Most travellers know jet lag is coming. Far fewer have a real plan for dealing with it on arrival.
The Mistake That Cost Us a Night’s Sleep
Flying Hong Kong to London, we arrived mid afternoon, checked into the hotel, and made the classic error. We went for a nap.
We woke up in the middle of the night to a fire alarm, wide awake, completely disoriented, and with any chance of resetting our body clocks gone. One nap undid everything.
The rule is simple and worth committing to before you land: do not nap on arrival. Push through to local bedtime no matter how tired you feel. One uncomfortable afternoon saves you days of disrupted sleep.
What to Do on the Plane
The reset starts before you land. Stay hydrated throughout the flight, skip alcohol, and try to sleep in line with your destination’s night time rather than your departure city’s schedule. It is not always easy but even a partial adjustment makes a difference on arrival.
The Best Tip For When You Land
Get outside into natural light as soon as possible after landing. Daylight is the most powerful signal available to your body clock and it works faster than almost anything else. Even thirty minutes outside in natural light on arrival helps accelerate the adjustment.
Flying Westbound is Harder
This one catches a lot of Australian travellers off guard. Flying westbound, Australia to Europe for example, is harder on your body than travelling eastbound. If your schedule allows, building in an extra day to adjust before any commitments begin is worth doing rather than hitting the ground running and feeling the effects for longer.
What’s your jet lag survival trick? Comment below.