Coping with jetlag - To Your Health

Nation's Business, July, 1994 by Peter Weaver

You are on a long flight from the United States to Europe, Latin America, or the Pacific Rim. You have business scheduled shortly after you arrive; or maybe you're planning to plunge into a long-anticipated vacation with your spouse.

But how can you be at your best when you have just spent six to 10 hours, or maybe more, in a confined, tightly packed, ultradry compartment? What you eat and drink during the long flight can make a difference.

"Fight the freebies," says Dr. Warren M. Levin, an expert on airborne stress who is with the World Health Medical Group, a consulting organization based in New York City. "Highly processed foods, sweets, and alcohol can make your blood sugar swing from high to low, and this makes you go from feeling great to feeling tired, washed out, and headachy," he says.

Instead, Levin advises eating a sensible meal that is low in sugar. And you should sip plenty of water to keep from becoming dehydrated in the dehumidified cabin air.

Randy Petersen, editor of Inside Flyer magazine, says, "I never drink alcohol on board, and I eat lightly." In addition, he says, "I bring along my own bottled [noncarbonated] mineral water because I don't want to keep ringing flight attendants to bring it to my seat." A moisturizer for skin and lips is also a good idea.

Petersen, who hops intercontinental or transcontinental flights almost every other week, says he tries to make himself comfortable by entertaining himself and selecting a seat location wisely, if possible. And he never, ever works when he flies: "I used to get my laptop out and do reports--and arrive exhausted."

Now Petersen pokes into some recreational reading material he brings along, plays electronic games on a hand-held computer, or listens to music. "I always bring my own CD or cassette player because airline stereo systems are often abysmal," he says. (Be prepared, though, for airline restrictions on the use of personal stereo systems during takeoffs and landings.)

What about seat selection? "If you are on a coach flight," Petersen says, "having a window seat by an emergency exit is great because you get a lot of leg room and people are not climbing over you all the time."

To relax and sleep, Petersen does not dress for success, he says. "No suits, no ties. Just wear a light jogging outfit and soft sports shoes or moccasins."

Flying east can disrupt sleep. Almost all airline flights to Europe depart in the evening, putting you at your destination in the morning after a fitful night of tossing and turning.

"You should book a morning flight, if you can find one," says David S. Stempler, a spokesman for the International Airline Passenger Association, in Washington, D.C., "because you arrive the same day, in the evening, and can get a good night's sleep before tackling a meeting the next morning."

American Airlines and British Airways have flights from New York to London that leave in the morning and get you there in time for dinner and bed.

There are few if any daytime flights to the United States from the Pacific Rim countries. "What I do, whenever possible, is schedule a stopover in Honolulu to decompress," Petersen says.

The State Department and a number of international corporations advise their diplomatic and business travelers not to schedule any meetings within 24 to 48 hours after they arrive in a foreign land. But this is not always possible. Your business may require that you land running and ready to go; or, if you're on vacation, you may not want to wait that long before you start sightseeing.

If that's the case, you may decide that the extra cost of traveling business class or first class is worth it because of the on-board sleeping arrangements.

Virgin Atlantic Airways offers a special Snooze Zone Service: You eat a light buffet in the club lounge before boarding and then get a sleeper seat with a comforter and pillow--and no lights, no noise, no meal carts. Just quiet. British Airways offers a similar Sleeper Service.

Whether you are flying east overnight or chasing the sun westward, you should try to exercise along the way. "Take a brisk walk around the airport before boarding, if you can," says Levin, "and get up and walk around and stretch when you're airborne. Otherwise, long hours of sitting can cause swelling of the legs and feet."