How to Reset Your Sleep When Traveling: 4 Tips for Jet Lag

It’s exciting to jump on a plane, land in a new place, and explore and relax on vacation. One thing that can interfere with all of that? Jet lag. 

Jet lag is also known as time zone change syndrome or desynchronosis. It’s when your sleep is disrupted by a change in your body’s normal circadian rhythm. Jet lag is a physiological disorder leading to an array of symptoms.

Jet lag can set in after traveling on a plane and can be exacerbated by various factors. We’re sharing four tips to prevent and ease jet lag so you can have a vacation full of quality sleep and minimal symptoms. 

How Does Jet Lag From Traveling Feel?

Jet lag is the result of a disruption to the internal clock or circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm is a 24-hour cycle that aligns with light and dark and signals many body processes, including sleep.

Those with jet lag can experience:

• Difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep
• Waking up before you want to
• Exhaustion
• Thinking, attention, and memory problems 
• Physical function changes
• Adverse effect on already existing mental health issues
• Stomach problems and loss of appetite 
• Headaches 
• Dizziness

Symptoms and their severity can vary from person to person. Similarly, some symptoms might be more concerning depending on the reason for traveling. For example, someone traveling for work might struggle with thinking and attention, which can interfere with their performance. On the other hand, traveling athletes with jet lag can experience struggles with a physical performance from jet lag. 

Five Tips to Prevent or Ease Jet Lag

While it’s essentially impossible to avoid disrupting your circadian rhythm when traveling over time zones, there are ways to prevent severe symptoms of jet lag and ways to ease the symptoms once at your destination.

Choose Flight Times Strategically

If you can choose your flight times, aim for early evening local time, allowing you to sleep around 10:00 pm.

If you’re unable to control your flight times, focus on sleeping on the plane during nighttime at your destination. It’s also recommended to take 20-minute naps during travel to avoid sleepiness.

Tips for your flight:

• Manage stress related to travel 
• Stay hydrated
• Avoid caffeine 
• Avoid alcohol
• Keep active during the flight
• Eat nutritious, light foods

Prepare For Sleep Changes 

One way to get ahead of the problem is to pre-adjust your sleep schedule to prepare your internal clock. 

By slowly making changes to your sleep schedule according to your travel destination, your internal clock can adjust.

For the week or days before travel, make changes to sleep and wake times that align with your destination’s local time. These changes should be small. Anything can help to get closer to the travel destinations local time. 

Steps for Pre-Adjusting Your Sleep Schedule:

1. Figure out the time zone of your travel destination.
2. Move your sleep schedule one hour closer to your destination
3. 1. For example: If you’re traveling east, go to bed one hour earlier each night. If you’re traveling west, go to bed an hour later.
4. Adjust meals and light exposure to match your destination’s local time as well.

Bring Your Bed on Vacation

Unfortunately, that’s not possible. You can do the next best thing! The best way to combat jet lag and ensure quality sleep on the road is to keep your sleep environment familiar and comfortable.

Science backs up the power of sleeping in your bed and having a quality bedtime routine. By keeping your practices and environment familiar, your body is comfortable and able to sleep easier. 

Remember, the best sleep conditions include:

• Cool temperature
• Darkness 
• Quiet

With a bedtime routine reminiscent of your routine at home, a comfortable sleep environment, and your personal pillow and blanket, you’ll be set up for sleep.

Keep in mind things out of your control or something you might not be used to when it comes to bedtime. For example, will your sleep location be loud? If you’re unsure, bring along a Hatch for white noise to drown out unwanted noise. 

Light Therapy

Exposure to light has a significant impact on your ability to prevent or overcome jet lag. As mentioned, the circadian rhythm is the reason for your jet lag and needs to be addressed to help your brain and body adapt.

Traveling across time zones is difficult for your circadian rhythm because of the changes in dark and light schedules. Light therapy helps to expose yourself to light at times according to your destination’s local time. Light therapy can be done using artificial light or natural light. 

PRO TIP: Another way to help your sleep quality is using a sunrise alarm for mornings. A sunrise alarm is a gentle wake-up, exposing yourself to light as soon as you wake up (a cue to your circadian rhythm).

Don’t Let Jet Lag Interfere With Your Fun

Jet lag can be brutal, but taking measures to avoid and ease it can make a huge difference in how you can perform during the day and sleep at night. For additional recommendations, refer to your doctor and ask about medications that might help as well. 

Get ahead of your jet lag by using sunrise alarms and white noise with the Hatch!