How to beat jet lag by living in your travel destination's time zone

“Don’t let jet lag spoil a well planned trip. Besides packing smartly, think about your body clock, especially when you are crossing timezones.”

The first few days of your vacation or business trip can really be affected by jet lag, as your body's internal clock tries to get in sync with the time zone where you've traveled to. Jet lag can cause daytime fatigue, an unwell feeling, difficulty staying alert and even gastrointestinal problems. Although these symptoms are temporary, they can significantly reduce your vacation time fun or business smarts. Luckily there are measures you can take to minimize, or even prevent jet lag. We spoke to some sleep experts and experienced time-zone travelers who offered the following tips:

Arrive early

If you have an important meeting or another event for which you have to be in top form, try to arrive a few days early to so your body has a chance to adjust to the new time zone.

Try to get plenty of rest before you travel

If you start your journey already sleep-deprived it makes jet lag worse.

Adjust your schedule gradually before you leave

If you are traveling east, go to bed one hour earlier a few nights before your trip. If flying west, go to bed one hour later for several nights before your departure.

Adjust your eating times

If possible, a few days before your departure date, you should have your meals closer to the time you will be eating at your destination.

Regulate exposure to bright light

As light exposure is one of the major influences on one's circadian rhythm, regulating exposure to light may help you adjust to your new location. Exposure to light in the evening helps you adjust to a later than usual time zone (traveling westward), while exposure to morning light can help you adapt to an earlier time zone faster (traveling eastward).

Remain on your new schedule

Before you leave on your trip, set your watch ( or digital clock on your phone) to the time at your destination. Once you get to your destination, try not to go to sleep until the local nighttime. The same goes for not eating out of local meal times too.

Hydrate

Drink lots of water before, during and after your flight as the dry cabin air will dehydrate you and dehydration can make jet lag symptoms worse. On your flight, avoid caffeine and alcohol because these not only dehydrate you, but can also affect your sleep.