Jet lag: how to adjust faster after a flight
You arrive on holiday — and cannot sleep at night while feeling drowsy all day. Here is how to help your internal clock catch up with the new time zone.
Jet lag happens when the body's internal clock runs on one time while the sun and your alarm run on another. It usually appears when a flight crosses three or more time zones: it is hard to fall asleep, you wake up at night, feel sluggish in the day and get hungry "off schedule". On average it takes about a day per time zone to adjust.
How can you prepare for a flight to avoid jet lag?
- 2–3 days ahead, start shifting your bedtime by 30–60 minutes towards the new time zone.
- Get a good night's sleep before the flight — starting a trip sleep-deprived is harder.
- Plan the first day with no important commitments.
What should you do on the plane when crossing time zones?
- Set your watch to destination time as soon as you board.
- Drink water and limit alcohol and coffee — cabin air is dry.
- Sleep if it is night at your destination; stay awake if it is day.
- Get up and stretch every 1–2 hours.
How can you adjust faster after landing?
Your main tool is light. If you flew east, catch the morning light and avoid bright light in the evening; if you flew west, do the opposite — more light in the second half of the day. More on how light controls the clock in "Morning light".
Eat on local time, walk outdoors and do not forget sun protection if you are heading to the sea. To fall asleep more easily in a new time zone, take Silent Nights patches with you — they help you relax in the evening. The Cellergize Duo is handy too: the morning drink helps you wake up, the evening one helps you wind down. And many people take X39 for energy during the day — the patches are compact and take up no space in the luggage.