How to Take the “Lag” out of Jet Lag

Have you ever suffered from jet lag?  It can be miserable—sleepless nights and severe fatigue during daytime hours when you are supposed to be wide eyed and ready to take on the world.  It is especially difficult if you work overseas frequently.  Having just returned from a trip to Asia myself, I offer these tips for combatting this issue:

1)      Take into account which direction you are flying.

Remember that it is easier to fly west and extend your day, than it is to fly east and have to sleep earlier.  If flying west, consider trying to stay up until the normal bedtime in your new time zone.  This way you can try to get on the proper sleep-wake cycle sooner.  If you will fly east, try to get to sleep one hour earlier each night starting 4-5 days before your trip to try to adjust your time clock to an earlier bedtime.  For flying east, often people find it useful to take a sleep medicine in order to fall asleep earlier as well.

2)      Speak with your doctor about a sleep medication.

Consider taking an antihistamine or physician prescribed medication in order to fall asleep earlier in the night.  Examples of sleep inducing antihistamines are Benadryl or Tylenol PM.  Melatonin, which is a hormone produced by the pineal gland, can also be helpful to induce sleepiness.  The problem in the U.S. is that supplements are not FDA regulated, so it is difficult to ensure the purity of the medication.  The best way to take melatonin is after dark 30 minutes before bedtime.  On an eastward trip, you may need to take it during the flight if the normal bedtime for your destination time zone occurs during travel.  When traveling west, take melatonin 30 minutes before the destination time zone bedtime on the day of your arrival. Other medications that travelers often find helpful are the sleep medicines, Ambien or Lunesta, which are effective sleep inducing medications.  They can have side effects, so it is best to discuss any and all medications with your physician.

3)      Behavior during the flight is important

During the flight, avoid alcohol and caffeine, and stay well hydrated.  Planes are notoriously dry.  When you get on the plane, change your watch to the new time zone and try to sleep when it would be appropriate in the new time zone.

4)      Postflight tips can help ease adjustment.

Take in to account that in general, it takes one day to adjust to each change in time zone.  So if you fly across 12 time zones, it may take you 12 days to adjust!

Go outside during the daytime as light exposure is helpful to regulate sleep-wake cycles.

If you need to work in your new time zone, try to arrive the day before so that you can be alert as possible, rather than going straight from the airport.

References:

A good website for easy tips on jet lag is the patient section on UpToDate.com

A good book which expounds on these tips is Sleep For Success! By Dr. James B. Maas, which was previously reviewed on our website