So it’s wheels down! At last, you have arrived on the Island of the Gods and Goddesses, but within hours jet-lag hits with a strong case of F.O.M.O. Whether it’s your best mates’ wedding, a work conference or a family getaway, your precious time in Bali is not for the wasting. Unfortunately, jet-lag sufferers report a whole host of physical and emotional symptoms which quite often renders them wholly incapacitated. Read on for what we currently know about this dreaded condition, and how an IV for jet-lag can help.

Jet-lag is a temporary disorder that scientifically speaking is caused by a disruption in the Circadian (sleep-wake) cycle. This part is fairly common knowledge. What is not common knowledge, is that for some time scientists have been studying ways in which we can minimise this disruption and speed up our internal body clock’s readjustment to the new time zone. Excellent news since jet-lag is the ultimate killer of holiday fun.

The Dose team is a truly international one, and we have tried and tested many of these tips and compiled the most effective into a bite-size list for you to try.

1. Rehydration

Even if you weren’t in a dry airline cabin, that tiny plastic cup they pour you every two hours wouldn’t be enough hydration. This H2O stinginess combined with levels of humidity lower than 20% result in dehydration for most long-haul passengers by the time they reach their destination¹.

Remedy: BYO bottle to fill up and consume more water during the flight and book an IV on arrival to your accommodation.

2. Nutritional support

New research is emerging to indicate that the physiological effect of flying at high altitudes can negatively impact our immune systems (previously it was thought that the higher incidence of respiratory illnesses post flying was due to change in climate at the destination^2). Of course, this is not helped by pre-prepared and stodgy food that is all too familiar on board most flights, which isn’t doing the immune system any favours.

Remedy: Replenish your body with a vitamin-packed IV for jet-lag on arrival!

3. Light exposure

An excuse to sunbathe? Exposure to sunlight in those first few days post-flight has been shown to help your internal clock adjust to the new time zone. Scientists have discovered sunlight can greatly influence the internal circadian clock. Sunbathing or even better taking a walk in the early morning light is the ideal mechanism for counteracting jet-lag^2,3.

Furthermore, in the morning, the presence of light signals the brain to begin waking up. Vitamin B12 helps to boost the brain’s response to external light and turn off Melatonin (more on this below) signalling in the brain, helping make the transition from sleep to a more active awake state.

Remedy: book an IV to be delivered on a sun lounger by the pool at your accommodation!

4. Oral supplements

Melatonin is a hormone that plays a crucial role in body rhythms and jet lag. After the sun sets and the eyes perceive darkness, a message is sent to the Hypothalamus telling it to start Melatonin production. The bad news is the hypothalamus takes a few days to reset when we arrive at a new time zone, causing jet-lag. Our bodies essentially aren’t producing enough Melatonin at the right time to induce sleep. Melatonin is particularly recommended when travelling east at a standard dose of 5mg at bedtime⁵.

Remedy: Grab some Melatonin tablets pre-flight to help on arrival. Also, an IV with vitamin B12 (all of our offerings) will help the body regulate the Melatonin (as mentioned above)

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5451656/
2 http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20170919-how-flying-seriously-messes-with-your-mind
light
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3086113/
4. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-to-prevent-jet-lag/
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12076414