Many experienced travelers are familiar with the feeling of tiredness that accompanies air travel to a foreign location, such as Costa Rica for a surf trip. The body is used to being on a set schedule, and this regulates the person’s biological clock. Jet lag is a temporary sleep disorder that impacts an individual’s sleep patterns.
There are ways to combat this problem so that more time is spent enjoying your surf trip with us!
You need to drink plenty of water to keep your body properly dehydrated. Traveling to Costa Rica means that you’ll be crossing one or more time zones depending on your origin. An airplane will have a highly pressurized environment that will decrease the oxygen available in each travelers blood stream. The lack of oxygen will add to the development of jet lag or tiredness. Water will help to counteract this effect. Prior to leaving, you’ll want to drink several glasses of water daily. Water should be also be consumed during the flight to prevent dehydration.
It’s also recommended that you start to adjust your sleep pattern to more closely match the location that they are visiting. This may require going to bed earlier or staying up later so that the body adjusts to a different sleep rhythm. During the flight, if it’s a red eye, you’ll want to sleep when it is nighttime. You should also try to remain awake when daylight is streaming into the airplane.
Exercise will also help to reduce the feeling of fatigue when traveling. You’ll want to get up whenever possible and walk around the plane, or stretch near your seat.
Eating nutritious meals prior to leaving your destination and when flying on the airplane are also important in fighting off jet lag. Proper planning will help you enjoy your Costa Rica surf trip that much more and help you avoid jet lag so you can get on the waves as soon as you arrive!