Travel is magical. Minus the heavy suitcases, currency being reduced by 1/80th and no jet lag!I think I can call myself a veteran of long distance travel. Considering the fact that most of my family lives abroad, the opposite side of the planet from me, meaning that I have the pleasure of taking 14-hour flights every summer. Ok, I’m not that selfless. I go to escape the heat in India and the quintessential “What’s your plan for the summer?” crowd too. But how to deal with jet lag? And more importantly, how to manage jet lag in kids?
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What is Jet Lag?
Simply put, Jet lag is a temporary sleep disorder. It occurs when the body’s internal clock is out of sync with cues from a new time zone. Here is a fun fact. You rarely get jet lag when you reach your vacation destination. Provided you’re travelling westward. So, other than a single day of battling sleep, you’re good.
When you’re back, travelling east, that’s a whole different story. Travelling eastwards runs in direct opposition to the body clock. Other than battling the depression of the vacation bubble being burst, every evening, you feel like curling into a ball and sleeping at a very wrong hour, just to wake up at 3am and wonder why you did that to yourself. Ha.
So that’s why, I got you covered with some great tips for almost no jet lag. Here’s what you should do to stay ahead of the game and beat jet lag like a pro!
Pre-flight tips for no jet lag
Here’s where your ground work starts. Stress has, and will always, be the enemy of your body.
First step is to Relax. Getting worked up about how many things you have to manage as soon as you get home won’t help.
Consider flights that are at convenient times. Try to book flights so that you are arriving at your destination in the morning to have the day for yourself and your kids to adjust to the location. On return, it may not be so. A point in case? Flights that take off from Europe in the morning or afternoon and land in India at night. A good time to hit the sack.
Eat wisely. There’s a diet that gives you feast and fast days pre travel, so your body is better prepared. But I’m not such a hardout. My only advice is to eat a lot of fibre.
Caffeine can be your best friend. And your worst enemy. So limit intake before you get on board, and don’t glug those diet sodas indiscriminately. This will really go a long way in getting no jet lag. Hydrate a lot, both before and during the flight.
On-board tips for beating jet lag
Comfortable clothing is a must. I understand that you need to come off the plane looking like a celebrity. But, boots and a Burberry trench aren’t made for chilling. I am talking from experience. I wore boots once like an idiot, then my feet decided to balloon on the flight, so I could barely zip them back up when we landed home. It was not fun! So, more like sneakers (the cool kind), a comfortable T-shirt, tights or tracks, and layers. Something that will let you nap without cutting off circulation to your lower body.
Hydrate. Duh!! The oldest rule in the book. Water, tomato juice, apple juice, whatever you fancy. This will work wonders with jet lag for kids as well.
Alcohol is not your friend in keeping jet lag away. It dehydrates your already parched body and disrupts your sleep cycle. The rule of thumb here? One in the air equals two or three on the ground.
So if you must, please cap it off with a glass of wine.
Again, fibre is your friend. Eating salad won’t just make you look like you’re committed to a fit body, it will actually help your system stay on track and eliminate the bloat that a high-carb meal can bring.
Nap on a long haul flight according to when you land. No point in sleeping 12 hours in a 14-hour flight, only to land home at 10 pm, and then, well, you just messed up a whole bunch.
And do some basic exercise, walk about a little, without annoying the heck out of the air hostess and fellow passengers ofcourse. A few stretches and arm and leg exercises will mean you don’t hobble off the plane looking like you just learnt how to walk.
Post-flight tips for no jet lag
Meet your friend, Melatonin. Melatonin is a sleep supplement, not like your old school alprax, so chill. It just tell your body that it’s time to catch some zzz’s. And it’s going to help you sleep a whole lot better when your body is resisting sleep the most. So next time make sure it exists in your arsenal.
For people still skeptical, lavender oil has long been known to relax ones nerves and induce sleep. Chamomile tea is also brilliant.
Spend time outdoors, in natural light, at the time you’re most likely to fall asleep. It naturally encourages your body to keep awake.
And the most old school of them all? Battle your sleep. Rough it out. And stay awake till bed time.
Quick tricks for jet lag in kids
When a child experiences jet lag, they experience sleep disruption, and mood changes. Here are some tried tips on how to manage jet lag in children.
Jet lag in babies
If you are travelling with a baby, it is not that big a problem. Young babies naturally sleep so often during the day that they adjust more easily. On the flight over (during the night), allow your baby to sleep as much as they can. Once you arrive at your destination, let your baby nap, but no more than what he / she would normally do at home. Get out and explore with the baby, even if it’s just the local area. The natural light will really help everyone’s body clocks.
If it is a daylight and land in the evening, try and keep the baby awake for the last few hours of the flight. Once you reach your destination, follow the same dinner, bath, and bedtime routine as at home. Carry the baby’s favourite sleeping accessory, be it a toy or a blanket.
If the baby wakes up during the night, keep the lights off, and indulge in quiet play. Snacks are ok if the baby is hungry, just avoid sugar.
Next morning, the best way to help everyone adjust to the new time zone is bright, natural light and exercise. Make sure that both you and the baby have your meals based on the new time zone.
Jet lag in toddlers and young kids
You can help with the transition if you adjust meal / sleep timings 30 min for a couple of days before travel. Please pre-plan naps, play time, and let them run the length of the airport to tire them out.
In my experience, the best way to attune your kid(s) to the new time zones, in on board. If you’re going to do one thing for no jet lag with kids, it should be timing naps on board.
Some of the tricks like comfortable clothes and hydration applies to all including kids. Eating well and keeping hydrated means that the body is able to adjust more easily to the time change. To deal with jet lag in kids, make sure at children having meals at regular times as this helps to set the body clock.
Getting out during the day for fresh air and natural daylight is an excellent way of helping to set the body clock. Keep the bedtime routine as close to home as possible, keep things dark in the room, using things like same comforter or blanket as at home will help.
I also use homeopathic, doctor approved, sleep supplements (but you should check with your doctor). And in addition to that, lavender spray. Actually, a lot of Indian wellness brands now make sleep and relaxation sprays, so spritz away!
I’m pretty sure with these in your arsenal, jet lag will soon just be something you won’t worry before a long haul flight.
[This post was originally published in 2018, and last updated in March 2024.]
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This is a guest post by Priyanka Chaudhery.
Priyanka left the corporate world behind to raise her son and eventually pursue a career in wine. She now enjoys blogging and exploring passions like travel, food and yoga.
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These tips are much appreciated as I’ll soon be taking a long flight to Asia and dread having jet lag. I haven’t used lavender oil before, so that’s something that I’ll keep in mind.
Do remember to drink plenty pf water, and eat light and healthy.
I think you’ve covered pretty much everything there is to cover to beat jet lag. I’d have to agree with taking a bit of a walk inside the plane, moving your limbs, keeping yourself hydrated, sleeping but not too much, these are all tricks even I would recommend to people. I hate long flights though!
Ha..ha..and it only gets worse with age! So got to remember all these tips 🙂
I really need to revamp my whole flying behavior. These tips are really helpful. Will consider the hydration bit next time. I think I do drink very little while on the flight.
But hydration is a MUST for good skin and hair as well.
Nothing works for my jet lag. I’ve just got to wait it out. I’ve tried everything you mentioned except lavender oil. I’ll give it a shot!
I feel your distress. And I hate people who dont get jet lagged at all even after swigging drinks and flouting all rules!
So helpful! I agree with you. when I have a long flight I avoid drinking coffee. You are right I should avoid any stress, but sometimes it is impossible so I try to do other things 🙂
Stress is part and parcel of our lives, I think, so imp to remember tips about hydration, coffee, alcohol etc.
This is so helpful. It’s amazing that there are just simple little things that can make a huge difference. Alcohol is a big one for sure. I always feel 10x worse if I have wine on the flight (although it helps my anxiety in-flight) so I try to limit it.
Me too, although I must admit I feel a pang saying no to a nice wine!
Great advice, especially for people traveling with small kids. We are South Africans living in Austria with close family in Australia. So we know all about long flights to the other side of the world to see family and friends. I find that if you’re on a long flight that lands at your destination in the morning, it’s best not to take a nap during the day no matter how tired you are.
Yes, going with the local time routine is the best way to get your body to adjust.
My husband and I have been making long overseas journeys for years. We barely had jet lag when we were younger, but it seems to get harder every year now! We just flew from the US to Thailand this week and have been in a jet lag funk. Just like you said, we’ve been falling asleep too early and getting up wide awake in the middle of the night. More fibre, more water and no caffeine are tips we’ll definitely be employing the next time we take a big flight. Cheers!
You are absolutely right, in general, it gets worse with age. My 7 year old hardly was jet lagged on the way back from US last month.
It sounds as though fibre is very important in all this! Not something I’d have considered, but it makes a lot of sense. As for comfortable clothing – I’ve long since trying to give up looking elegant while flying. It’s comfort all the way for me!
Atta girl! Comfort and suitability over trendy any day for me as well.
These are great tips! I often try to travel only westwards – ie. fly UK>US>NZ>Asia>UK. Any excuse to go round the world 😉 I’ve heard Melatonin is great, although I’ve never tried it – I will buy some before my next long haul!
I have never used Melatonin as well, but definitely keeping it for my next trip to the US.
“One on the ground equals three in the air.”
Other way round. And more like two perhaps.
Thanks for catching the typo. Edited. Though it becomes difficult at times to say no to free alcohol on board 😉