What is jet lag?
Your body has a circadian rhythm. This means you’re used to sleeping and waking at certain times each day, tied to the rise and fall of the sun. When you go to a new place that has different times tied to the rise and fall of the sun, it throws your circadian rhythm off and you feel tired, cranky, and can have other social difficulties.
Traveling Domestically
When I travel domestically within the US, I don’t usually worry too much about jet lag. There’s only a difference of three hours between coasts, so it doesn’t affect me that much except for mealtime. I’ve lived on the east coast of the US most of my life. If you’re traveling from coast to coast for the first time, it may affect you pretty severely though.
Traveling Internationally
By saying internationally, I mean leaving North America (at least for me). If I’m traveling south across the equator into Central or South America or I’m heading across the ocean, I have to prepare myself for that change. Even though I’ve done it many times, it still affects me if I don’t plan appropriately.
How to Beat Jet Lag
Change your sleep pattern in favor of the destination.
If I’m going to Japan to celebrate the new year with my family, there’s a 14-hour difference in time. So New York’s 8pm on Thursday is Japan’s 10am on Friday.
I basically skip my normal night’s sleep and make myself get really tired. I try to drink strong tea so I keep going on caffeine and when I finally get in the seat on the plane, assuming it’s bed time (10pm or so for me) at the destination, I finally let the fatigue take me and I fall asleep. Every airline I’ve ever taken will let you sleep with the exception of Air Canada. They ALWAYS wake you up for meals, drinks service, or whatever. I’ve never gotten any solid sleep on Air Canada flights and now I outright refuse (for this and other reasons) to take them anymore.
Prepare Everything
- I always get a window seat. If I’m asleep and in the middle or aisle seat and someone needs to get up and stretch or go to the restroom, they’re going to have to wake me up.
- Make sure you have everything packed and waiting at your front door at least two days prior to flight. Since I’m skipping a sleep cycle, I’ll be tired, so planning and packing everything while I’m fighting fatigue will result in my forgetting stuff and making my trip a bit more difficult later.
- Make sure you have gone to the restroom before boarding the plane. Even if you don’t feel you have to.
- Dress for your flight and include your compression socks.
Benefits of Sleeping on the Plane
You can pass 5-8 hours of flight time. A general rule of thumb is that the number of time zones you pass will be about the number of hours of flight. Washington DC to London is about 5 hours. New York to Tokyo is about 12 hours. These times will allow you to get a full sleep cycle while in the air. Many people don’t plan any kind of entertainment for themselves so sleeping eliminates at least half the time you need to find something to do.
What I Don’t Do
- I don’t bring a travel pillow. I find them bulky and take up weight I don’t want to sacrifice. When I get to a destination (I’ll use Japan again) I will typically go to a few additional destinations aside from my main destination. So after landing in Tokyo and staying a few days, maybe I’ll go to Sapporo (in the north) and then to Kyoto (back down south) and then Osaka, then my actual main destination. Each time I go to a new hotel, do I really want to pack the travel pillow? Do I want to try to squeeze it into a corner of my suitcase? No way. Everything you bring with you costs you three things: weight, volume (size), and time to consider/pack it. Everything I bring must compete based on those three conditions. I know there are inflatable travel pillows as well. I don’t need them. I have learned to keep my head steady in the seat or against the wall of the plane.
- I don’t bring a blanket. I travel in pants and my jacket to save valuable space in my bags. If I’m cold, I zip my jacket up. If I’m warm, I unzip. If my legs get unbearably cold, the flight attendants have reasonable blankets that have been cleaned in little bags they can loan you.
- I don’t take pills for sleep or staying awake. I find that it makes you off for a few days and I don’t like that.
Additional Tips
If you’re super concerned about waking up, you may want to consider a jet lag light that simulates the sun that you’re used to and helps you wake up easier and may assist you in waking easier. When I moved from Miami (a lot of sunlight) to Washington DC, the sun was very different and it took me a very long time to adjust. I got a “sun light” that simulated the sunrise in Miami (you can tell it where to simulate) and I had much better days. I eventually didn’t need it at all. I tried to find travel lights that use USB so that you don’t have to worry about what the plugs are like in your destination, but I couldn’t find anything, so make sure you have an adapter.