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Tested Methods For Fighting Jet Lag & Falling Asleep Faster While On Vacation
The bane of any long-distance traveler's journey: jet lag. It comes in waves—some soft sleepy moments that catch you by surprise after sightseeing, some so strong you are forced to reach for a third espresso or take a midday nap. And there's nothing more frustrating than being in a new location, excited to explore, yet feeling too tired to do so.
And the most common advice is to power through the first few days to get on your new time zone and sleep schedule—which is solid advice! It's what I always do!—but that doesn't help the logistics of the matter.
Changing your sleep schedule is hard and often makes you feel exhausted. So here, some hacks to make you less sleepy along the way.
Drink plenty of water—starting the night before
You likely know that flying, especially over long flights, dries you out. So one of the best things you can do is to start hydrated from the get-go. Even the night before you leave, up your water intake. Then, as you are en route to the airport, as low-waste expert and nutritionist Abby K. Cannon, J.D., R.D., tells us, challenge yourself to drink your entire (reusable, duh) water bottle. That way you can bring it through TSA and then refill it inside for your flight.
Staying hydrated won't solve jet lag, but it will take the edge off. Research demonstrates that dehydration has a negative brain impact1, specifically on our mood, cognitive alertness, and fatigue. In addition, dehydration can lead to headaches: In a clinical trial where patients with headaches2 drank more water (1.5 liters more, which equals 6.3 cups), they experienced improvements in their symptoms.
Finally, it has an impact on our physical performance. Inadequate water intake and water loss through sweating, for example, will mean worse performance3. Failure to hydrate can mean less blood flow to muscles, reduced cardiac output, less endurance, and more fatigue.
Support your immune system
A little jet lag is unavoidable, sure (your body is adjusting to a new time zone, after all). But one thing that will absolutely make it worse? Catching a cold on your flight.
"Our immune system starts with our nose. The purpose of the nose is to filter, warm, and moisten air before it enters our body. Each breath draws a gas, nitric oxide, from our sinuses and carries it into our lungs. Nitric oxide is our natural immune protection against respiratory infection as it kills virus, bacteria, and fungus," says Steven Olmos, DDS, who is board-certified in chronic pain and sleep-related breathing disorders.
When our nasal passages dry out from air travel, we are more likely to catch a cold because we've lost our first line of defense.
And, really, you don't even need to get sick for this to interrupt your sleeping patterns. When our nose gets dry, we'll often switch to breathing through our mouth during sleep: "Mouth breathing causes more arousals in sleep and leads to daytime fatigue," he says.
Wear a mask during flights to help reduce the risk of infection. And try a natural nasal treatment, which can keep your nasal paths moisturized. And of course, support your immune system through daily habits.
When you land, go for a walk
After sitting on a long flight, you need to get your body moving right away. It will help loosen up your muscles and establish you in a new location.
Krista Stryker, trainer and founder of 12-Minute Athlete, says her No. 1 piece of advice is to take a 20- to 30-minute walk when you arrive to get some fresh air.
Adjust the blue light on your phone
We know from significant research4 that blue light, whether from the outdoors or our screens, signals alertness. Well, you can dim blue lights on your phones, tablets, and screens through settings.
This way, if you find yourself tossing and turning at night—and, ahem, checking your phone while doing so—you're not setting yourself back even further by telling your brain it should be awake.
When all else fails, use it to your advantage
Personally, I don't think time changes are all that bad. Yes, they are annoying when you hit an early slump or can't seem to fall asleep well past your bedtime. But if you just change your mindset, you can really use them to your advantage.
This is just my personal tip, as someone who loves to travel and is decidedly not a morning person. Use the time change, whichever way, to help you encourage healthy morning habits. My home base is in New York, so when I travel to Los Angeles, for example, I always get up with my body clock, which is always earlier than my scheduled meetings or plans, and will hit up a local yoga spot.
Or, I'll use that time to enjoy a cup of coffee and enjoy some quiet time—something I never seem to do when home. Then, when I come back, I'll keep the habit up as long as possible. Or if I'm traveling home from Europe, I'll use my newfound early morning schedule to my advantage at home. I'll make a proper breakfast for myself, go for a walk, or get some work done.
Take natural sleep supplements
Magnesium is an essential nutrient and plays several roles in the body, including energy production, muscle function, the regulation of neurotransmitters5, and yes, even sleep.*
First, it aids in stress management6 and promotes a sense of calm, both of which are important for preparing to fall asleep.* Additionally, it activates receptors for gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a neurotransmitter that supports relaxation and sleep.*
The takeaway
Of course, we all know how important getting quality sleep is. But when you're traveling to new time zones, it can be a struggle to fall asleep, stay asleep, and find energy during your waking hours. These are a few methods tested and vetted by experts and travelers (like myself!) to help ease sleep concerns while on vacation.
