You may be able to reduce jet lag by adapting to your new time zone morecquickly. It may help to drink caffeine and get daylight exposure, among other practices.
Jet lag occurs when you travel quickly across time zones and your body’s usual rhythm falls out of sync. Your body will eventually adjust to its new time zone, but there are ways you can reduce jet lag symptoms.
Remember that your body will eventually adjust to the new time zone. However, if you’re on a quick trip or are required to be highly functional quickly after your flight, you may want to consider keeping these tips in mind.
1. Adapt quickly to your new time zone
When you arrive at your destination, update everything to your new time zone as soon as possible.
Your technology will likely update clocks automatically, but if you have a manually set watch or travel clock, set those to the new time as soon as you depart.
You’ll have trouble at your destination if you continue to eat and sleep according to the old time zone. Eat meals and go to bed according to the time at your destination. This is especially important if your new time zone is more than 3 hours different than your old one.
2. Manage sleep time
Make sure you sleep when it’s most appropriate to your new schedule. Your flight may be in the air during your destination’s nighttime, so try to log some sleep while airborne. A few things that’ll help you rest include:
- noise-canceling headphones
- white noise
- eye masks
- earplugs
- comfortable travel pillows and blankets
You should also avoid the urge to nap when you arrive if it’s daytime. This can make it difficult to sleep later on. If you absolutely must nap, try to keep it to no more than 15 to 20 minutes at a time.
3. Drink water
Long-distance travel may cause dehydration. Proper hydration may help manage jet lag symptoms and travel fatigue, but more research is needed.
Regardless, it is important to stay hydrated. Carry an empty water bottle through airport security and fill it up once you’re in the terminal. You can also purchase water in the terminal or request it in-flight.
Alcohol is offered on many flights, but try to avoid it, as it can disrupt sleep.
4. Eat smaller meals
The CDC recommends eating smaller meals to avoid stomach aches and other stomach problems, which can be symptoms of jet lag.
However, keep in mind that there have not been formal studies on meal size and jet lag symptoms.
5. Try light
Your exposure to light changes when you travel and change time zones, which can interrupt your internal clock.
Getting outside in the sunshine at the right time can wake up your body and reduce the release of melatonin hormones that make you sleepy. If you are traveling east (e.g. JFK to Paris), after arriving try avoiding bright light until the time your body has been used to waking up. So if at home you wake up at 6 am add the number of time zones to this and you’ll get noon. Consider wearing dark glasses until then. Avoid napping that first day. After the first day, exposing yourself to morning light will help speed up adapting to the new time zone.
6. Drink a caffeinated beverage
Consuming caffeine won’t cure jet lag, but it may be a tool to help you stay alert and focused during the daytime.
Some beverages that contain caffeine include coffee and tea. Try to avoid soda and energy drinks, as they are high in sugar.
Try to moderate or eliminate caffeine in the afternoon and evening. You may have difficulty sleeping from a combination of too much caffeine and jet lag.
7. Keep your sleeping space comfortable
Make sure that your sleeping arrangements while traveling are comfortable and facilitate proper sleep. Here are a few tips:
- Check the thermostat in your room to make sure you can set it for a comfortable, cool temperature overnight.
- Ensure that any phones or clocks in the room won’t ring or beep while you sleep.
- If you sleep with a white noise machine or fan, try to find something portable that can travel with you.
- Bring familiar items, such as a favorite throw blanket or a familiar scented lotion, to help you fall asleep.
8. Try melatonin
Your body naturally makes melatonin to trigger sleepiness, but it’s also available as a supplement. You may want to consider melatonin to help your body get or stay sleepy while jet-lagged.
You may consider using melatonin at night if your body isn’t ready for bed. You may even take it in the early morning hours to continue sleeping if you’ve traveled west. However, more studies on melatonin and jet lag are needed.
Be sure to talk to your doctor before you make the decision to try melatonin. Your doctor will let you know if it interacts with any of your current medications, or if you otherwise cannot take it.
You’re likely to experience more extreme jet-lag symptoms if you’ve traveled across several time zones.
The rule of thumb is that for each time zone you cross, it’ll take a day to adjust. Therefore, if you change five time zones, you may experience jet lag symptoms for up to 5 days.
Travel comes with some inconveniences, such as jet lag.
Before your flight, you may consider going to bed at a time that aligns with your new destination. For example, if you are traveling east, you may go to bed 2 hours earlier. If traveling west, you may go to bed 2 hours later.
If you have an important event at your new destination, you may consider arriving 2 days prior to give yourself time to adjust before the event.
Jet lag is a common condition that goes away after a few days or weeks. The symptoms of jet lag can be difficult to manage in your first few days of traveling to a different time zone.
Immediately adapting to your new schedule, drinking caffeine during the daytime, and managing your exposure to light are just a few of the interventions that may help reduce jet lag symptoms.
If you are considering trying melatonin or another sleep aid, talk to your doctor. They will be able to advise you on if it interacts with any of your current medications or is safe for you to take.