How does jet lag work?
Everybody has an internal rhythm (what time you wake up, sleep, eat), and flying in a plane disrupts that rhythm, as you’ re forced to adapt to a new timezone. It’s a physiological condition that manifests itself through a number of symptoms, including:
- tiredness
- irritability
- lethargy
- insomnia
- loss of appetite
- confusion
- digestive issues
In order to beat it, you’ll need your body to adapt to the new timezone, fast.
How to stay awake during jet lag
- Hydrate. Dehydration makes the energy slumps hit much harder
- Exercise
- Make sure you’re in daylight – it will help your body and mind adjust to the new timezone
- Don’t fall asleep. We know it’s tempting – resist
- Limit caffeine intake. The initial energy hit will come with a sharp downward slump
If you are due to land at night, avoid caffeine-heavy beverages such as coffee, cola and energy drinks that look rather disturbing when served in a glass, since this will affect your sleep patterns. But do drink plenty of water onboard to keep yourself hydrated.
How many days to recover from, or overcome jet lag?
It’s said that to work out how long you will have jet lag for, take the number of time zones you have travelled across, then divide that number by two. This is how many days it will take to fully recover.
How to avoid and get rid of jet lag
- Make sure you have an adaptable, flexible routine (when you sleep and eat)
- Be fully rested when you start travelling. Read our tips on making economy feel like first class to get a restful plane journey too!
- Match your sleeping patterns to that of the destination. This might mean staying up later or waking up earlier than is normal
- Make sure your flights arrive in daylight so you can immediately begin adjusting. Or only travel to places using Greenwich Meridian Time… Ghana is a beautiful country!
- Build in a stopover. This allows your body more time to adapt to the new timezone
How to sleep when you are jet lagged
- Match your watch to the time of the destination when you board the plane, so you can begin planning your sleep schedule
- Gentle exercise can help to encourage sleep
- Try not to eat heavy meals before bed
- Melatonin is a natural sleeping aid you may want to consider bringing with you. These can help you relax into a deeper sleep
- Bring earplugs and blindfolds with you to encourage a better quality of sleep
- Check out our review of the 11 best travel pillows out there to make sure you get shut-eye on the plane too
In which direction is jet lag worse?
Jet lag is worse when you are travelling west to east. So, if you are travelling from Dublin to America, the Caribbean or South America, it’s likely you will suffer with jet lag. However, when you travel from Ireland to the rest of Europe, it’s slightly easier on your senses.
How to deal with toddlers and jet lag
- Make sure the kids are out in day light as much as possible, particularly in the morning and at night. This will help them to adjust naturally
- Keep them on their home time if it’s less than 3 hours. Even if it means bedtime is at 6pm, it will be worth it to make sure they’re getting enough sleep to enjoy their holiday
- Gentle exercise is always encouraged. Try getting everyone out on a walk after dinner.
- Don’t plan too much in the first few days. Anticipate that it may take your children a little longer to adjust… it’s probably not the best time to take them to the local museums.
In need of more pro-travel tips? Check out our top 10 tips for flying with kids, our multi-city flight search for those essential stopovers, or read 15 of our best ever packing tips to ensure security is never a struggle again.
*Updated December 2018. Information correct at the time of publication but may be subject to change.
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