren’t able to sleep at night, you’ll feel like snoozing all day instead of exploring your new environs. 

Jet lag can also be a huge pain when you return home from a trip. You would think that being home, back in your bed and routine would be enough to lull you to sleep. Nope. Jet lag doesn’t just hit one-way. 

 

How to Fight Jet Lag

The best way to prepare yourself against the effects of jet lag is to establish healthy sleep habits and achieve sleep fitness. Sleep fitness is a state of overall health and well-being, fueled by quality sleep. When you master sleep fitness, you’ll be well-rested before a big trip—making it easier to recover from any time changes. 

Keeping a regular bedtime schedule, staying hydrated, and avoiding alcohol and caffeine before bed are some common sense tips to getting a good night’s sleep. 

If you have an overnight flight that lands in the AM, try to sleep as much as you can and then force yourself to stay up the entire next day. Hopefully, by forcing your body to adapt to the new schedule, your sleep cycle will override its normal schedule. Alternatively, if your flight is during the day and you land in the evening, try going right to sleep when you land. Many people take melatonin to have a good first-night of sleep for maximum energy the next day. 

However, there are also advancements in sleep technology that are completely reshaping the sleeping experience, too, which is where our partner Eight Sleep enters the equation. 

 

Eight Sleep’s Mission

According to a recent Gallup study, the average American sleeps just 6.8 hours per night. This is a huge problem because most health experts recommend we need from seven to nine hours of sleep each night in order for our bodies to sufficiently rest and refuel.

Eight Sleep is on a mission to fix that. Simply put, the company’s goal is to “fuel human potential through optimal sleep.” 

Thanks to their revolutionary sleeping products, Eight Sleep has helped over 30,000 people reclaim 50 million+ hours of sleep to date.

 

The Eight Sleep Pod

Body temperature regulation is one of the most commonly overlooked factors that contribute to getting a good night’s sleep. And, believe it or not, it’s not as easy as you might think to achieve an optimal temperature. It requires more than putting an extra blanket off the bed or taking one off. 

The type of mattress, pillows, and blankets you use, the temperature of your bedroom, and the material of the pajamas you’re wearing all factor into how hot or cold you feel when you sleep. Under the same exact conditions, your partner might feel hot while you feel cold—or vice versa—because each person has their own optimal sleeping temperature.

The Pod is a revolutionary new mattress from Eight Sleep that solves this problem altogether. The mattress learns each person’s ideal sleeping temperature and dynamically adjusts the mattress temperature throughout the night to ensure a perfect night’s sleep. 

For example, if your partner likes to sleep in warmer conditions, their side can be set all the way up to 115 degrees (not that we would recommend that!). On the other hand, if you’re a fan of cooler sleeping environments, your side can be dialed down to 55 degrees. It’s the best of both worlds.

 

Next-Level Technology

When it’s time to wake up, the Pod’s thermo alarm gradually reduces the surface temperature of your mattress until you wake up. 

The Pod also features built-in sensors that measure your heart rate, respiratory rate, and sleep phases in order to determine your sleep quality. And with the 8PLUS membership, you’ll be able to access this data and determine how well you’re sleeping each night—right from a handy mobile app. 

What’s more, The Pod also integrates with Google Home, Amazon Echo, Next, and Philips Hue so you can automatically adjust your bed’s temperature according to your preferred bedtime.

 

Next-Level Comfort

The Pod also is one of the most comfortable mattresses you’ll ever experience. Right off the bat, you’ll fall in love with the breathable soft-knit cover that cloaks the mattress. Below that is the Active Grid, which is perforated with holes in order to allow for temperature regulation and biometric analysis. It doesn’t stop there, either. Beneath the Active Grid are four layers of CertiPur-certified adaptive foam. 

Together, the soft-knit cover, Active Grid, and adaptive foam layers provide optimal airflow while giving you optimal back support for any sleeping position at the same time. 

 

The Perfect Cure for Jet Lag

At the end of a long journey, there’s no better way to recover from jet lag and be sleep fit than The Pod. 

Order yours today for $200 off plus a free gravity blanket (that normally costs $300). The company even offers a risk-free 100-night trial, with free shipping and returns on all orders. Since a good night’s sleep is critical in living your best life, why not give it a whirl and see how it affects your shuteye. 

Here’s to getting a good night’s rest each and every day. Your mind and body—and your family, friends, and colleagues—will thank you for it. 

 

Sleep well!

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