I’m in a business where Jetlag is all around me. Most people in my office fly transatlantic at least 5 times a year. I  fly more than that. And so what is the trick of Jetlag. Is there a secret beyond a sleeping pill or a beer and a Benadryl. The answer is not completely conclusive. If you take an overnight flight and the overnight flight lasts 6 to 7 hours and you’re traveling in economy, there’s a fairly good chance you’re going to sleep for about an hour. Yikes.

In other words, no sleep. When you get to the other end Because it’s early in the morning if you’re trans Atlantic, the hotel is not gonna be ready. Not to mention that you’re going to look pretty dreadful. But there are ways to overcome some of the negative impact of Jetlag. First there are the things to eliminate. Alcohol and caffeine.   And the most important and single danger you will encounter. Unqualified light. You have to be able to control the light that’s hitting you.  Either the airplane artificial light or the light outside as day breaks. They can be your enemy.  However, you can have some control at minimizing the damage.

Trying to adjust or fool  your circadian rhythm is the answer to your sleep/wake cycle so here’s a few basics. Always use an eye mask so that you can create darkness whenever you want. Also use earbuds as a  headset so that you can sleep easily without looking like a DJ on an airplane and minimize noise. Always carry sunglasses and as the plane is about to touchdown be sure that you are wearing them. You may even look like a rock star! Let’s be clear, none of this will rescue or convert one and a half hours of sleep into eight hours of sleep in your bed.

However, you can fool your body a couple of times into believing that it got the sleep it needed so that it can help you see the sites you want without feeling like you need to head back to the hotel and go to bed and who wants that?