With the Easter break just days away, travellers across the country are set to make last-minute travel plans to avoid the predicted bank holiday wash-out-weather. It comes as independent research released today by YOTEL, the global hospitality group for those on the go, has shown that a third of us (32%) are put off by long haul travel because of the fear of jet lag.
Almost a third of respondents (37%) admitted to finding jet lag challenging with exhaustion (25%), headaches (21%), trouble concentrating (15%) and nausea (10%) being cited as some of the top things Brits experience when suffering from jet lag.
We are a nation however that suffers from FOMO, with 44% of us saying that the fear of missing out is too much, and they’d fight the jet lag to make sure they don’t miss out on travel experiences, facing the consequences after.
The research goes on to reveal that 27% of Brits who work have admitted to calling in sick because of jet lag after long-haul travel, with those living in London and Leeds being the worst culprits. Findings also showed that 36% of men compared to 27% of women are more likely to call in sick, and over half (52%) of respondents believe that their colleagues are not sympathetic to the impact of jet lag on their performance at work.
When asked, wearing sunglasses indoors (7%), playing loud music (12%) and wearing compression socks (18%) were cited as some of the top things to do to help relieve the pressures of travel exhaustion.
“At YOTEL we enable our guests to stay non-stop and get centered quickly in some of the biggest gateway cities in the world. Having witnessed how disruptive jet lag can be as part of this journey, we set out to take actions and forge new partnerships to best equip guests to stay on-the-go while they travel,” says Olivia Donnan, Vice President Brand at YOTEL. “In partnership with like-minded innovative brands, Fount and Urban Jungle, we’re continuing to challenge the status quo and pushing boundaries to stop jet lag from disrupting our guests’ travels.”
The research has also shown more than a third (34%) of Brits claim that a comfy bed is the most important thing to them to avoid jet lag. To support a good night sleep, YOTEL have unveiled their new, exclusive partnership with Urban Jungle who have specially created Skin Recovery Kits, with products supporting skin renewal after a lack of sleep caused on long flights. Guests can also purchase FlyKitt Rescue by Fount at a selection of YOTEL and YOTELAIR destinations including Miami, New York and Singapore, which is a supplement programme designed to help travellers recover from jet lag. To support regulating sleep cycles, YOTEL also loans Lumie Lights to guests and provides tailored temperature controls in rooms.
1 in 12 respondents claim that eating specific feel-good foods is their go-to strategy to avoid the dreaded jet lag. To support Brits with the perils of jet lag, YOTEL has launched a jet lag menu with snacks and smoothies such as chilli and chocolate cookies. The menu features melatonin rich foods including baby kale, goji berries, bananas and an array of immune-boosting seeds.
Discussing the spectra of jet lag and its effects, sleep expert Dr Charlotte Edelsten, says: “Jet lag needn’t ruin your trip, if you plan in advance, you should be able to acclimatise to your destination time zone before you even travel.” With her top tips being:
- Once you board the plane, shift all your activities to match the local time of your destination. Change your watch immediately and align your meal times (even if not hungry) and sleep, light and dark schedules accordingly
- Stay hydrated before, during and after the flight. Flights are naturally dehydrating so sip water as much as possible
- Try to book a flight that lands during the day time, get outside as soon as you land and get as much natural light as possible
- Don’t take a nap upon arrival, this will help your body adjust more quickly to the new time zone and will aid in resetting your internal clock. Napping will reduce your sleep pressure, which we need to be as high as possible to ensure good sleep initiation and maintenance.
- Try to prioritise your sleep in the weeks and days leading up to your flight, going into travel well rested will help lessen the impact of jet lag.
Meanwhile, McFly’s drummer Harry Judd – who travels regularly for gigs and holidays with his family, and recently completed BBC primetime show Celebrity Race Across The World with his mum – also has some top tips for travellers.“Because I am on the go travelling for work, or with my three kids, I try and adjust my body clock in the run up to travelling to make sure I start enjoying my trip away. The absolute key is to keep really well hydrated, try and eat healthy and I always find a run to do locally, which is a great way to see the place you’re in and keep your body moving, although it’s often the last thing you want to do when you’re tired!”
With YOTEL’s mission to provide practical help for travellers to avoid the misery of jet lag and enjoy non-stop travel, the brand has launched jet lag busting solutions with additional add-ons of the exclusive partnerships with Urban Jungle and Fount (Flykitt Rescue) at certain locations, prices start from £23 for add ons.
