"Nothing can put a damper on your vacation quite like jet lag. Struggling to stay awake or fall asleep, feeling exhausted and cranky, and having digestive problems—who wants to deal with all that while on vacation? Jet lag symptoms can vary in intensity but tend to get worse the farther from home you travel. Adjusting to a destination that’s an hour or two off, for example, is different than hopping across continents where the clock jumps half a day ahead. Thankfully, you don’t have to simply struggle through. No matter how far away your destination is, there are a few things you can do to prevent and manage jet lag. We spoke with health and nutrition experts for their best tips and tricks for crossing time zones. Here are 8 things you should always do when you travel so you can land at your destination feeling refreshed and jet lag-free.
Ani Baran, Licensed Acupuncturist
Ani Baran is the owner and lead acupuncturist at NJ Acupuncture Center where she customizes treatments for patients to aid pain management, infertility, stress relief, anxiety, weight loss, and inflammation.
Vanessa Rissetto, Registered Dietician
As a certified dietician nutritionist and the co-founder of Culina Health, Vanessa helps clients with weight management, family nutrition, GI disorders, bariatric surgery, and PCOS.
1. Adjust your sleep schedule ahead of travel
To ward off jet lag, you can try to prepare your circadian rhythm by adjusting your bedtimes a few days before your trip. “Everyone has their own internal circadian clock that instinctually tells you it’s time to eat or sleep,” said Ani Baran, a licensed acupuncturist and owner of NJ Acupuncture Center in Jersey City, New Jersey. When your typical schedule is thrown off, that’s when problems can happen. Ahead of your flight, try going to bed and waking up an hour earlier or later (depending on whether your destination’s time zone is ahead or behind your current one) than you usually would to prep your body for the change.
2. Set your clock to the new time
As soon as you board your flight, adjust your watch and phone clock to match the time zone at your destination. This will serve as a mental cue whenever you check the time during the flight, essentially tricking your body into adjusting to the new time before you even land.
3. Stay hydrated
Vanessa Rissetto, registered dietitian and co-founder of Culina Health, stressed the importance of hydration, which can help decrease the bloating that often comes along with travel and help fend off constipation—a common side effect of crossing time zones.
4. Avoid caffeine and alcohol
While you’re in flight, drink plenty of water and limit caffeine. Some coffee is OK, but “you don’t need to get jacked up on caffeine to keep up,” Rissetto said. That’s a surefire way to crash and burn.
5. Limit sugary snacks
To manage jet lag symptoms, you’ll also want to keep sugar to a minimum. Especially if you are already sensitive to it, sugar can disrupt your sleep, Rissetto explained. You may experience a “sugar crash” that leaves you feeling sleepy, but once you fall asleep, “your body will try to metabolize all the sugar you ate, and it could keep you up,” she said. So keep the sweets to a minimum while you hydrate.
6. Don’t try to push through with no sleep
Listening to your body is also key. If your flight is overnight, it’s generally not a good idea to stay awake in hopes of already being adjusted when you land. Fighting through extreme fatigue will only make things worse, so sleep if you feel tired.
7. Move your body
Some light exercise can help stimulate blood and lymph flow and relax tense muscles during the flight. Aim to get out of your seat every couple of hours (when you’re not sleeping) to stretch and walk around.
8. Resist the urge to nap when you land
The Mayo Clinic recommends that you try to start operating on the local schedule as quickly as possible when you land. If it’s daytime at your destination, resist the urge to nap, and instead, go outside in the natural light. If you landed in the evening, go to bed when the locals do.
And if you’ve tried everything to no avail, patience is your last resort. Rissetto and Baran agree that although everyone is different, most people will naturally adjust within about two days.
Erin Nicole Celletti, Contributing Writer
Erin is an NYC-based writer with a BA in Journalism from Quinnipiac University and two master’s in education. She’s currently freelancing as a lifestyle, beauty, wellness, and trends reports writer. Beyond The Everygirl, Erin’s editorial work has been featured in publications like Allure, Byrdie, TeenVogue, BRIDES, SundayEdit, The Everymom, and TODAY, among others.
Jessica Friedhoff, Senior Lifestyle Editor
Jessica Friedhoff is the Senior Lifestyle Editor at The Everygirl, where she oversees the Home & Living category of the site. She writes and edits stories across a broad range of topics including decorating, food, entertaining, travel, and more. With a pulse on the latest trends, she uses her eye for detail and design to create timely, inspiring content for our readers.