Health Secrets of a Belly Dancing Road Warrior:
Part 2, Beating Jet Lag

This is Part 2 of a series of articles on travel health issues for road warriors, particularly belly dancers. Other articles in the series include:

• Part 1, Beginning Preparations
• Part 3, How to Avoid Catching a Cold While Traveling
• Part 4, Stomach & Intestinal Health
• Part 5, Foot, Muscle, & Joint Health

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Many of us dancers love to travel. We take dream vacations to Egypt or Turkey, vend at festivals, or participate in weeklong dance intensive courses and retreats. However, some of us don't have much experience with travel, particularly international travel, and we might not know about the health risks that travel can pose. In this series of articles, I'll offer you insight from my own years of experience traveling both for my day job in the technology industry and also from my perspective as a "dance tourist".

Before you try any of the ideas I've suggested in this article, please discuss them with your own doctor! If you are pregnant or breast-feeding a baby, you need to consider how your actions might affect your baby's health. If you take prescription drugs for any reason, you'll want to make sure your cold remedies don't conflict with the behavior of those drugs. If you have allergies or immune system issues, you'll want to be careful to avoid any actions that could cause you further difficulty. I am not a health care professional, and I don't claim to know how my techniques for travel comfort might apply to your own health issues.

Different people have different definitions of jet lag, but everyone agrees it's the physical discomfort that results from traveling long distances via airplane. Travelers on short trips generally don't experience this problem, but when we're flying 5 hours or longer we start to feel tired, drained of energy, and generally out of sorts.

Originally, this problem was attributed to the body's difficulty adapting to a new time zone, but today savvy travelers know that time zone adjustment is only one of several challenges that the body faces on long trips. Travelers who cover long distances, particularly via airplane, typically face:

• Ordinary sleeplessness
• Time zone adjustment issues - the original issue identified as "jet lag"
• Dehydration
• Lack of exercise

Even if we travel a short distance and stay within the same time zone, we can still have difficulty sleeping on the road. The unfamiliar noises, uncomfortable hotel beds, and excitement or stress of traveling can keep us awake. Sleep is the most important tool we have to fight colds and other illness that may try to ruin our trips. Pack any supplies that may help with relaxation and falling asleep.

There are several tricks you can try to fall asleep in a strange place. Here are some that have worked for me over the years.

Food and Drink

Some foods make us more alert, while other foods lull us into drowsiness. If you pay attention to what you eat and drink, you may find that sleep comes to you more easily.

• At supper time, I try to eat carbohydrates such as pasta and bread, and minimize protein. These will help encourage my body to feel sleepy.
• I take along an immersion heater for boiling a cup of hot water and some soothing herbal tea suitable for inducing sleep, such as tea containing chamomile, mint, or valerian. I brew myself a cup of this tea before going to bed.
• Alcohol and caffeine consumed en route can make it more difficult to fall asleep upon arrival. I recommend that you avoid coffee, sodas, and alcoholic beverages while in transit and continue to avoid them your first two days at your destination.

Unfamiliar Noises

You have probably learned how to tune out the usual nighttime noises in your own neighborhood when it's time to fall asleep. However, it may be difficult to similarly ignore the unfamiliar noises in your hotel's neighborhood. You may find it difficult to sleep with the roar of traffic, honking car horns of Cairo, crickets chirping outside the window, birds singing, ambulance sirens, sound of people talking loudly in your hotel's hallway, television or radio from the occupants of the hotel room next door, etc.

• I enjoy taking a portable CD or tape player along which I use to listen to relaxing music or sounds of nature. I use a travel alarm from The Sharper Image with a setting that plays soothing sounds for sleep, such as thunderstorm or crackling fire.
• I recently discovered that noise-canceling headphones make it easier for me to fall asleep on an airplane or in a hotel room. I use the Bose ones. I had previously tried a set from Brookstone, but they didn't seem to offer much noise cancellation.
• Some of my friends like to use earplugs to help screen out strange noises in the hotel's hallway or on the street. I personally find them too annoying in my ears, but I still think it's worthwhile to try them and see if they work for you.

Other Relaxation Techniques

• I take a small spray bottle of relaxation-inducing aromatherapy scent such as lavender and spray a quick squirt on my pillow before crawling into bed.
• I try to take a hot bath or shower before bed. The humidity usually helps my body recover from the dehydrating effects of airplane conditions, and the heat helps me relax.
• I usually use a bit of scented bath oil or powder to help prepare for sleep. This is my favorite relaxation technique.
• I find that the hot bath particularly helps relax the muscle knots that form in my back when I sit or stand for too many hours in a row. (I have scoliosis, so this is an important issue for me.)
• I try to avoid doing anything that engages too much of my brain at bedtime. This is not the time for studying my travel guide to plan sightseeing or opening my computer to do work. Instead, I take a relaxing trashy novel to read.
• When staying at a hotel with bright street lights outside my window or hallway lights seeping in under the door, I like to wear eye shades to block that extra light. This is particularly pleasant when I don't need to get up early the next morning. I use the kind sold in luggage stores that have a slight padded ridge around the cheekbone edge that prevents them from pressing against my eyelids.

What About Sleeping Pills?

I prefer to avoid sleeping pills, for several reasons.

• They can make dehydration worse and leave me continuing to feel groggy the next day.
• Sleeping pills can pose a health risk to people who have just spent many hours in transit. They tend to suppress natural movement of the limbs during sleep, which creates higher risk of the deadly blood clots that can be caused by sitting still too long in a car, airplane seat, or train.

However, if you are convinced that sleeping pills are right for you, that's your choice to make

Sleeping on the road is even more difficult when the journey involves time zone shifts. I have discovered that if I travel only one or two time zones, my body adapts without much trouble. However, if I travel three or more time zones, then my cycle for eating and sleeping is disrupted. Over my years of travel, I have developed several techniques for adjusting my body to a new time zone.

Using Melatonin

One technique is to use the hormone melatonin, which regulates the body's response to light and dark. For this reason, many people (including me) believe it is useful for east/west travel which involves crossing several time zones, but studies suggest it is not useful for north/south travel which involves staying in the same time zone. Doctors disagree on how, when, and whether to use it, but I find that it's helpful for me. Here's the approach I use:

• Several days before leaving for the trip, I determine what time of day in my home city matches bedtime at my destination.
• Two days before I am scheduled to leave on my trip, I take about 1-2 milligrams of melatonin (about 1/4 or 1/2 pill, depending on the dosage size you buy) at what would be bedtime in my destination city.
• The next day, take a similar dose at the same time.
• On the day of travel itself, I take another dose, and if my flight is many hours in length, I may need to take one more on the airplane.

For example, I live in the same time zone as Chicago and I want my body to accept a 10:00 p.m. bedtime at my destination. If I'm planning a trip to Cairo, there's an 8-hour time zone difference, so when it's 2:00 p.m. in Chicago, it's 10:00 p.m. in Cairo. Therefore, I would take my pre-travel melatonin doses at 2:00 p.m. in the local Central time zone each day before departure.

If you're traveling to Egypt from the United States, this chart may help:

Your Home Time Zone	For a 10:00 p.m. Bedtime in Egypt	For an 11:00 p.m. Bedtime in Egypt	For a Midnight Bedtime in Egypt
Eastern Time	Take melatonin at 3:00 p.m. (15:00)	Take melatonin at 4:00 p.m. (16:00)	Take melatonin at 5:00 p.m. (17:00)
Central Time	Take melatonin at 2:00 p.m. (14:00)	Take melatonin at 3:00 p.m.(15:00)	Take melatonin at 4:00 p.m. (16:00)
Mountain Time	Take melatonin at 1:00 p.m. (13:00)	Take melatonin at 2:00 p.m. (14:00)	Take melatonin at 3:00 p.m. (15:00)
Pacific Time	Take melatonin at noon	Take melatonin at 1:00 p.m. (13:00)	Take melatonin at 2:00 p.m. (14:00)

Some experts also recommend adjusting mealtime 2-3 days before departure. I've never tried this myself because I find the use of melatonin described above to be sufficient for my own needs. However, if you have a history of sleep difficulty when traveling you may want to try it. Eat your meals in your home time zone at the same time of day as mealtime in your destination. So, if I were going to do this, I would eat a high-protein meal about midnight in Central time zone to coincide with 8:00 a.m. breakfast time in Cairo. I would eat a high-carbohydrate meal about an hour or two before my melatonin dose to coincide with suppertime in Egypt.

After arriving at my destination, I take 4-5 milligrams of melatonin at bedtime the first and second nights I am there.

Sunlight

Some travel stores sell devices such as visors that are designed to be worn on airplanes while en route. These dose your body with the natural spectrum of sunlight during the hours when it is daylight at the destination. I have never tried one myself, because I found the techniques described above to be sufficient for my needs. I'll let you decide for yourself whether it's something you want to try.

If I arrive at my destination during daylight, I try to spend some time outdoors and soak up the sunlight. Going for a walk to explore the neighborhood around the hotel is an interesting way to do this. Exploration is especially enjoyable when traveling to a different country such as Egypt or Turkey. I snapped the photo to the right on such a "catch the rays" walk outside my hotel in Cairo in 2004. How often do you get to see someone balancing a ladder on his head while riding a bicycle?

• While I enjoy the ethnic sights and sounds at my destination, the spectrum of the natural sunlight helps my body reset its internal rhythms to the new location, making it more likely I'll be ready for sleep when bedtime arrives.
• I often try to pick up a few items at neighborhood shops during my walk, such as snacks or bottled water to enjoy in my hotel room.
• I try to discipline myself to be up and moving around through the daylight hours, without a nap, although it isn't always easy!
• Exercise often helps stay awake.

After Arrival

• Through melatonin and using the techniques above for falling asleep in a strange place, I find I usually can fall asleep easily my first night, and sleep through most of the night. I tend to wake up feeling refreshed the next morning.
• I then try to begin my day with a high protein breakfast: meat, cheese, milk, yogurt, eggs, and high-protein vegetables such as beans or soy.
• My second night at the destination, I'm more likely to have trouble sleeping than I did the first night. So I'll use all my tricks for coaxing my body to sleep, including additional melatonin. By the third night, my body is usually well adjusted to the light/dark cycle of my destination so I don't bother with further melatonin doses.
• When preparing to return home, I just repeat the above process.

One significant cause of discomfort from a long airline flight can be dehydration. It leads to several problems:

• Dizziness
• Fatigue
• Muscle weakness or cramps
• Wrinkly skin
• Headache
• Dried mucous membranes in the nose and mouth which are unable to perform their function of preventing germs from entering your body, leaving you more vulnerable to catching a cold from that sneezing passenger two rows away.

When I went to Egypt in 2004 with a group, one of the women told me over dinner the first night that she wasn't feeling well. She had a bad headache, dizziness, and fatigue. I asked how much water she'd had to drink in the past 24 hours, and it wasn't much. So right there at supper I urged her to drink plenty of it. She hesitated at first, but I insisted. An hour and a half later, as we finished our meal, she happily told me she felt so much better. The headache was gone and she felt a bit stronger. She had been dehydrated, and simple water was sufficient to solve her problem.

How It Happens

Many aspects of airline travel create the conditions that allow dehydration to happen:

• In today's difficult economy, few airlines serve sufficient beverages to provide our bodies with the fluid required to function well.
• The coffee, sodas, or cocktails that we drink in airports or on the airplane may lead us to believe we are consuming enough fluid, when in fact caffeine and alcohol make dehydration worse.
• The air on airplanes is very dry, and sucks the moisture out of our skin, mouths, and nasal membranes.
• Airport lounges tend to have very dry air, from either heating or air conditioning.

Preventing Dehydration

Here are my techniques for preventing dehydration when I travel:

• I take my own bottled water on board the airplane, and I try to drink at least the equivalent of one 8-ounce glass of water per hour of flight time.
• I avoid alcoholic drinks and caffeine-containing drinks (soda, coffee, tea) at airports and on board.
• If I want something more interesting than water to drink, I opt for fruit juice, sparkling water, herbal tea without caffeine, or milk.
• On long flights, I sometimes soak a washcloth in hot water and lay it over my face for a few minutes to bring moisture to my skin and nasal membranes.
• If I forget the washcloth, I go to the airplane's washroom and use a paper towel to blot my face with warm water.
• I put drops of salt water solution (which can be purchased in drugstores) in my nose to keep the mucous membranes lubricated.

It is possible to purchase aerosol cans of water, which are very portable and easy to take in your carry-on luggage. It can be very refreshing to spray your face periodically during a long flight. Instead of an aerosol can, you can purchase a small spray bottle and refill it as needed. I don't normally take skin moisturizer with me on trips, because I usually find that warm water is sufficient. However, if you normally use skin moisturizer at home, you may want to ensure you include it in your carry-on luggage so you can use it on board the airplane. I find that my lips become very dry on airplanes, so I take lip balm to soothe them and use it as often as necessary for comfort.

Dehydration can also irritate the eyes. On long flights, even if you don't wear contact lenses, you may find that your eyes are uncomfortably dry. I recommend placing a few drops of sterile salt water solution in each eye periodically through the flight. Some people also take along eyedrops designed to remove redness, but I usually don't bother with those. I find that it's sufficient to get enough sleep and use the salt water to soothe the eyes. Avoid letting the ventilation air valve above your airplane seat blow directly into your face. I usually shut it off.

It's a bad idea to wear contact lenses on flights that are longer than three hours, especially if you have the gas-permeable kind like I do. My hard lenses don't normally give me any trouble, but the dry air on airplanes often makes my eyes very uncomfortable. The problem becomes worse if you try to nap on the airplane, because while you are asleep you don't have the blinking action to lubricate your eyes.

I once had severe eye pain with a constant stream of tears caused by wearing my contact lenses on a five-hour flight, and I was unable to wear my contact lenses for 48 hours afterward. For that reason, I now always wear glasses on long flights and put in my contact lenses after I arrive at my destination.

Upon arrival, if the hotel has a bathtub, take a long, leisurely bath.

• This will restore moisture to the skin, lips, and mucous membranes, plus release humidity into the air of the hotel room.
• The bath also soothes muscles stressed from sitting in cramped airplane seats and airport lounges.
• If a tub is not available, take a long shower.
• Even when you're done bathing and dried off, allow the water to continue sitting in the tub a while to continue humidifying the air.
• Hotel rooms frequently have very dry air, which can continue the dehydration problems even after you have escaped the airplane.

Health Risks

Long trips place a large amount of stress on the body. It's very unpleasant, and in fact can be openly dangerous:

• Airplane seats and airport departure lounges are cramped.
• You sit still for many hours at a time, and your circulation slows due to lack of exercise.
• Blood may pool in your feet, causing them to swell.
• Your back may begin to ache from spending too much time in a sitting position.
• Muscles throughout your body start to feel stiff from being held in one position too long.
• Although it's not common, people have been known to suffer a stroke, deep vein thrombosis, or an embolism as a result of airplane travel. If you have any health conditions related to circulation problems such as embolisms, stroke, or diabetes, it's very important for you to be alert to this danger and take appropriate measures to minimize your risk. In addition to considering the suggestions I have offered here, you should discuss this issue with your doctor before you leave home to see whether she has further advice.

Prevention of Problems

There are things you can do to minimize the discomfort and risks of long-distance travel:

• Most importantly, try to move around a bit on the airplane.
  • Even if you don't need a toilet, walk down the aisle to the lavatory to wash your hands and moisten your washcloth with warm water to soothe your dry face.
  • Do some rib cage circles to ease your stiff back - I find these are wonderful for the scoliosis pain I feel after a long flight.
  • Bend over at the waist and straighten up a few times.
  • Walk up and down the aisle a couple of times just for the sake of doing it.
  • Walk to the galley and request a cup of hot water from the flight attendants to use in making herbal tea.
  • While there, linger a little while and do a few pliés, hip lifts, hip bumps, and other moves that are suitable for standing in place.
  • Your legs and glutes contain the largest muscles in your body - if you exercise them, they will encourage circulation everywhere.
  • Shoulder rolls are pleasant for relieving stiff neck and shoulders, and you may even be able to do these after returning to your seat.
• When most people make connecting flights, they tend to proceed straight from the gate of arrival to the gate of departure for their connecting flight, then sit down and wait some more. Instead of doing this, take the opportunity if time permits to walk briskly around the airport.
• Look for opportunities to spend some time lying flat on your back, with your feet elevated, even if it means lying on the floor of the departure lounge with your feet up on the seat. You might look silly to other passengers, but which is more important - your back health, or the opinion of strangers that you'll never see again?
• Upon arrival, seek an opportunity to exercise. Exercise drives oxygen into your blood, helping you feel more awake and alert. This also helps your body reset its expectations about which time of day you should be active and further helps adjust to the new time zone.
  • Rehearse a dance you're planning to perform on your trip
  • Take a swim in the hotel pool
  • Work through a session on a treadmill in the hotel gym
  • Walk around the neighborhood to absorb sunlight

Travel supply stores may offer other products for combating jet lag. Some may be effective, some not. For example, on one of my trips to Egypt I tried a homeopathic product called No Jet Lag, and it seemed to be a waste of money for me. I won't use it again. Other products may include herbal teas, miracle drugs, and other gimmicks.

It may be interesting to take a look at what the stores have to offer. Sometimes exciting new techniques indeed surface. However, don't forget to use your best judgment. If a product seems too good to be true, it probably is.

To help you plan ahead for your trip and pack, here is a checklist summarizing the items I described in this article.

Falling Asleep If you hope to sleep on the airplane, pack these in your carry-on luggage. Otherwise, if you're content to wait until you reach your hotel, you can put some of them in your checked bag. But remember to keep the most important items in your carry-on, in case your checked bag doesn't arrive when you do.	High-carbohydrate snacks for bedtime such as dried fruit Immersion heater Styrofoam or plastic cups for water Bottled water (if you don't trust the tap water at your destination) Tea bags of sleep-supporting herbal teas Noise-canceling headphones CD player with soothing sound effects CD Ear plugs Lavender scent aromatherapy spray for pillow Lavender or other relaxing scent bath salts for pre-bedtime hot bath in hotel Relaxing reading material, such as a trashy novel Eye shades to block light
Adjusting to a New Time Zone	Melatonin Visor with sunlight spectrum High-protein snacks for morning such as beef jerky
Overcoming Dehydration I recommend including all these items in your carry-on luggage so you can use them while you are on the airplane or in the airport.	Bottled water to drink on airplane Washcloth to moisten and place over face Sterile salt solution for eyedrops and nose drops Lip balm to protect against chapping Glasses to wear on airplane (if you normally wear contact lenses) Skin moisturizer
Circulation, Backache, Muscle Stiffness	Exercise clothing and/or swimwear Any exercise props you require (for example, yoga mat) Supplies for dance-oriented exercise (portable CD player, CD, hip scarf, etc.)

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