Jet lag happens when traveling across several time zones. Our internal body clock is known as the circadian rhythm and tells us when we should sleep and when we should be awake. This is set at your original time zone, and it doesn’t change automatically to the new time zone. The more time zones that are crossed, the more likely you are to feel jet-lagged. However, with some preparation before a long-haul trip, you can help to adjust to a new time zone and feel the effects of jet lag less.

Jet lag can make you feel fatigued, have a general feeling of malaise, experience digestive issues, and find it hard to stay alert. It is a temporary condition, but it can feel unpleasant and may take 48 hours to recover. It is often worse when traveling east compared to west. Usually, it takes at least one day to recover per time zone crossed. Let’s take a look at some things that may help before your next long-haul flight.

Increased Risks Of Jet Lag

Know the signs, symptoms, and risks.

Credit: Shutterstock

Jet lag can be difficult to deal with, primarily because it means not being able to sleep properly at normal times or falling asleep at the wrong time, according to the Mayo Clinic. Fatigue during the daytime is common, and some people feel like they cannot function as they normally would, which can be frustrating. There is often a general feeling of being unwell, along with changes in mood and sometimes digestion and stomach issues, due to the time changes and the body clock being out of sync.

Increased risks of being affected by jet lag include the number of time zones crossed: in general, the more zones crossed, the worse the jet lag is. Flying east, you lose time, so you often feel it more than flying west, as you gain time. Although some people are barely affected and recover after a few days, Pilots, flight attendants, and business travelers are most likely to suffer as they travel so frequently and rarely have time to recover sufficiently. Older adults may also take longer to recover from jet lag.

For flight attendants and flight crew, jet lag can become a chronic condition over time. It can come with the risk of disorders such as diabetes, depression, and cancer, according to the Sleep Foundation. Short-term effects may also include bloating and leg swelling, which are often exacerbated by the stress of travel in general. It is possible to feel the effects of jet lag for days or even weeks after a trip. Most people sleep well the first night and then have problems in the following days.

Does Light Help?

Light exposure can help the body adjust

Credit: Shutterstock

Sunlight affects the regulation of melatonin, the hormone that helps cells in the body work together. Cells at the back of the eye transmit light signals to the brain. When light is low, the hypothalamus signals to the pineal gland to release melatonin. Therefore, exposure to daylight can ease us into a new time zone more easily.

Light exposure can also help the body to adjust. It has a big influence on your body’s circadian rhythms. After traveling west, expose yourself to light in the evening to help you adjust to a later-than-usual time zone. After traveling east, passengers should expose themselves to morning light. However, this is not the case if you are crossing more than eight time zones, as the body may get confused and mistake dusk for dawn or vice versa.

When traveling over eight zones to the east, wear sunglasses and avoid bright light in the morning and bright sunlight in the late afternoon for the first few days. When traveling to the west and crossing numerous time zones, avoid sunlight for a few hours before dark for a few days to reset the body clock more effectively.

Jet Lag Prevention

Simple ways to help ease jet lag

Credit: Shutterstock

Thinking ahead when planning a trip, especially when traveling for business reasons, may be useful. When there is an important business meeting ahead, try to plan an early arrival at the destination, a day before at least, to enable recovery from jet lag. Rest before the trip is important too, to minimize the effects of jet lag. Adjusting to a new sleep schedule may also help. The Cleveland Clinic recommends limiting screen time to 30 minutes before trying to sleep.

The Mayo Clinic suggests that passengers try to sleep on the plane if it’s nighttime at their destination. Earplugs, headphones, and eye masks can help block noise and light. If it’s daytime where you’re going, try not to go to sleep immediately. Once at the destination, resist the urge to sleep and aim to sleep at the normal night hours and eat at appropriate times. It is normal for the body to take one to two days to adjust, and jet lag disappears once the circadian rhythm has adjusted to local time.

If a person is prone to jet lag and doesn’t recover easily, a healthcare provider may be able to help with a prescribed medicine, sleep aid, supplement, or herbal product to help. CDC recommends that if you are sleepy during the day, you should take a short nap of 15 to 20 minutes. Flight crew and flight attendants are often advised that if they need to sleep during the day, they should sleep for between 45 minutes and 90 minutes for optimal rest without upsetting the body clock.

Flight Attendant Tips To Avoid Jet Lag

Hydrate, hydrate, and then some more

Credit: Shutterstock

Staying hydrated is one of the most important things you can do to help with jet lag, and drink plenty of water before the trip, on the flight, and in the days after. To stay hydrated during a flight, it is recommended that a person should drink 0.25 liters of water per hour in the air, according to the Aerospace Medical Association. Alcohol and caffeine should be avoided or, at the very least, limited to the minimum, as they disrupt sleep patterns, which is not ideal when the body is already confused.

Exercise should be avoided in the evenings so as not to overstimulate the body. Meals should be kept small and healthy to ease digestion. Airplane food is known to be very salty to make it taste better at altitude, so it is better to avoid the food on board or choose a healthier option if available. Some healthier meals can be ordered online in advance, or you can take a selection of healthy snacks to eat instead. A flight attendant at Lufthansa advised:

“When you arrive in Los Angeles at midday, you have to mentally block out the fact that it’s almost time to go to bed again in Germany. This is important in order to adjust to the new time zone. Everyone deals with jet lag differently. Despite being tired, I always leave the hotel as soon as I arrive and try to stay awake until the evening. Because fresh air, sunlight, and exercise help you get used to the new time. Only when I arrive in Tokyo early in the morning do I sleep for two hours first, otherwise I won’t last until the evening. In very hot places, jet lag can actually be quite useful if you use the sleeplessness to experience the city at night. In Asia, I like to go for a foot massage. It’s incredibly relaxing and revitalizing at the same time.”

Adjusting The Sleep Schedule

Step by step

Credit: Shutterstock

It is possible to adjust your sleep schedule before leaving for a long-haul trip. If travel is to the east, sleep one hour earlier each night for a few days prior. When traveling west, sleep one hour later than usual, ideally for three days before, depending on the time difference. It is also helpful to adjust the time of meals to that of the destination to help the body adjust to the new time zone. Staying on the new schedule and setting your watch or phone to the new time before you leave will help.

Harvard Medical School suggests that for a long trip, setting a sleep schedule can be helpful when traveling coast to coast in the US. If traveling from the West Coast to the East Coast, for three days prior, go to sleep half an hour earlier than usual, and get up half an hour earlier the next morning. The next night, go to bed an hour earlier than usual and get up an hour earlier. The day before you travel, go to bed 90 minutes earlier than your usual bedtime.

This, in reality, could mean going to sleep on day one at the usual time of 10:00 PM, day two at 9:30 PM, day three at 9:00 PM and day four at 8:30 PM, and waking up half an hour earlier each day shifts the schedule. On day four, the day of travel, it should be easier to adjust to the new time zone and feel more energized and better rested.

On a trip that crosses just one or two time zones, a person may not feel much difference: it really depends on the individual. In this case, it is better to stay on home time, if it is just a short trip and there are no business meetings. Indeed, on short trips with little time difference, flight crew and flight attendants will often say on home time, which they refer to as ‘on the clock’.

Cabin Pressure

Cabin atmosphere, altitude, and air make a difference

Credit: Shutterstock

The changes in cabin pressure at altitude may also contribute to jet lag, regardless of how many time zones are crossed. Commercial aircraft cabins are pressurized to simulate an altitude of 6,000 to 8,000 feet above sea level. Most modern commercial aircraft fly at altitudes between 30,000 and 43,000 feet. At these heights, humans cannot survive without supplemental oxygen. To compensate, the cabin pressure is maintained at a level equivalent to an altitude of 7,900 to 8,200 feet.

This ensures passenger comfort, well-being, and safety throughout the flight. Humidity in the cabin is very low, and at around 12%, it is drier than most deserts. The front of the aircraft has a lower humidity of around 8%, whereas in the crew rest areas and cockpit, it is as low as 5%. This leads to dry eyes, sore throat, fatigue, and dehydrated skin. The lower humidity causes dehydration, which contributes to jet lag, so it is important to regularly drink water during a flight.

Aircraft cabin air filters are typically high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters that capture 99.97% to 99.99% of airborne particles, including viruses, bacteria, and allergens. They combine outside air with recirculated air, refreshing the cabin entirely every 2 to 3 minutes.

Modern composite-body jets like the Boeing 787 Dreamliner , 777X, and the Airbus A350 have more advanced environmental systems that push humidity closer to between 15% and 23%, according to Aviation Business News. In newer airliners like the Boeing 787 and the Airbus A350, the cabin altitude can be set at 6,000 feet, which reduces dehydration and fatigue for both passengers and crew.

Preparing For A Long-Haul Flight

Additional items that may help

Credit: Shutterstock

There are also practical things that you can pack to ease jet lag. During the flight, a bottle of water and some healthy snacks are a good idea. Some people prefer to take their own travel pillow and thin blanket instead of using the airline’s synthetic items. Noise-cancelling headphones help block out noise, and an eye mask will help block light. Staying hydrated is an absolute must.

The cabin altitude makes the cabin very dry, and it can be uncomfortable. Eye drops and lip balm are essential for comfort during the flight. Nasal sprays or a herbal stick inhaler help some people too, with dryness, congestion, and even with localized smells. A moisturizer will help with dry skin, as will a face mist to refresh.

Once downroute, comfort is usually the most important element for flight attendants who will pack clothes for comfort to rest or relax in. They will often have a playlist of movies or music that calms them and a room spray that smells nice. With the best will in the world, you can try to avoid jet lag, but no one should worry if they cannot sleep. Some crew cannot adjust and will go to a 24-hour gym, go for an early morning or late night walk, and sleep when they can.