Jet lag is one of the few unavoidable downsides of long-haul travel. Crossing multiple time zones disrupts your circadian rhythm — the internal clock that governs sleep, alertness, digestion and hormones. The result is familiar: fatigue, brain fog, hunger at odd hours, poor sleep and a general feeling of being out of sync.
You can’t eliminate jet lag entirely, but with a little planning and a few disciplined habits before, during and after your flight, you can significantly reduce its impact — often turning it from a trip-ruining problem into a mild inconvenience.
Before You Travel
Start shifting your sleep early
If you’re crossing more than three time zones, begin nudging your sleep schedule a few days before departure. When flying east, aim to go to bed and wake up slightly earlier each day. When flying west, do the opposite and stay up a little later. Even a 30–60 minute adjustment per day can meaningfully reduce the shock to your system.
Choose flights that work with your body clock
Flight timing matters more than most people realise. When flying east, an arrival in the early evening makes it easier to stay awake until a normal bedtime. When flying west, arriving in the late morning or afternoon allows you to push through the day and sleep properly at night.
On the Flight
Hydration is non-negotiable
Cabin air is extremely dry, and dehydration worsens fatigue and headaches. Drink water regularly throughout the flight and go easy on alcohol and caffeine, particularly towards the end of the journey.
Eat lightly and intentionally
Heavy meals confuse your body clock and digestion. Opt for smaller, lighter meals and don’t feel obliged to eat just because food is served. When possible, eat in line with meal times at your destination rather than your departure point.
Sleep with purpose
Sleep on the plane only if it aligns with night-time at your destination. Use practical aids such as an eye mask, earplugs and a neck pillow, and set your watch or phone to destination time as soon as you board. This simple psychological shift helps anchor your behaviour to the new time zone.
When You Arrive
Use daylight strategically
Light exposure is the most powerful tool for resetting your internal clock. After eastbound flights, morning light helps pull your sleep earlier, while late-evening light should be avoided. After westbound flights, afternoon and early evening light are beneficial. A short walk outside is often more effective than a nap.
Be disciplined with naps
Long naps delay adjustment. If you absolutely must sleep, keep it under 30 minutes and avoid napping late in the day. Powering through until a normal local bedtime is usually the fastest way to reset.
Live on local time immediately
Even if you’re not hungry or tired, eat meals at local times and go to bed at a normal local hour. Acting as though your body clock has already adjusted is one of the most effective ways to force it to catch up.
Time Your Sleep Properly
One of the most effective — and underused — strategies is planning your in-flight sleep in advance. A simple but powerful approach is to enter your departure and arrival details into ChatGPT and ask for a tailored sleep schedule to minimise jet lag.
For example, on a flight from Dallas to the UK, where Dallas is six hours behind, a 9:15 pm departure corresponds to 3:15 am UK time. The goal is to sleep on the plane in a way that mimics the second half of a UK night, then stay awake after landing.
In practice, that meant avoiding naps before departure, sleeping for around four to five hours shortly after take-off, setting all devices to UK time immediately, getting daylight on arrival, and resisting the urge to go to bed until a normal UK bedtime. The result was a near-normal sleep pattern the very next day.
The one-sentence rule is simple: sleep on the plane as if it’s night at your destination, then force yourself to stay awake until a normal local bedtime.
What About Melatonin?
Melatonin can help some people, particularly when flying east, but it isn’t essential and isn’t for everyone. If used, the dose should be low and taken close to local bedtime. It should never be combined with alcohol. If you’re unsure, skip it — light exposure, sleep timing and routine matter far more than supplements.
Common Myths About Jet Lag
Sleeping all day rarely fixes jet lag and often makes it worse. Alcohol may make you drowsy but significantly degrades sleep quality. And while jet lag will eventually resolve on its own, passive recovery can take far longer than necessary.
Eastbound vs Westbound Travel
Jet lag occurs in both directions, but it typically feels worse when flying east. Eastbound travel shortens the day, forcing your body clock to fall asleep earlier — something humans generally struggle with. Westbound travel lengthens the day, making it easier to stay up later and recover more quickly.
This difference exists because our natural circadian rhythm runs slightly longer than 24 hours, making delays easier than advances.
How Long Does Jet Lag Last?
A rough rule of thumb is one day per time zone when flying east, and half to one day per time zone when flying west. A six-hour eastbound shift can take close to a week to fully resolve, while the same westbound journey may feel normal again in three to four days.
The Bottom Line
Jet lag is less about the flight itself and more about how quickly you reset your internal clock. Light exposure, sleep timing, hydration and discipline matter far more than gadgets or supplements.
Do a few key things well — plan your sleep, seek daylight, avoid long naps and live on local time — and jet lag becomes a manageable annoyance rather than a trip-defining problem.
Holiday Nerd 