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INSOMNIA
For many business travellers, the cost
of inadequate sleep is more than just bags under the eyes. Tired workers
have trouble concentrating on their tasks and getting along with others.
They make poor decisions and are more likely to have car accidents than
their rested colleagues.
Jet lag is not the only cause of tossing
and turning for travellers. You don't have to cross time zones to experience
jet lag. Driving just a hundred miles a day, staying up too late
while being entertained by business associates, adjusting to unfamiliar
surroundings, and other routine pitfalls of the business world cut into
sleep time.
The National Sleep Foundation reports
that worrying about getting enough sleep is among the leading causes
of temporary insomnia for business people who are away from home. Named
the 'on-call effect', it's that nagging worry that a phone call or other
annoying noise might awaken you.
According to sleep researchers and
veteran business travellers, there are some relatively simple techniques
that travellers can experiment with to reduce stress and get rest, whether
the job takes them across a country or around the globe. Their suggestions
include:
- Make the best of long hours on
airplanes (but move those legs when you are awake, to help prevent
DVT).
- If you or your business can afford
a first-class ticket or a deluxe business-class seat, you will have
a better chance of reaching your destination in good shape.
- But even if you fly standard,
you can stretch. Tensing and then relaxing muscles progressively
from head to toe works wonders for some travellers.
- Meditation will help some to turn
off that irritating internal dialogue - that little voice that keeps
asking you if you brought everything you need, and whether your
presentation will go well.
- Make your hotel room a quiet,
calm place.
- When you arrive at your hotel,
try to get a room far from obvious noise sources, such as ice machines
and lifts. Make sure the curtains allow no light to pour into the
room and check if the pillows and mattress are acceptable.
- Put the work away a few hours
before bedtime. Better still, if you're in a safe area and the weather
is pleasant, enjoy a stroll out of doors in the evening. Or relax
with a long soak in the bath, with dimmed light and soft music.
- And just because modern technology
has provided you with a way to get electronic mail and voice-mail
messages in your room doesn't mean you have to be checking them
at midnight.
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TIPS:
Do
your best to allow enough hours for sleep.
A herbal
relaxant may be helpful, or a
calcium and magnesium supplement
Serotone 5HTP is also very popular
A lavender
bath, or some lavender drops on the pillow can aid sleep
Bioforce Valerian and Hops
Serotone 5HTP
True Food Calcium and magnesium
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JET LAG
If we travel east or west by more than
four time zones we will usually be affected by jet leg. This means that
travellers from the UK will be affected when travelling to Asia, Australia,
New Zealand, The Pacific Islands, North and South America but will not
normally be affected when travelling to Europe, Africa and The Middle
East.
Effects of jet lag
include:
- upset adrenal function (you will
more easily feel the effects of stress)
- variations of body temperature
- changes in mental alertness
- fatigue
- irritability
- disorientation, poor co-ordination
and confusion (leading to bad decisions in the workplace)
Researchers and veteran business travellers
offer these tips:
In advance
of the trip: For a day or two before travelling across several
time zones, try to get extra rest. Begin to keep sleeping and waking
hours a bit closer to that of the city to which you will be travelling.
In flight:
If it's not absolutely necessary, don't work on the plane. Try some
light reading, a movie, soft music, or a nap. Eye shades and earplugs
can be helpful. While awake, stretch and move about the plane when it's
permitted.
On arrival:
When you check in at your hotel, if you really need to, have a short
sleep of no more than two hours. Ideally you would immediately keep
to the same hours as are typical for the region you are now in. Check
your room for outside noise and light sources, and shut out as much
as possible. If your room looks like it could be noisy (for example,
on a busy road, with possibly a late night club, or noisy traffic),
ask reception if there is a quieter room available. It's best to do
this immediately before you settle in. At bedtime, carry out as much
of your home pre-bedtime routine as you can. If possible, give yourself
a day in the new town before your first important business meeting.
Drink lots of bottled water.
Get some sun if
you can: Catch some sun, or
at least light. Light is the most important tool to help reset your
internal clock. Your pineal gland in the brain will respond to having
daylight (or bright artificial light) during the daytime hours, and
darkness leading up to bedtime. On the first day or two in your destination
city, spend time outdoors during daylight hours. If that is not practical,
position yourself near a bright light source during the daytime. Staying
out of bright light for several hours before bedtime in the new time
zone might help you sleep at the right time.
Mealtimes:
Watch your diet. Alcohol, caffeine, and sugar will disturb sleep anywhere,
but these stimulants can be particularly disruptive when you're feeling
the effects of jet lag. Some people find it helps to eat high protein
foods at breakfast and lunch (e.g. meat, fish, eggs, beans or pulses)
and complex carbohydrates in the evening (such as brown rice or pasta
with vegetables). Eat lightly in the evening, but don't allow yourself
to be hungry, as low blood sugar levels during the night might wake
you.
Sleeping aids:
Avoid sleeping pills if possible.
Herbal remedies and flower remedies can be very helpful, however. See
tips below in the Sleeping section. Keep well hydrated by drinking
lots of bottled water (still).
Going home:
Start changing your timings back to that of your home time zone as soon
as you can.
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TIPS:
Guarana,
with its world-wide reputation as a natural stimulant for the fast-living
party-set, is not only great when vitality is low and emotional tone
is depressed, but it has helped many through the murky burden of jet-lag.
Jet lag is relatively
easy to address with a few key single homeopathic remedies including
arsenicum album or crataegus.
The latest and trendiest
fix for jet lag is to carry your own personal light box. Our bodies
are controlled by our internal clocks that base everything on sunrise
and sunset, and so ensuring that you experience the effects of light
or darkness at the appropriate times will be one of the most helpful
remedies for jet lag. By exposing yourself to a light source 20 times
brighter than normal indoor lighting at specific times, you can reset
your body clock within one day. Many of these light boxes are
so small you can carry them on a plane.
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LACK OF OXYGEN - HYPOXIA
There is less barometric
pressure in aircraft cabins while in flight, which means there is less
oxygen available in the air.
Symptoms of lack of oxygen
include:
-
increased fatigue
and drowsiness
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altered perception
-
impaired judgment
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tunnel vision and
general impaired vision
-
dizziness
-
inefficiency of learning
-
gas within your body
cavities expands (bloating, flatulence, pain)
Symptoms of more severe
lack of oxygen include:
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TIP:
Take
a little bottle (60ml) of
Aerobic Oxygen
in your hand luggage. About 10 drops of this in a glass of water, several
times a day, will help your oxygen levels.
Aerobic Oxygen (60ml)
Take
long, deep breaths from time to time. Once you have taken in a long
deep breath (mouth closed) hold it for about 5 seconds before slowly
breathing out through your slightly opened lips. Not only will
you get more oxygen, but it will also help with relaxation.
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