Traveling is all fun and adventure until you get hit by a Jet Lag. That sleep deprivation isn’t the only thing you might be worried about if you are wearing your Oura ring. Your scores might be affected as well.
Oura notices changes in your body temperature and heart rate when you are struggling with a Jeg Leg, and you can view them from the app as well. The question is, how do you get out of it and restore your sleep after Jet Lag if you have an Oura ring? How can it help?
How Does Jet Lag Impact Your Oura Scores?
Jet Lag can have a major impact on your mind and body. Although your phone and Oura app update automatically to the new time zone, the same does not hold true for your body. It might take significant time for your body to get used to the new time zone, which might impact your ring data and your daily scores.
Many of us really push ourselves to keep our scores high. Only a true Oura user will know it’s almost impossible to get a 100 in Sleep Score. Here are a bunch of things that will definitely be affected with Jet Lag:
- Sleep Score: Jet Lag can disturb your sleep schedule by damaging your sleep quality, reducing your sleep duration, and especially compromising your deep sleep time, ultimately leading to a lower sleep score. Your timing might be way off.
- Readiness Score: Jet Lag increases muscle stress, reduces physical activity levels, disrupts your circadian rhythm, makes you dull, and decreases your overall energy levels. This directly has an impact on your Readiness Score.
- Activity Score: Of course, et lag will decrease your activity levels due to a disbalance in your sleep schedule, challenging your activity scores significantly.
- Recovery Index: Jet Lag affects your Recovery Index by reducing your body’s inherent ability to recover from various daily activities, including changes in your sleep schedule. It temporarily slows the body’s natural repairing processes.
Recover from a Jet Lag With Oura Ring
Now that it is certain that there are some specific scores that will definitely be affected, let me tell you how you can minimize the damage. To your body and your scores. Here’s what I suggest-
Turn On The Rest Mode on Oura
Rest Mode stops your activity scores, and your activity will be temporarily disabled/adjusted until your rest mode is activated.
So, during this mode, the app knows your body needs to focus on recovery, and you might not be feeling well mentally or physically. You can just switch on the Rest Mode and actually rest without worrying about disturbing your scores.
- On the upper left-hand corner of your Home tab, you will find a Hamburger Menu ☰; click on that.
- Tap on Rest Mode.
- Tap the Turn on Rest Mode button.
- Tap on Got it.
Note: You can also see the Rest Mode notification card on your Home Tab if your body temperature rises, which may be due to any kind of physical stress or illness, etc.
So, you have successfully taken the very first step towards recovering from Jet Lag. Upon entering the Rest mode, you can now go through the following tips for speedy recovery from Jet Lag.
Tips To Restore Sleep After a Jet Lag
Before coming to the list of the tips I find most helpful, I want to suggest something. While many people only think about the Jet Lag after getting one. If you think about it before your long flight, it can help you tremendously. The key is that your body should be able to recover by staying awake for long periods of time, which it isn’t even used to.
Prior to your journey, get enough sleep and make sure you are in your best health. I know we are never there, but just getting enough sleep and giving your body enough time to recover will negate the chances of even getting a Jet Lag.
1. Attune to The New Time Zone – It’s important to understand your new time zone and adjust your sleep schedule accordingly as soon as possible. This is the key to getting your circadian rhythm back on track. You can do so by adjusting your clock timing, bedtime, and meal times to the current zone timing.
2. Exposure to Morning Sunlight – Getting enough natural sunlight in the morning can help get your disrupted circadian rhythm back on track. Our body’s circadian rhythm is based on the 24-hour cycle of the Sun, which is responsible for telling your body when it is time to sleep and when it is time to wake up.
Make sure to get the morning sunlight, as it is an indicator to your body that the day has started, and your body will start adjusting accordingly. Moreover, if you have traveled to the West, please try to avoid the evening sunlight as much as possible. This will help your body to know that you need to sleep early.
3. Hydrate Your Body– Staying hydrated will help you beat the effects of Jet Lag. Dehydration can make the efforts of jetlag worse, so drink as much water as you can. Plus, avoid caffeine and alcohol as you want your body to rest, and you know as much as me the alcohol will not help it.
Before and during your flight, make sure you drink plenty of water so that you can lessen the impact of Jet Lag as much as possible.
4. Melatonin Supplement – Melatonin tablets also help regulate sleep. They help you adjust to a different environment by allowing you to sleep well. Please consult a doctor first and then take any medicine.
Note: Melatonin tablets must be taken only till a day before your flight departs.
5. Move Your Body – Exercising, running, and dancing can also help in recovering from Jet Lag. It can release your stress and help you fall asleep sooner. Working out helps us stay more in tune with the patterns of light and darkness in the environment; thats how it aids in adjusting to new time zones.
You can check your Readiness and Activity scores (if you haven’t turned on Rest Mode). If these two are aligned, then there’s a good chance you will be fine soon.
6. Try Relaxation Techniques – Try the guided meditations on Oura’s explore tab or deep breathing exercises to help calm your mind and body.
I have personally listened to them numerous times before falling asleep and without even realizing it. I slept like a charm, and I am not even exaggerating. There are multiple sounds for Meditation, Breathing, and Sleep. I am very positive that using any of these techniques will make me fall asleep like a baby, and I hope you also experience the same.
7. Take A Nap- If you don’t have enough time for a full 8-hour sleep, you can still take a short nap. Not only will it help you relax a bit, but it will also contribute to your Readiness and Sleep score. So, all short naps are most welcome after a Jet Lag. If, after your nap, you take the morning sunshine, it will greatly impact your body to follow a day-to-night cycle.
8. Warm Bath – Before sleeping, you can take a warm water shower to ease the stress in your muscles. On the contrary, you can also take a cold bath since your body temperature decreases a bit when you fall asleep. Taking a cold bath can help induce sleep. It basically comes down to what works for you, so go with anything you feel most comfortable with.
Note: Jet Lag can last from 2-7 days, depending on your health, immunity, and fitness, as well as the number of time zones crossed. Remember, proper timing can fix your circadian rhythm. Also, light exposure and melatonin consumption during inappropriate times of day can make your Jet Lag issue worse. So be very mindful of your habits for a few days.
What Should You Do Post-Recovery?
Not every suggestion will be applicable to everyone. But by simply getting enough sleep before your journey, staying hydrated, and getting morning sunlight, half of your recovery is already done.
Once you start feeling better, you can turn off the rest mode on your Oura app.
You can follow the steps below-
Click on the Hamburger Icon ☰ on the main menu > Rest Mode > Turn off Rest Mode.
Frequently Asked Questions
Wrap Up
Jet Lag can completely disturb your sleep patterns, but the good news is that it can be fixed by following the steps mentioned above and by leveraging Oura’s rest mode feature. This is how I personally tackled my Jet Lag struggles.
My problem is every minor inconvenience in my life can give me migraines, so it’s really important for me to sleep and hydrate my body. These two are my holy grail. What works for you? Comment below and share your experiences.
