18 Expert Tips to Conquer Jet Lag

It may seem inevitable, but it isn’t. It is possible to avoid the common symptoms of jet lag: fatigue, insomnia, difficulty concentrating, and general feelings of malaise as your body adjusts to the new time zone. There’s a common strategy known as "sleeping while flying west and staying awake while flying east," but that doesn’t work for everyone. And it’s not always easy to put into practice.

I vividly remember our first time traveling overseas to London. Before we took off, our well-traveled colleagues told us that we should sleep as much as possible on the way over from the US because we’d be arriving around 6am and our day there would just be starting. Since it was my first transatlantic flight, I was too excited to sleep. I dozed for a few minutes throughout the flight, but I also didn’t want to miss the excitement of the food carts coming along with extra snacks and beverages. I was way too wound up. I think because I was operating on adrenaline and we had a fairly early tour shortly after arrival, I was able to push through any exhaustion I felt. But I got lucky on this trip. A few years later we never could shake the feeling of being tired. It took days to feel like we caught up on our sleep.

We’ve traveled a lot since those early days and we’ve tried a lot of techniques that work for us. Our last long-distance flight was from South Korea to Italy, and we had no issues at all acclimating to the time difference. Here are our top suggestions:

Use the cues of the cabin lighting for when to sleep and eat

Tip #1 - Follow the cabin light cues. The lights will dim when you should be resting and will slowly raise when you should be awake. Although it can be tempting to use an eye mask, you lose the gradual light exposure.

Tip #2 - Eat at the meal times that the airline follows. You don’t have to eat the airline food, which is sometimes too much starch and empty calories, which aren’t conducive to feeling your best when you aren’t doing anything active to burn those calories. Focus on the protein options, especially for breakfast and lunch. A few extra carbs at dinner may help you sleep, but again, moderation since you’re not burning those calories.

Tip #3 - Limit alcohol consumption while traveling. Although it may help you to fall asleep, it’s not going to be enough or restorative sleep and you’ll end up sluggish. Likewise, skip the caffeine. Both also will contribute to dehydration, and since flying is already dehydrating, you’re putting yourself in sub-optimum conditions.

Tip #4 - White noise is your friend. If on your best days you’re a light sleeper, consider bringing a noise canceling over-the-ear headset and have some white noise downloaded to tune out distractions. While in-ear-canal earbuds like the AirPodsPro can also work, they might start bothering your ears on an extended flight. Use the style that fits you best.

Tip #5 - Download a meditation from YouTube to help you relax and wind down. Limit watching movies to times when you are supposed to be awake. They can be stimulating and make falling asleep more difficult. Download a book to your phone. For some people ten minutes of reading when they’re tired will help them fall asleep. It’s probably best to avoid thrillers or something that will have you on the edge of your sheet.

Tip #6 - Wear loose, comfortable clothing and bring layers. It’s hard to sleep or relax if you’re too hot or cold or if your waistband is too tight.

Tip #7 - Wear compression socks. No, they aren’t the height of fashion, but they will improve circulation and reduce swelling in your feet, ankles, and legs, which will make recovery from jet lag easier.

Tip #8 - Drink plenty of water and ideally choose a seat that makes it easier to go to the restroom when you need it. We actually like the seats in the center of the plane that have aisles on both sides so that there’s typically another exit for the other people in your row versus always climbing over you. Of course, an aisle seat works, but if the window side is blocked in, they’ll be waking you up and you have no idea how often. Avoid drinks with a high sodium content that could cause you to retain water, which will make your jet lag worse. But don’t skip drinking water to avoid having to use the restroom. Dehydration will make it harder to recover from jet lag.

We’ve found that by choosing the middle arrangement of seats, you can avoid/mitigate having fellow passengers climbing over you.

Tip #9 - Do some light stretching when you’re standing in line to use the restroom. Ideally you are respectful of people seated in the aisles.

Tip #10 - Adjust your watch. If you have a watch that allows you to shift the time to the local time of your final destination, adjust it. This can psychologically help you start adjusting even before you land.

Tip #11 - A dab or sniff of essential oils like lavender can be calming and aid in sleep, while peppermint or eucalyptus oils can be invigorating and help reset your energy levels. If you are putting it directly on your skin, ensure that you’ve chosen one that’s diluted with a carrier oil.

Tip #12 - A few days before you travel gradually adjust your sleep and meal schedules to be an hour or two closer to your destination’s local time. It may mean you are going to bed earlier than normal, but a gradual shift will make the time change easier on your body. It can sound super challenging if you’re trying to fit in everything possible before you travel and tend to burn the candle at both ends, but it will be worth it. And if you are going in a direction that requires you to be awake longer than usual, use that time for activities that are doesn’t involve screen time, which make falling asleep harder when it’s time to get rest.

If you arrive at your destination during daylight hours, here are a few additional tips:

Tip #13 - Get some sort of physical activity, even if it’s something as gentle as taking a walk. It will help reset your internal clock, boost your energy levels, and improve your mood.

Tip #14 - Continue to hydrate. Despite your best efforts, it’s likely you are underhydrated.

Tip #15 - We’ve never needed to try this, but a few of our viewers have recommended using a grounding technique of walking barefoot on grass, sand, or soil upon arrival. It’s supposed to help reset your body’s internal clock.

Tip #16 - Stay awake until a reasonable bedtime to avoid waking up in the middle of the night.

Tip #17 - Limit your nap time. If you absolutely must take a nap, schedule them early in the afternoon and set an alarm so that it’s for no longer than 20-30 minutes. Long or late naps will make it harder to adjust to the local time.

Tip #18 - Most of all, be patient with your body and listen to it. It will eventually adjust, but hopefully by employing a few of these techniques and listening to your body, you’ll be on local time in no time.

Do you have other techniques that have worked well for you? We’d love to hear them!