9 Ways to Get Over Jet Lag Fast

You can't avoid jet lag entirely, but you can shorten it. Here's how to get over jet lag quickly so you can make the most of your trip.

How to overcome jet lag

Jet lag happens when you cross a large number of time zones in a short space of time. It's a fairly new problem in human history, arriving with the airplane. Passengers on the Titanic never had to think about it, though they had other things on their minds.

Anyone who's had it knows how much it takes out of a trip. You want to enjoy Paris without falling asleep halfway round the Louvre.

Symptoms of jet lag

Most people associate jet lag with lying awake at three in the morning or fading badly after lunch, and it does wreck your sleep. The trouble goes wider than that though.

Because jet lag comes from a sudden shift in your circadian rhythm, your whole body ends up out of sync with where you are. The CDC lists sleep disturbance, difficulty concentrating, daytime sleepiness, general malaise and gastrointestinal problems among the effects, and plenty of people notice their mood shifting too.

It's more common than most travelers assume. One survey found that 68% of international business travelers deal with symptoms on a regular basis.

How long does it take to get over jet lag?

Recovery time varies enormously from person to person. Some people are ready for a full day out the moment they land, while others feel slightly off for the whole trip. Knowing how your own body handles it helps you set a realistic pace.

The CDC puts the average rate of adjustment at around an hour a day when flying east, and about an hour and a half a day flying west. So a seven-hour time difference between New York and Istanbul takes roughly a week to shake off going east, and rather less coming home.

That doesn't mean writing off the first week. You'll usually feel up to an adventure after a couple of days. It's worth giving yourself some grace if you still feel rough several days in.

Why flying east is worse

There's a reason eastward trips hit harder, and it's built into all of us. Our internal clock runs slightly longer than 24 hours, which means we're naturally inclined to stay up later rather than turn in earlier.

Flying west asks you to stay up longer, which your body is already leaning toward. Flying east asks you to fall asleep before you're ready, which it isn't. Cross twelve time zones and the direction stops mattering, because you're getting the full dose either way.

Tips for hacking jet lag

Managing jet lag deserves as much thought as your packing and your trip itinerary. 

1. Rest up beforehand

There's always plenty to do before a big trip, and sleep is usually the first thing sacrificed. It's tempting to assume you'll catch up on the flight, but sleep debt doesn't clear that easily. Arriving already short is the fastest way to make jet lag worse than it needed to be.

2. Shift your schedule before you go

You won't move your whole routine before leaving, and you don't need to. Flying east, go to bed an hour or two earlier for a few nights beforehand. Flying west, stay up a little later. Even a partial shift means less distance to cover when you land.

3. Have a flight strategy

Long-haul flights are hard enough without making them harder. Decide in advance when you're going to sleep, based on the time at your destination rather than the time you left. If it's night where you're heading, sleep. If it isn't, stay awake.

Be selective about airplane meals too, particularly if it's nighttime where you're going. Eating at odd hours pushes your body clock further out of position. Pack decent snacks for when you're genuinely hungry, and keep drinking water.

4. Get the light right

Light is the strongest signal your circadian rhythm responds to, and the timing matters more than the amount. Researchers at Stanford's Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance recommend getting light in the morning and avoiding it in the evening when you've flown east, and doing the opposite when you've flown west.

Used properly, that alone shifts your clock by around an hour a day. Keep screens down at night so your brain can produce the melatonin it needs.

5. Stay awake all day

This one's uncomfortable and it works. Push through until at least nine or ten in the evening, and avoid naps for the first few days.

The easiest way to stay upright is to have something to do. Plan a few undemanding activities for the first couple of days, interesting enough to distract you from how tired you are without wearing you out. If you truly need to nap, take it at least eight hours before bedtime.

6. Drink plenty of water

Dehydration makes every symptom of jet lag worse, and cabin air dries you out on a long flight. Start drinking well before you fly, keep going in the air, and carry on once you land. Book the aisle seat while you're at it.

7. Eat well

Your gut is closely tied to your circadian rhythm, which is why digestion often goes sideways when you travel. Lighter meals with plenty of fruit and vegetables settle things faster than heavy ones, and that applies in the air as much as on the ground.

8. Try cold therapy

Not every destination comes with a float tank or an infrared sauna. Cold is the one biohacking tool available almost anywhere, and a cold shower works whether you're in a five-star hotel or somewhere considerably more rustic. Good for energy, good for waking up on a morning your body thinks is the middle of the night.

9. Use Harmoniq

The problem with sleeping pills, supplements and caffeine is that they all come with side effects. Coffee will get you through a fogged afternoon and leave you dehydrated. A sleeping pill will get you down at night and leave you groggy in the morning.

Harmoniq gives you another way in. Choose an alertness signal in the morning when your body still thinks it's the middle of the night, and switch to a sleep signal at bedtime instead of reaching for something. Nothing to swallow, nothing to build up in your system, and no cost to pay the following morning.

Which matters more on a trip than at home, because everything else about your routine has already moved. Get the state right and the rest of the adjustment comes faster.

Shop Harmoniq here.

Harmoniq products are wellness tools for rest and relaxation. They are not medical devices, are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any condition, and are not a substitute for medical advice.