'I suffer from it a lot': TV doctor's tips for dealing with jet lag

As Australia's former top medic and a doctor who has worked in disaster areas around the world, Dr Nick Coatsworth knows a thing or two about travelling.

But the TV doctor, who hosted Nine show, Do You Want to Live Forever, revealed he suffers from bad jet lag on long overseas trips.

"I hate jet lag. I suffer from it a lot," he tells 9Travel.

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But Coatsworth offered his own tips for tackling the dreaded side effect of travelling across time zones.

"Stay awake for as long as you possibly can to try and reset your body clock," he advises.

Another must-do is an easy task as soon as you're on board the plane.

"As soon as I get on the plane I change my watch to the destination time," he said.

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But really, Coatsworth said travellers just have to try and get on the correct time zone for where they they are as soon as they can.

"Ultimately you've just got to push through the fatigue and try and resync yourself as quick as possible," he says.

Meanwhile, a lifelong traveller told 9Travel her tips for dealing with the dreaded condition.

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Sarah Built, who has worked up a lifetime of long-haul travel as the Etihad Airways Vice President of Sales for Australasia says there's one main thing to avoid if you don't want to be jet-lagged.

Alcohol.

"Whilst the allure of coffee, cocktails and snacks is real particularly if you're travelling with kids, they can actually contribute to dehydration and worsen jet lag," she says.

Instead of that in-flight Bloody Mary or glass of wine, Sarah says to drink water or herbal tea.

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