With half-term fast approaching, plenty of us will be preparing to jet off for some early summer sunshine. But as blissful as a holiday is, there’s one element of travelling we don’t relish: the jet lag.
Jet lag is the extreme fatigue you experience while travelling across time zones, and a recent study has shown it can impact your sleep quality for at least a week. It’s particularly bad after travelling eastward (on return to the UK, you effectively have to stay up for additional hours), which is bad news given the boom in tourism to eastern locations like Thailand and Japan.
Let’s be honest: with work, childcare and all the other everyday activities, we can’t afford a week of feeling tired all the time. So when Martin Seeley, CEO and sleep expert at MattressNextDay, shared his five tried-and-tested tips for beating jet lag, you’d better believe we listened up. Here are his top hacks to enjoy your holiday and return home feeling relaxed and rejuvenated, wherever you travel.
Start shifting your sleep schedule a few days before travel
‘Jet lag is essentially your body clock being out of sync with the clock,’ Seeley explains. ‘But there are ways to start incrementally syncing your body with the time zone of where you’re flying to.’
‘A few days before your trip, move your bedtime and wake-up time by 30 to 60 minutes each day towards the time zone you’re travelling to,’ Seeley advises. ‘For example, if you’re flying east, try going to bed earlier.’
‘This gradual adjustment gives your internal clock a head start, so you’re not trying to make a big jump all at once, and therefore should experience less severe symptoms when you land.’
Change your watch and phone to your destination’s time as soon as you board the plane
Most of us wait until we land to start fiddling with our watch to adjust the time (and phones only change when they regain network signal after airplane mode is switched off). However, Seeley says we should instead be switching to our new time zone as soon as we sit down for the flight.
‘It might seem like a small thing,’ he admits, ‘but it’s a powerful psychological cue that helps your brain start thinking in the new time zone. It’s particularly useful if you’re on a long-haul flight and trying to sleep, as you’ll be aware whether you’re doing so in sync with the correct time zone.’
‘This early mental shift can make it easier to sleep and eat according to local time both while flying and as soon as you land, speeding up your adjustment.’
Use temperature cues to manipulate your body clock
‘Temperature plays a key role in signalling to your body when to sleep and when to wake,’ Seeley explains, ‘and you can therefore use it to trick your body into feeling more tired or lively.’
‘Try taking a cool shower in the morning to help wake you up gently, and a warm shower about an hour before bed, as this helps encourage sleepiness.’
‘Keeping your bedroom cool – around 16 to 18°C – also supports deeper, more restful sleep. These simple temperature cues can help your body adjust faster to a new time zone and reduce jet lag.’
Keep your evenings calm and lights low
We all know how disruptive the blue light emitted by screens is to our sleep schedule. But this is particularly the case when your body is already out of whack because of the change in time zone.
‘It’s even more important to dim the lights and avoid screens for at least an hour before bed,’ Seeley explains, ‘because blue light from phones and tablets tricks your brain into thinking it’s still daytime, making it harder to fall asleep.’
‘Instead, wind down with a book, some gentle stretching, or meditation. This helps your body produce melatonin naturally and signals it’s time to rest, which is vital for resetting your internal clock.’
Consider melatonin supplements, especially for eastward flights
Over the past few years, melatonin supplements have surged in popularity as people rave about the sleep-boosting benefits. For Seeley, eastward travel is when they work most effectively, to help provide the sleep chemicals your body needs.
‘If you’re crossing multiple time zones, especially flying east, a small dose of melatonin about an hour before your new local bedtime can help nudge your body clock in the right direction,’ Seeley advises.
‘It’s not a magic bullet, but many travellers find it useful. Just make sure to consult your doctor before trying supplements.’ In the UK, melatonin is prescription-only, so you will need to speak to your GP if you want to try it.
