One of the major factors when travelling across time zones is being hit with jetlag. This is when your body is still on the time and routine for one region but you have travelled, in just a few hours, across several timezones and your body is now out of sync with your new time zone.

For example a 14 hour flight from the American west coast to Europe can result in an 8 hour time difference, meaning that you could find yourself wide awake at 4 in the morning and ready for bed at 10am.

There are several simple steps to help you beat jet lag, which with a little bit of pre planning can be done by anyone.

Change time zone before you leave

At least one day before you leave to, try to operate as much as possible on the time zone you will be going to. So if you’re flying from Europe to Australia (around 10 hour time difference) try to go to sleep at about the time you would in your target destination. This may involve staying up until late the day before you leave and then trying to sleep on the plane. The more days you can do this in advance the better but just one day’s preparation can make all the difference. Try to draw up a plan of how many hours difference there are between your current and next destination so you can work out when you’d need to grab some sleep and for how long.

Use herbal sleep remedies

Many people use prescription drugs to send them to sleep on arrival or in the air, but these can cause drowsiness and prolong jet lag in the long run. Use a herbal based brand containing ingredients such as valerian root or lavender to aid your sleep.

Stay hydrated and avoid alcohol

You’ll hear often that staying hydrated is one of the best ways to keep your body fresh and ready for whatever comes its way and this is especially true when flying. Being in a pressurised cabin for a long period of time does strange things to the body so drink plenty of non-alcoholic and non-caffeinated drinks including water and juices. Of course a wine with a meal or a coffee at breakfast will help you but try not to rely on either of these to keep you awake or send you to sleep.

Make the most of any stopover

Long distance flights will often involve a stop-over of at least a few hours. You can often make use of the ameneties at airports to have a shower, do some exercise, catch a bite to eat or sleep as is necessary to help you adjust to your next time zone. Many airlines offer things such as free hotels, free meals and access to lounges for a reduced fee if you have a lay-over longer than around 6-8 hours. Check with your airline for any lay-over benefits.

Don’t over-do it on day one

Sometimes you don’t have a choice and you’ll be thrust into doing everything as soon as you land (catching up with friends and family, going to an event, giving a seminar etc) but many people will expect you to be feeling jetlagged so don’t worry if you have to duck out early. For those of us with no plans upon arrival, take day one as an adjustment day. Try to be as close as possible to a normal sleep pattern and try not to over-exert yourself. Light sightseeing, a good meal, plenty of liquids and as much daylight as possible will help you through the difficult first day wobbles.