Anyone who’s had jet lag knows just how much of an impact it can have on your first few days post-flight. You feel exhausted, disorientated and just generally unwell. While jet lag can’t be prevented, there are things we can do to lessen the effects. Vhi Health Coach and Integrative Health Nurse, Niamh Deere, discusses the symptoms of jet lag, some ideas to lessen its impacts, and general sleep tips to try out when you’re on holiday.

Jet lag and our internal body clocks

Everyone has an internal body clock in their brain (known as your circadian rhythm), that controls your sleep pattern by telling you when it’s time to sleep and time to wake up. Your body clock is adjusted to making you sleepy or alert within the time zone you live in and is heavily influenced by sunlight. When it’s dark, your body produces melatonin (a hormone) to make you sleepy. When it gets bright outside and sunlight passes through your eyelids, your circadian rhythm will signal for your body to produce cortisol and other hormones to help wake you up. When you travel across time zones, your body clock is thrown off its usual schedule, and this causes jet lag.

Common jet lag symptoms

The extent of your jet lag symptoms will be influenced by the number of time zones you cross when travelling. If you travel across one time zone and are only a couple of hours off your usual schedule, you can try to keep to your regular eating, sleeping and waking times. But when you cross more time zones and are more than a couple of hours off your home schedule, you’ll need to adjust your routine, which I’ll explain further on. Some of the common jet lag symptoms are:

• Insomnia
• Disrupted and restless sleep; not being able to sleep at night and being sleepy during the day
• Fatigue
• Poor concentration
• Impaired judgement
• Nausea or stomach issues
• Changes in appetite
• Headache

People will experience jet lag differently and might find some symptoms are more pronounced than others. Most people will start to feel better after a few days when their body clock starts to adjust to the new time zone. 

How to reduce the effects of jet lag

There are lots of things you can try to reduce the effects of jet lag. People who are gifted (yes, it’s a gift!) with good sleep and the ability to sleep almost anywhere will find it easier to overcome jet lag. If you’re able to sleep on planes, try to book flights that will have you landing in the morning as close as possible to the time you usually wake up at home. You can sleep during the flight and help your body clock feel less out of sync. If you’re not lucky enough to sleep easily like this, there are lots of other things to try:

Before your flight:

• If sleeping on flights is a no-go for you, you can try book flights that land in the late evening. This way, you can stay awake on your flight and hopefully be tired enough to sleep shortly after landing.
• If travelling for a work trip or something you want to be in top form for, try arriving a couple of days before it takes place, so your body has some time to adjust.
• Adjust your bedtime slightly in the week before your flight so that it’s more aligned with the time zone you’ll be travelling to.
• Get lots of rest in the week or so before you fly. Being sleep-deprived could make jet lag feel worse.

During your flight:

• Stay hydrated with plenty of water.
• Avoid caffeine and alcohol as they can dehydrate you and affect your sleep.
• If you’re not trying to sleep on your flight, get up every now and again to take some steps and stretch your body. It’s good to keep yourself busy when trying to stay awake by reading, playing games or puzzles, watching films or listening to music and podcasts.
• If you are trying to sleep on your flight, make your environment as conducive to this as possible, and use ear plugs, an eye mask and a good neck pillow.

After you land:

• Again, avoid caffeine and alcohol as much as possible because they can dehydrate you and affect your sleep quality.
• Caffeine should be avoided in the first hour of waking up as it blocks the sleep hormone (called adenosine) from leaving your system. This is why we often experience a slump a few hours after drinking coffee and feel that we need another cup! It’s best to allow adenosine some time to clear out each morning by having something like a hot lemon and ginger tea to start the day.
• If it’s daytime when you arrive, get out into sunlight as much as you can to help your internal clock adjust. If you really need it, have a short nap after you land, but not for more than 30 minutes and make sure it’s a few hours before you’ll be going to bed.
• Try to adopt the schedule of your new time zone as quickly as you can by sleeping at night, staying awake during the day, and eating during local mealtimes.
• Eat as many wholefoods and fresh produce as you can in your new location. This will help with your digestion and general comfort. Be mindful as you eat and take your time to enjoy your food and feel more satiated.
• To help get ready for nighttime in your new location, try mindfulness, meditation or gentle yoga to prepare your body and mind for sleep. Breathing exercises work well for some people.

Sleep hygiene tips

Sleep hygiene is the practices or behaviours that help promote sleep. Even if you don’t travel across enough time zones to experience jet lag, being in a new place with different temperatures, new sounds, and unfamiliar beds can impact your sleep. Following good sleep hygiene on holiday will increase your chances of getting good quality sleep. Try these tips:

• Get as much sunlight as you can during the day and get some daily exercise to promote sleep at night.
• Keep the temperature in your bedroom comfortable; not overly warm or cold.
• Avoid heavy, spicy or sugary foods late in the evening. Foods containing tryptophan (a natural substance found in certain foods that can help with sleep quality) are best to eat as snacks later in the evening. Foods such as nuts, legumes, oats, milk, fruit, vegetables, and eggs contain tryptophan.
• As much as possible, surround yourself with dim lighting once evening comes.
• Use sleep ear buds and eye masks to support sleep.
• Block any light from entering your room. I’ve seen some people use clips or clip hangers to seal pesky hotel curtains that allow cracks of light in!
• Have a warm shower or bath to relax your body.
• Read a book to unwind rather than scroll on your mobile phone. Screens like your mobile phone and laptop emit what’s known as blue light. When you look at this light for prolonged periods, it tricks your brain into thinking that it’s sunlight. This causes a delay in the release of melatonin to make you sleepy, because your body thinks that it’s daytime and you should be awake. If you must use your phone at night, put it on ‘night mode’ or something similar, and keep the brightness way down.
• Nighttime yoga, mindfulness, meditation or deep breathing exercises can also relax you and prepare your body for sleep. Listening to meditative music or white noise are useful tools for many people.
• If you have a busy mind at night and keep mulling over things you’re worried about, try writing them down in a journal or on some paper to help your mind let them go. Tell yourself you’ll think about them again tomorrow during the day. This has proven helpful for lots of people I’ve coached.

It’s a good idea to have yourself fully ready for bed before you settle down for the evening. If you nod off while reading on the couch, you can hop straight into bed before losing that lovely sleepiness! All of these tips will promote the production of melatonin in your body to make you sleepy. If you’re still struggling with sleep after practicing these tips, speak to your healthcare provider for guidance.

I hope this blog helps you prepare for your next long-haul flight and settle into a good sleep routine while on holiday. 

The last thing to prepare for before your next trip? Travel insurance for extra peace of mind. 

This content is for information purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek advice from your GP or an appropriate medical professional if you have concerns about your health, or before commencing a new healthcare regime. If you believe that you are experiencing a medical emergency call 999 / 112 or seek emergency assistance immediately. 

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