Strategies Before, During, and After Your Flight:
- Before Leaving: Gradually adjust your sleep schedule to align more closely with your destination's time zone.
- During the Flight: Set your watch to your destination’s time, seek light exposure based on the new time zone, and try to sleep according to the local night hours.
- After Arrival: Adjust your meal and sleep times to the local schedule and seek natural light during the day to help reset your internal clock.
The Sleep Health Foundation does recommend that you can take short naps when adapting, which may help you feel more alert if necessary. However...
“It is important that you sleep for no longer than 30 minutes and that you are awake for at least 4 hours before you go to bed.”
Understanding and managing jet lag through strategic planning and behavioural adjustments can help you adapt more quickly to time zone changes, improving your travel experience.
Most importantly be prepared to give yourself the time to adjust. It will often take at least 2-3 days.
