Once you get to your destination, it is important that you get enough exposure to natural sunlight. Light exposure helps to regulate your body’s circadian rhythm and make it easier for you to adjust to your new location. If you have traveled westward, try to go outside in the early evening so you get exposed to light at night. If you have traveled eastward, go outside in the morning so you get exposed to light early in the day. The one exception to this rule is if you have traveled more than eight time zones from your original time zone. If you have traveled more than eight time zones to the east, wear sunglasses and stay away from bright light in the morning. Then, try to get as much sunlight as possible in the late afternoon. If you’ve traveled more than eight time zones to the west, avoid outdoor light a few hours before dark during the first few days so you can adjust to the local time. Once you land, try to have your meals at the local time so your body can adjust. If you land at night, for example, have dinner at the local time. If you land in the morning, have breakfast at the local time.  If you find yourself getting hungry between meals, have small snacks to keep your stomach satisfied. Only have large meals at the local time so you adjust better to the new time zone. Make sure you have a lot of water as part of your meals. Dehydration can make your jet lag worse. Avoid alcohol and caffeine once you land as they can negatively affect your sleep. You should also go to sleep based on the local time and stick to a regular sleep schedule. This will make your jet lag less intense and help your body adjust to the new time zone. For example, if you land in the early evening, try to stay awake until the late evening so you can go to sleep at an appropriate time. If you get in early in the day, stay awake until the evening so your sleep time matches the local time. If you struggle with going to sleep in the new time zone, consider taking melatonin. Melatonin is a nonprescription drug that has been shown to help set your internal clock and make going to sleep much easier. Having 3 milligrams of melatonin before bed for several days after arrival can help regulate your sleep schedule. Speak to your doctor about taking melatonin before you go on your trip.

Summary: Go outside once you land. Avoid going outside if you've traveled more than eight time zones. Eat at the local time. Stick to a regular sleep schedule. Take melatonin to help you sleep.


While the general stopping power of a pistol is measurably low compared to almost any long gun, you want to make an informed choice to give you the best advantage.  Smaller calibers, such as .380, 9mm, etc, generally result in a higher bullet velocity, reduced recoil which allows for fast follow-up shots, higher capacity magazines (or smaller framed guns), and higher velocity bullets.     {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/f\/ff\/Choose-a-Firearm-for-Personal-or-Home-Defense-Step-4Bullet1.jpg\/v4-460px-Choose-a-Firearm-for-Personal-or-Home-Defense-Step-4Bullet1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/f\/ff\/Choose-a-Firearm-for-Personal-or-Home-Defense-Step-4Bullet1.jpg\/aid139610-v4-728px-Choose-a-Firearm-for-Personal-or-Home-Defense-Step-4Bullet1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"}  Large calibers, such as the venerable .45 feature slower bullets that have increased overall diameter, allowing for a wider initial wound channel (which gives you a slightly increased chance of hitting something vital). The heavier bullets and generally high muzzle energies increase recoil, resulting in slower follow-up shots and the larger diameter of the cartridges means lower capacity magazines.     {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/f\/f9\/Choose-a-Firearm-for-Personal-or-Home-Defense-Step-4Bullet2.jpg\/v4-460px-Choose-a-Firearm-for-Personal-or-Home-Defense-Step-4Bullet2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/f\/f9\/Choose-a-Firearm-for-Personal-or-Home-Defense-Step-4Bullet2.jpg\/aid139610-v4-728px-Choose-a-Firearm-for-Personal-or-Home-Defense-Step-4Bullet2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"} Most U.S. self-defense experts consider .380 ACP (9 x 17 mm Browning Short) or 9mm as the minimum for adequate defense, while European Police believe that .32 ACP (7.65 x 17 mm Browning) as adequate. Making an informed decision about what caliber you will use requires experience.  Shoot many different calibers and choose the biggest caliber that you can comfortably shoot and make fast, accurate followup shots with. A semi-automatic .22 pistol or Ruger 10/22 carbine with a high-capacity magazine is easy to control when shooting fast and can be very effective at close range (most home-defense shots occur at less than 7 yards), and .22 ammunition is very cheap. Furthermore, a .22 won't penetrate as many walls, thus reducing property damage and risk to your neighbors if you miss. You'll want to be able to easily afford enough ammunition to keep up a regular practice routine.
Summary: Caliber selection in pistols is a hot source of debate amongst tactics-minded handgun users. The most crucial factor in determining what caliber you will choose is how accurate and comfortable you are with any particular caliber. Don't completely disregard a .22 if your objective is home defense. When making your decision, also keep in mind the cost of ammunition!