Top tips for reducing jet lag

Jet lag can be especially frustrating when you need to go straight back to work or school. On average, it takes about one day per hour of time difference to recover. So if you’re traveling to Australia, it could take up to 10 days to fully adjust.

Common symptoms of jet lag include:

• Fatigue

• Insomnia

• Loss of appetite or excessive hunger

• Dehydration

• Irritability

• Digestive issues

• Headaches

• Nausea

• Difficulty concentrating

Can You prevent jet lag?

While it’s nearly impossible to completely avoid jet lag when traveling across 10 time zones, you can reduce its severity with the following tips:

1. Adjust your sleep schedule before you travel

Prevention is better than cure. A few days before your trip, start shifting your bedtime and wake-up time to match your destination’s time zone. This helps your body ease into the new rhythm.

2. Sleep during the flight according to your destination’s time

Try to sleep during the night hours of your destination while flying. This helps your body get used to the new schedule early on. On your return trip, consider setting your watch to your home time zone and sleeping accordingly.

3. Stay hydrated

Dehydration is a common symptom of jet lag and can make it worse. Be sure to drink plenty of water before and during your flight. Avoid alcohol and coffee—they may offer short-term energy but actually dehydrate you and increase jet lag symptoms.

4. Move regularly during the flight

Get up, stretch, or walk around the cabin occasionally. It helps with circulation, prevents stiffness, and may reduce jet lag symptoms.

5. Acclimate immediately

Even if you’re exhausted after a long flight, try not to nap during the day. Stay awake and go to bed at the local bedtime. This helps reset your internal clock more quickly.

Jetlag tips bij thuiskomst of aankomst op bestemming

When you arrive at your destination or return home, you want to enjoy your trip or get back to work as soon as possible. Jet lag doesn’t exactly help with that. That’s why we’ve put together a few practical tips to help reduce its effects.

6. Adjust to the local schedule

As mentioned earlier, it’s very important to adapt to the local rhythm as soon as you arrive. Eat and sleep according to the local times. This helps your body adjust more quickly to the new time zone and shortens the duration of your jet lag.

7. Wake up with the help of daylight

Daylight plays a crucial role in regulating your biological clock. When it’s dark, your body naturally becomes sleepy, while light has the opposite effect. Exposure to daylight can reduce fatigue and make it easier to wake up. Make sure your bedroom is dark when you go to sleep. Want to make waking up easier? Consider using a light therapy lamp. This type of lamp simulates morning sunlight, helping your body wake up naturally and leaving you feeling more refreshed.

8. Avoid heavy meals and alcohol

During a jet lag phase, it’s wise to avoid heavy meals, alcohol, and caffeine. Alcohol and caffeine cause dehydration, a common symptom of jet lag. Heavy meals can make you feel even more sluggish—exactly what you want to avoid when trying to adjust to a new rhythm.

9. Use DroomSap

To help your body adjust to the new schedule faster, you can use DroomSap. During the first few nights after arrival, it can be difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep. DroomSap—a combination of seven organically grown herbs, pure bee honey, and a low dose of doxylamine—supports better sleep.

It works both as a sleep initiator and sleep maintainer, and is vegetarian, gluten-free, and lactose-free. DroomSap helps you fall asleep faster and promotes deeper sleep throughout the night, so you wake up feeling rested and energized.