7 Life Changing Travel Hacks for Jet Lag

Want to know the best travel hacks for jet lag? Here are 7 travel hacks that you NEED to know!

Traveling to another country can be extremely exciting, but what if that destination has a very different time zone than yours?! Nothing is worse than feeling too exhausted to enjoy the first 2 or 3 days of your international vacation, especially when you only have 1 week to enjoy it!!

Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! We’ve tested and perfected these 7 travel hacks for long flights over the past 10 years of international travel. These tips cover best flight times, sleep schedules, caffeine intake, and exercise tips that will save you from jet lag and help you get the most out of your vacation!

This post is all about the 7 best, tried-and-true travel hacks for jet lag!

7 Best Travel Hacks for Jet Lag

1. Book overnight flights for long haul travel

There are many reasons to choose an overnight flight itinerary (i.e. flights that leave around 9 or 10PM).

First of all, these flights often save you money! These flights are usually cheaper than flights that leave during daytime. 

Second, If you are an airport lounge user, the lounges will be much less crowded prior to your boarding time compared to morning or afternoon. 

Third, assuming you work a traditional day-job schedule, you can get a full day of work in prior to your trip (saving valuable PTO time)!

Last, and most important, you are more likely to sleep on an overnight plane which, as you will hear me say repeatedly in this post, is critical to hacking jet lag.

2. Adjust your sleep schedule prior to your flight, starting 1- 2 weeks ahead of time

Look, I am all about free travel hacks for jet lag! You won’t see me promote costly applications or paid jet lag calculators in this post (though I may review those in the future!) But here is one thing we can all do for free … adjust our sleep/wake cycle!

For most of us based in the United States, this is how to beat jet lag going east (towards Europe). What you want to do is gradually shift your sleep/wake times to match your destination. 

Example: the last time we flew to Paris – which is 5 hours ahead of Atlanta – I spent the 2 weeks prior to our trip waking up gradually earlier, until I was waking up at around 4 AM for several days before our trip. This was super helpful for 2 reasons:

Reason #1 – By the time we took our overnight flight to Paris, which departed Atlanta around 10PM, we were EXHAUSTED since we had been used to falling asleep around 9PM for the previous week. Thus, we slept like freaking babies almost the whole flight. Getting good sleep on the flight is SO IMPORTANT!

Reason #2 – By falling asleep around 9PM and waking up around 4AM for several days prior to our trip to Paris, we had essentially already adjusted our biochemical clocks by about 3 hours. This means our 5-hour time chance was cut by more than half to only 2 hours! The difference this made to our jetlag experience was HUGE! 

3. Workout before your flight

One awesome way to ensure that you’ll be sleepy on your long-haul flight is to get a good workout in before hand.

Cardiovascular exercise like running, biking, elliptical, or HIIT workouts are preferred since they not only wear you out, but they also improve your circulation which is very important before a long haul flight!

Note: Try to avoid heavy weight lifting (especially leg day) for 48 hours prior to your flight. Remember that you’ll be confined in a small space for hours … you want to be tired, but not stiff! Trust me, I’ve made the mistake of hitting leg day before a long haul flight. Boyyyyy, was I regretting that 5 hours into an 11 hour flight!

4. Bring your own food

A GAME CHANGING travel hacks for jet lag is to bring your own food … we prefer sandwiches cut in half and individually wrapped, so that you can snack as much or as little as you want. If you are an airport lounge user, make sure to bring something from the lounge. We recommend this for 3 reasons:

Reason #1 – You can eat your dinner as soon as you get settled into your seat! You don’t need to wait hours for the plan meal to be served.

Reason #2 – Airplane is … let’s be honest … not great. Typically it is small, salty, and not particularly tasty. With your own meal, you can be confident you’re eating something healthy, prepared in a safe way, and at the time that you desire.

Reason #3 – You can take advantage of natural post-prandial (after eating) sleepiness to increase your chances of falling asleep early in your long haul flight! PLUS you don’t need to be interrupted or woken up when the food gets brought around during the flight.

Important note: Don’t bring fresh fruit/produce and make sure you actually finish all the food you bring onboard. Otherwise, you could have trouble with customs for bring food into another country.

5. Sleep on the plane immediately

When I say immediately, I mean that your sleep routine starts as soon as you get on your seat! Not after the inflight meal has finally been served. Not after you’ve watching the newest superhero movie. IMMEDIATELY. Here are three things to keep in mind when it comes to sleeping on board a long haul flight.

1. If you are someone who uses prescribed sleep aids, over-the-counter melatonin, Tylenol PM, antihistamines, sleepy-time tea, chamomile tea, or anything else to fall asleep back home, bring that aid with you and take it as soon as you get into your seat.
2. Eat your meal you’ve brought with you as soon as you’re settled in (see tip 4). You don’t want to wait until the airplane food is served, as it could take several hours and cost you valuable rest.
3. Bring headphones, ear plugs, or some kind of noise cancelling device to limit interruptions to your sleep throughout the flight. 
4. Similarly, be sure to bring an eye mask or hoodie – anything to dim the light so that your sleep isn’t affected by the cabin lighting situation. 
   

6. Workout in the mornings at your destination

Getting some first-thing-in-the-morning movement once you get to your destination country is my FAVORITE travel hacks for jet lag.

1. We find the best exercise to do is to get a light run in, even before breakfast, when we get somewhere new. I swear this helps readjust our clock and set up a normal day/night routine faster. 
2. Not only does running help our jet lag, it helps us orient to wherever we are. We familiarize ourselves with our surroundings and actually get to sight see! 
3. It’s a mood and energy boost! No one likes a grumpy travel buddy. 30 minutes of light exercise ensures we’re both full of endorphins and ready to take on the day!

7. Let’s talk Caffeine

One of the best free travel hacks for jet lag is to forego the Starbucks. It’s simple! DO NOT drink anything with sugar or caffeine for at least 12 hours prior to your long-haul flight. That means no sodas, teas, sports drinks, juices, or coffees. To be safe, I would just stick to water and milk.

Once you get to where you’re going, now it’s time to caffeinate to stay awake! Again, a light workout and a yummy caffeinated beverage are a great way to trick your body into realizing that it’s 10am, not 3am. 

I hope you’ve enjoyed this post on 7 life changing travel hacks for jet lag. Let us know in the comments if you have any awesome jet lag tips we’ve missed!

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