(Image source from: The tried-and-tested tricks to beat a jet lag})

A vacation across time zones can be thrilling as long as the international vacation bummer - jet lag - doesn't send your internal clock in a tizzy. Fatigue, insomnia, giddiness and mood swings can totally put a dampener on the fun, at least for the first few days of your trip. To save your internal clock from hitting a whack, it's important that your body time and local lime of the destination gets in sync ASAP.

Here's what you can do before jetting off to a far away land:

• One easy move: A week before your trip, tweak your bedtime earlier or later, depending on the direction you are traveling. If you’re heading west, and you usually go to bed at 11 p.m., turn in a half-hour later each night until your bedtime.
• Another trick is to tune your watch and phone to match the local time of your destination as soon as you board the plane. This will mentally adjust your timings and you will start making plans according to your new schedule.
• It's equally important to be adequately hydrated during the flight. Drink lots of water, avoid booze, and intake minimal caffeine—to help seamless transition for your body.
• If nothing works, having melatonin supplements handy will help. Melatonin or “sleep hormone” half and hour before you hit the sack can help you get enough sleep and you will wake up feeling rested, relaxed, and ready for a vacation adventure.

AW: Suchorita Choudhury