3 Surprisingly Easy Jet Lag Cures

If you are a frequent traveler or have been on a long haul flight before, chances are that you're quite familiar with the phenomenon of jet lag. Jet lag is a sleep disorder that can affect those who travel quickly across multiple time zones. It is a temporary sleep disorder. It occurs when the body's internal clock is out of sync with cues from a new time zone. These 'cues' can include light exposure and eating times, for example. The two most common symptoms that you would experience are fatigue and difficulty concentrating.

But, just because you're suffering from jet lag doesn't mean that you need to be nodding off at the lunch table with your family! In fact, it is actually really easy to cure.

Here are our top 3 super-easy jet lag cures:

1. Go outside!

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One of the most important environmental cues for resetting your sleep-wake cycle is light. Being exposed to sunlight naturally helps wake your brain and body up and helps correct your sleep cycle. So, go take a brisk walk or stroll outside instead of being cooped up inside. This will also help you be away from your bed or couch, which probably looks very inviting at that moment.

2. Pop a melatonin supplement.

Lots of supplements sold on pharmacy shelves promise to help you catch up on sleep or crank your energy. But supplements containing a melatonin-the synthetic version of the natural human hormone that helps control your sleep-wake cycle-are increasingly accepted by researchers as an effective way to realign your body clock and beat jet lag. The key to making this work is to take melatonin to correct your cycle, and not as a sleep aid.

3. A mini-fast, maybe?

A lot of us despise airline food and tend to eat either before or after our flight. Make this work to your advantage! New research suggests that not eating at all while you're on your way to your destination could potentially help your body clock adjust to a new time zone. So for example, you would consume your last meal at noon on the day you hopped on an eastward evening flight, skipping dinner en route, and then once you landed in the morning, had breakfast. Eating in the morning of your new time zone will reset your hunger clock, which resets your sleep clock as well.