This is something that will be familiar to anyone who has travelled across a number of different time zones on a plane – you arrive feeling like you have been crammed into a tube for too many hours, and then instead of being able to rest, your body think’s it’s time to be awake in the middle of the night, and you’re falling asleep in the middle of the day.
There are various different jet lag remedies available and all have well considered remedies that will help. For this trip I am taking two different combinations that I have in clinic so that I can test them out myself. Both are Narayani combinations, although the second no longer appears to be available on their website.
The first is Jet Lag Combo 1M. This is taken on take off, every two hours during the flight (when awake) and on landing.
It contains Arnica Montana, Bellis Perennis, Chamomilla, Ipecac, Lycopodium, Melatonin, Narayani Lung Balance, Narayani Water Balance and Radium Bromide. This combination is designed to help with irritability, physical fatigue, as well as pressure changes and EMF radiation from the flight.
The other is Jet Lag 50M. It contains Arnica, Coca, Cocculus, Aranearum tela, Melatonin, Pinel gland and vitamin B12
This you take for three days before and after the flight to help acclimatise to the new time zone. The book states it can also be given to children to help them sleep on the plane (and probably adults too!). Coca and Aranearum Tela are indicated for sleeplessness, Arnica and Cocculus for fatigue, and Melatonin, B12 and pineal gland are all to support making melatonin and changing to the new time zone.
There are some other things you can do to support your long haul travel- not all related to jet lag, but I want to mention anyway.
On the flight:
- Ensure you are staying well hydrated. Drink water regularly, even if it means more frequent toilet visits.
- Wear compression socks. I am a huge fan of these just for standing all day in the pharmacy, but they are important for travel, reducing your risk of deep vein thrombosis by supporting the movement of blood and preventing blood pooling in the veins.
- Move. When you’re awake, get up and down, go for a walk. Do exercises in your seat that move your body and legs. If you have kids, allow them to walk up and down the aisles- with toddlers go with them, you will get to know the flight attendants and they are lovely people.
- Wear comfortable clothing. We don’t dress up for travel like we used to, which is great because comfort is important.
- Ear plugs and eye mask – you can get ear plugs that help with the pressure changes, and those or others that help with the sounds. If you struggle with light when sleeping then an eye mask is also useful.
- EMF – if you are sensitive to electromagnetic frequency radiation, then some form of protection is essential. If you’re not sensitive, it’s still a good idea. You can get personal protective devices like necklaces, my favourite is from https://lifeenergysolutions.com/?ref=26 -please note this is an affiliate link, feel free to type in the web address separately, or you can use space protecting devices such as those also from life energy designs or certified shungite.
When you get to the other end, the things you can do to get into the new time zone. Westerly travel, such as going from here to Perth, is generally easier on the body (but unless you are planning to circumnavigate the world, you’re going to have to come East to come back home!
- Try to be rested before your travel, so you are not already starting with a sleep debt.
- Have a nap if you need to, but set a timer and keep it short. Stay up as late as you can to acclimatise to the new time zone.
- Similarly food is another signal, so try to eat close to the timeframes of the country you are in.
- Try and follow your normal bedtime routine- humans are creatures of habit so this helps you settle in.
- If you are going to a country you can buy Melatonin over the counter, or you get a prescription from the doctor here before you leave. Melatonin is secreted at night time and signals that it is time to go to sleep. Taking this as a supplement in your new time zone will help you fall asleep and acclimatise more quickly.
- Get outside in the morning, as early as you can. Don’t wear sunglasses, you need the light to get into your eyes to signal the pineal gland to re-set the circadian rhythm.
- Avoid too much coffee (or energy drinks) and alcohol as these can further disturb your circadian rhythm.
Homeopathy can definitely help. If you don’t use a combination like the above remedies I’m trying, my favourites are:
Cocculus – for not enough sleep leaving you feeling irritable and touchy, nauseous and with a headache.
Arnica – useful for that “hit by a bus” feeling, you may be sore or just restless in bed and exhausted both mentally and physically.
Coffea Crudum – when your brain is all fired up and thinking but your body wants to sleep, Coffea can help. Particularly indicated when excitement or emotions are causing the racing mind.
In general, most sources suggest it takes a day to acclimatise to each one hour change in time- I hope with homeopathy and these tips you can speed up that process. I’ll have to add some feedback after my trip on the different jet lag remedies I have tried and how they go!
Photo credit: Radio New Zealand.