How to Beat Jet Lag
One of the questions we get most often is how to beat jet lag. Everyone wants to know what we do to fight off jet lag, or deal with it easily. Travel across multiple time zones will inevitably lead to jet lag, so we’re sharing our jet lag prevention tips and jet lag remedies.
Jet Lag Remedy #1: Choose Flights Carefully
Jet lag prevention begins before you leave home. If you can, try to book flights that work with your sleep schedule. If you are facing a large time zone change, see if you can get an overnight flight so that you can sleep on the plane. This way, when you arrive, you are somewhat well rested and ready to go. This works really well with kids, as they can usually sleep comfortably anywhere.
Jet Lag Remedy #2: Adjust Your Bedtime At Home
In the three to five nights leading up to your trip, start to adjust your bedtime in small increments. If you go to sleep 30 minutes earlier each day, you’ll have adjusted already to about two hours of time change before you even leave home. This can make a huge difference in your sleep schedule upon arriving at your destination.
Jet Lag Remedy #3: Stay Awake Upon Arrival
When you arrive in your new destination, even if you’ve slept on the plane, you’re most likely going to feel exhausted. Nothing will sound better than a hot shower and a nap after 5-15 hours on a plane. If you want to prevent jet lag, though, it’s really important to stay up until at least around 6p.m. in the city you are visiting. If you fall asleep mid-day and wake up in the evening, you’ll have a really hard time catching up and adjusting to the local time. If you need to, turn to caffeine to keep you awake until a reasonable bed time. Dark chocolate works well, too.
If you have the reverse problem, and you land in the evening, but you are wide awake, there are also things you can do to go to bed at a normal time and adjust to the new time zone. Dried cherries actually work really well to help you fall asleep. Many travelers rely on melatonin as a sleep aide; always speak with your doctor first.
Jet Lag Remedy #4: If You Take a Nap, Set an Alarm
Some people, like me, don’t sleep well on planes and just need a nap upon arrival. If it just isn’t possible for you to stay awake all day until bedtime, make sure you set an alarm and do not sleep more than an hour or 90 minutes.
Make sure you set an alarm for the mornings, too. You don’t want to sleep until noon, and lose half a day of exploring on your vacation.
Jet Lag Remedy #5: Book Your Hotel a Day Early
American travelers to Europe will often arrive very early in the morning. This leaves you in a pickle for what to do until you can check in at your hotel that afternoon. Rather than wandering around with luggage all day, waiting for that 3p.m. check-in, go ahead and book your hotel for the night before you arrive. Then you can go straight to the hotel upon arrival, drop off your luggage, maybe grab a shower before hitting the streets to explore your new destination.
Jet Lag Remedy #6: Stay Hydrated
A great way to beat jet lag is to stay hydrated. Start in the days leading up to your trip, and during your flight, get a water refill any time the beverage cart comes by. (Staying hydrated also means you’ll be up moving about, and visiting the lavatory, which is recommended for long flights to prevent blood clots!)
Jet Lag Remedy #7: Don’t Over-plan Your First Day
These jet lag tips have worked well for us many times, but the truth is, sometimes you’re just not going to feel great, no matter how well you’ve prepared. Traveling from the U.S. to Asia is going to take it’s toll with a 12-hour flight into a 12-hour time change. For that reason, we recommend not planning too much for your first day. This way, you won’t miss out on something really important if you aren’t feeling well after a long flight.
For more travel tips, check out our blog posts and videos:
- The Biggest Little Travel Annoyances
- Five Rules for Shoes in Europe
- Five Things to Never Put In Your Checked Luggage
- Five Things You Will Love & Hate About Airport Layovers