You’d find it difficult to find someone who enjoys travel, including international travel, as much as I do.
But as much as I love to travel, jet lag is the worst.
There’s really no avoiding it, and it doesn’t somehow go away as you travel more frequently. But I have learned through experience what to do to make jet lag recovery as quick as possible.
What Is Jet Lag?
When you leave your time zone and travel to one that’s at least a few hours off, it takes your body some time to adjust. And the lack of sleep that often accompanies long flights often makes that adjustment even more difficult.
Your body’s internal clock, or circadian rhythm, tells your body things like when it thinks it’s time to sleep, when you should be alert and awake, and when you should be hungry.
Factors like lightness and darkness, sleep habits, and stress all influence your circadian rhythm. Traveling across time zones and disrupting your sleeping patterns usually throws off your circadian rhythm.
Jet lag is the symptoms that you experience when you’re traveling over several time zones and your circadian rhythm is disrupted.
Those symptoms could be anything from general fatigue to insomnia, irritability, anxiety, lethargy, a feeling of being out of place or not yourself, to digestive problems like diarrhea or constipation.
For me, when I travel across time zones going east, I usually start getting tired way earlier in the evening, and it’s hard for me to get up in the mornings. But some people experience difficulty sleeping at night and their bodies want to sleep during the daytime instead.
When I travel west to come home, I often feel exhausted and lethargic, and it’s difficult for me to feel motivated or energized enough to do things like laundry and unpacking or getting back to work.
How Long Does Jet Lag Recovery Usually Take?
Generally, jet lag recovery is usually quicker when traveling east than it is when traveling west.
A study from the U.S. Centers for Disease Prevention and Control suggests that jet lag recovery can take a number of days equal to half the number of time zones crossed when you’re traveling from east to west.
I recently flew from the Eastern Time Zone in the U.S. to Malaysia. I got tired pretty early in the evenings for the first few days I was in Malaysia, but I didn’t feel that jet lagged.
However, when I flew back to the U.S., my recovery felt much more difficult! (It could have partly been because while I was in Malaysia I was excited to be there and my day was full of things to do, whereas when I got back to the U.S. I had to go back to work and wasn’t excited to be there.)
But according to the study I referenced, it should have taken me six days to recover, because I crossed 12 time zones.
That’s a long time! Most of us don’t have the freedom to lay low and sleep whenever we want for up to a week after we’ve taken an international trip. That’s why these jet lag recovery tips are so important and helpful.
These 8 jet lag recovery tips will help you recover as quickly as possible by supporting your body really well!
Just a heads up: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. That means if you click a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no cost to you. As always, all opinions are entirely my own. Thanks for supporting me!
1. Drink lots of water!
The climate-controlled environment inside the plane and the recycled air makes for extremely dry air.
The dryness of air on planes significantly affects the body’s hydration overall, which can cause your skin to break out, digestion to not function properly, immune system to struggle, and the body to feel fatigued.
That’s why it’s important to drink water constantly!
As simple as this tip is, it takes some planning ahead. Usually airlines only come around offering drinks every few hours, and then they only give a small cup of water when you ask.
Plus, a lot of people don’t like to drink water while on the plane because then they have to get up to use the bathroom. I get it. A lot of times the bathroom is gross, and unless you have an aisle seat, you have to make people move to get out.
But this is where it’s important to prioritize your health and wellness over comfort!
Here are a few tips to help you stay hydrated in-flight:
– Bring your own reusable water bottle, and fill it before the flight.
I usually fill my stainless steel water bottle at home and make myself drink all the water in it before I go through security. Then I refill it and drink it all again before boarding, then refill it for my flight.
– Bring your own herbal tea bags.
If you find it difficult to drink a lot of plain water, bring your own herbal (caffeine-free) tea bags. You can ask for a cup of hot water in the airport (usually free or $0.50), and you can also ask for it on your flight.
– Avoid caffeine and alcohol.
Saying no to caffeine when you’re tired might be hard. But it is dehydrating, and so is alcohol, so in the long-run it might make you feel more fatigued than if you drank water or tea instead.
Plus, caffeine and alcohol mess with your circadian rhythm and can make make your quality of sleep even worse, making your jet lag recovery take longer.
Pro Tip for Digestion:
My digestion often seems to struggle with jet lag, and my metabolism becomes really slow. I’ve started packing this tea when I travel to help get my digestion back on track. You can find it in a lot of grocery stores, especially health food stores. I like the peppermint kind the best.
2. Start adjusting to the new time zone before you leave.
If you’re traveling east, the time zone you’re heading to will be ahead of your current one. So to help your body start adjusting before you leave, you can start going to bed earlier and getting up earlier during the week before your trip.
If you’re traveling west, the time zone you’re heading to is behind you, so you might want to stay up a bit later and sleep in later to prepare your body.
A lot of people recommend changing the time zone on your watch or phone once you’re on the plane. That way, mentally, you can start thinking of the time as it will be at your destination.
3. Plan ahead so you can get a full night’s sleep before your flight.
Whether you’re going to try and adjust your sleeping schedule according to the time zone you’re heading to or not, it’s extremely important to start your journey rested for the quickest possible jet lag recovery.
Here are some tips to help you get a full night of sleep:
– Don’t wait to pack until the last minute.
If you’re a procrastinator (or just really busy), this one will be a challenge for you! But if you can get the majority of your packing done ahead of time, you won’t be up late and stressed the night before your flight.
– Make a packing list, including the last-minute items.
I like to start making my packing list a few days early to give myself plenty of time to think of the items I might otherwise forget.
I make a special list for the items I know I won’t be able to pack until the last minute, like my probiotic in the fridge, my toothbrush, or my phone charger. That way I’m not scrambling to remember everything right before I leave.
4. Do everything you can to sleep on the plane if it’s a long flight.
Different people handle sleeping on long flights differently. If you’re the kind of person who can definitely sleep on the plane when you choose to, you might want to sleep on the plane when it is actually night time at your destination. But if sleeping on planes doesn’t come easily to you, you should probably just sleep as much as you can.
Once when I was flying to South Korea, I stayed up all night and didn’t sleep until it was night time in South Korea on the plane. I slept almost the whole flight and it helped make my jet lag recovery quick, but I can’t recommend that to everyone.
Here are some tips to make sleeping on the plane easier:
– Wear layers and comfortable clothes.
You never know how hot or cold it’s going to be in the airport or on the plane, so wearing layers and versatile clothing is extremely helpful.
I tend to be cold a lot more often than hot when I’m traveling, so I will wear a tank top under a loose dress, under a cardigan, under a jacket.
– Bring a spare pillow, blanket, and/or jacket.
Often overnight flights will provide you with a blanket and pillow, but not all airlines do, so check before you leave.
I recently had a flight where even with my layers and the blanket provided by the airline, I was still freezing cold and couldn’t sleep! I really wish I had brought my own blanket.
I really want to try this travel pillow because it looks extremely comfortable and has rave reviews!
– Have a way to block out distractions.
Earplugs, noise-canceling headphones, or eye masks can all be really helpful. You never know if you might have a wailing baby or someone using the reading light next to you.
– Consider taking melatonin.
Melatonin is a hormone that your body makes especially at night to help you get ready to sleep. You can take an all-natural supplement of melatonin to support your sleep on the plane and while going through jet lag recovery.
I personally use this all-natural Vital Nutrients Melatonin because it was recommended by my naturopathic doctor.
It’s always a good idea to check with your health care professional before taking new supplements or medications.
– Follow your routines.
Our bodies respond to familiarity. If I take out my contacts, put on my glasses, wash my face, and brush my teeth, those things signal to my body that I’m getting ready to sleep. Think about what elements of your nightly routine you can incorporate even on your flight.
5. Plan your arrival.
When I’m taking a long overnight flight I like to arrive in the late afternoon or evening so that I can go to bed soon after I arrive. You might want to consider looking for flights that have an ideal arrival time.
Regardless, when you arrive at your destination, it’s best to wait until at least an early local bed time to go to bed. Taking a long nap in the middle of the day will only confuse your internal clock even more.
Instead of napping when you arrive, get outside and take a walk in the sunshine. The sunlight will signal to your body that it’s not time for sleeping, and walking will hopefully energize your body.
1 comment
These are great tips! Jet lag is the worst haha. I’ll keep this in my mind when I fly internationally.
Xoxo
Shari-Ann