Linda Wells shares her StopJetLag Japan trip experience
Beauty editor-at-large of New York Magazine: The CUT
My approach to jet lag has never been terribly scientific. For umpteen years of fashion shows in Europe, my plan was simple: Pop half an Ambien on the plane after takeoff, sleep a few hours, shower quickly at the hotel, and teeter from back-to-back shows straight through dinner. If I was lucky, I’d be in bed by midnight. And it worked — until the afternoon of day two, when I’d settle into Fashion Week’s comfiest chair at the Armani theater. The lights would go down, and so would I. Instead of admitting I was jet-lagged, I just self-medicated with espresso and concealer.
On a trip to Japan last week, I was worried about what jet lag could do to me. I’ll spare you the Lost in Translation cliché. The purpose of my trip was to make a speech for Shiseido about changing attitudes toward beauty. I needed to be sharp, witty, or, at the very least, coherent. I couldn’t risk being a zombie.
When I consulted a legitimate doctor, Noel Taylor, about legitimate Ambien, she told me she used StopJetLag.com for a trip to the Maldives and sailed through the vacation without a hiccup. No Ambien needed.
"My schedule was pretty much nonstop from then on, and I didn’t drool or pass out once. In fact, I felt almost obnoxiously perky every day until bedtime."
StopJetLag calculates a schedule of meals, caffeine, light exposure, sleep, and melatonin supplements based on your flight time and destination. For me, that meant a high-protein breakfast and lunch the day before my departure, and then no caffeine and light meals on the morning of my flight. I nodded off in the airport lounge and fell asleep immediately after takeoff. I dozed a good eight hours, switched my watch 13 hours ahead to Japan time, and ate nothing on the plane until hour ten. When I arrived at my hotel around 5 p.m., I took a shower and made a reservation at a sushi bar for 8:30 p.m. Back at the hotel at 11, I popped a melatonin pill and slept until 6:30 a.m., which is more sleep than I get at home. My schedule was pretty much nonstop from then on, and I didn’t drool or pass out once. In fact, I felt almost obnoxiously perky every day until bedtime.
"It was practically a miracle."
On the return trip I was able to sleep eight hours on the plane, following my StopJetLag plan, and had no food until breakfast on New York time. I resisted the urge for a welcome-home soy latte — the first day back is a no-caffeine day — and a long afternoon nap. And even though I was groggy and a little stupid for a few days, I managed to stay awake until 11 every night. It was practically a miracle.
'Finally, an All-Natural Solution to Jet Lag That Actually Works'Click To TweetOriginally published at StopJetLag.com
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Finally, an All-Natural Solution to Jet Lag That Actually Works
Linda Wells, beauty editor-at-large of New York Magazine: The CUT
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