How to Beat Jet Lag: Practical Tips Before, During and After a Long Flight

Your body runs on a roughly twenty-four-hour internal clock that controls sleep, alertness, hunger and body temperature. Daylight is the main signal that keeps it in step. When you fly across time zones, the local clock changes suddenly, but your body clock takes time to catch up. In general, it is often described as taking about a day for each time zone crossed, though people vary a great deal.

Travelling east is usually harder for many people than travelling west, because it means going to sleep earlier than your body expects.

Before you fly

• Be well rested. Starting a long trip already short on sleep makes things worse.
• Shift your schedule a little. If you have a few days, move your bedtime and wake time toward the destination's schedule, an hour or so a day, going earlier for an eastward trip and later for a westward one.
• Plan your arrival. If possible, choose flights that let you arrive in the local afternoon or evening, which makes it easier to stay up until a sensible bedtime.

During the flight

• Set your watch to destination time. Start thinking in local time as soon as you board.
• Sleep when it would be night at your destination. Use an eye mask, ear plugs or headphones, and a neck pillow if you find them helpful.
• Stay hydrated. Cabin air is dry. Drink water regularly.
• Go easy on alcohol and caffeine. Both can disturb sleep. Caffeine can be useful for staying awake when you need to, but avoid it in the hours before you want to sleep.
• Move around. Walk the aisle now and then and stretch your legs.
• Eat sensibly. Light meals timed to the destination's schedule are easier on your body than heavy ones at odd times.

After you land

• Get daylight. Light is the strongest signal for resetting your body clock. Spending time outdoors in the local daytime helps your body adjust.
• Stay awake until local bedtime. If you can, avoid a long nap in the first day. If you must nap, keep it short, around twenty to thirty minutes, and not late in the day.
• Eat on local time. Meals at normal local times help your body adapt.
• Keep your bedroom dark and cool at night. A comfortable sleep environment matters.
• Be gentle with your schedule. Avoid important decisions or heavy tasks on the first day if you can.

Short trips: stay on home time?

If you are only away for a day or two, it may be easier to keep your home schedule rather than switching. This works best when your commitments allow it.

What about melatonin and sleeping pills?

Some travellers use melatonin or other sleep aids. These are not right for everyone, and rules and products vary by country. Talk to a doctor or pharmacist before using them, particularly if you take other medicines, are pregnant or have a health condition. Sleeping pills in particular carry risks on a flight, so seek medical advice first.

Common mistakes

• Relying on lots of coffee and then not being able to sleep.
• Napping for hours in the afternoon after arriving.
• Skipping water and getting dehydrated.
• Staying indoors in a dark hotel room all day, which tells your body clock nothing about local time.

When to speak to a doctor

Jet lag is usually temporary. If you have severe symptoms, a medical condition that affects sleep, or problems that last well beyond a week, speak to a healthcare professional.

The takeaway

Use light, sleep and meal timing to nudge your body clock toward local time, drink water, and keep naps short. You may not avoid jet lag completely, but a few habits can make the first days much easier.