I’ve tried pretty much every jet lag “cure” you can imagine over the years. Melatonin pills, special diets, those weird light therapy glasses, staying awake for 24 hours straight, you name it. Some worked okay, others were complete wastes of time, and a few actually made things worse.
After way too many trips where I spent the first three days feeling like a zombie, I finally figured out what actually helps and what’s basically just expensive placebos. Turns out, a lot of the advice you see online is either outdated or just plain wrong.
Why Jet Lag Happens (And Why It Matters)
Your body has this internal clock called your circadian rhythm that basically tells you when to be awake and when to sleep. It’s incredibly powerful — more powerful than most people realize. When you suddenly jump across multiple time zones, your internal clock is still running on your home schedule while your environment is telling you something completely different.
This isn’t just about feeling tired. Jet lag messes with your hormone production, body temperature, digestion, and even your mood. I used to think I was just being dramatic when jet lag made me feel terrible, but it turns out there’s real physiological stuff happening that takes time to adjust.
The direction you travel matters too. Flying east is almost always harder than flying west because you’re trying to advance your body clock, which is much more difficult than delaying it. I learned this the hard way after a brutal flight from California to London where I felt awful for almost a week.
The Light Exposure Strategy That Actually Works
This is the big one that most people get wrong. Light exposure is the most powerful tool you have for resetting your circadian rhythm, but timing is everything.
If you’re flying east, you want bright light in the morning at your destination and you want to avoid light in the evening before you leave. If you’re flying west, it’s the opposite — avoid morning light and seek evening light.
I know this sounds complicated, but there are actually apps now that calculate the optimal light exposure schedule based on your specific travel plans. I use one called Timeshifter, and it’s been a game-changer for long-haul flights.
The key thing is starting this light therapy a few days before you travel, not just when you arrive. Most people wait until they’re already jet-lagged to think about light exposure, which is like trying to prevent a hangover after you’re already drunk.
The Melatonin Truth
Melatonin can help, but most people use it wrong. It’s not a sleeping pill, even though that’s how it’s often sold. Melatonin is a hormone that signals to your body that it’s time to start winding down for sleep.
The timing matters way more than the dose. Taking melatonin at the wrong time can actually make jet lag worse by pushing your circadian rhythm in the wrong direction. Generally, if you’re flying east, you want to take it in the evening at your destination time. If you’re flying west, you usually don’t need it at all.
And you don’t need massive doses. I see people taking 10mg melatonin supplements, but research shows that 0.5mg to 3mg is actually more effective. Higher doses can leave you groggy the next day and mess with your natural melatonin production.
The Meal Timing Trick Nobody Mentions
Your digestive system has its own circadian rhythm, and you can actually use meal timing to help reset your internal clock. This was something I stumbled onto by accident, but it turns out there’s real science behind it.
Try to eat meals at the local time as soon as you arrive, even if you’re not hungry. Skip eating during your normal meal times from home. Your body uses food cues to help determine what time it thinks it is.
I also avoid eating heavy meals on the plane now. Airplane food is usually terrible anyway, but eating a big meal when your body thinks it’s 3 AM just confuses your digestive system more. I pack some light snacks and try to eat according to my destination schedule instead.
What Doesn’t Work (Despite What You’ve Heard)
The “stay awake for 24 hours” strategy is actually counterproductive. I tried this once flying to Asia, thinking I’d just power through until the local bedtime. Instead, I ended up sleep-deprived AND jet-lagged, which was somehow worse than just being jet-lagged.
Those special “jet lag diets” that tell you to fast and feast on specific days? I’ve never seen convincing evidence that they help, and they’re a pain to follow when you’re already dealing with travel stress.
Alcohol doesn’t help, even though it might make you feel sleepy on the plane. It actually disrupts your sleep quality and can make dehydration worse, which compounds jet lag symptoms.
And caffeine timing is trickier than most people think. Having coffee at the wrong time can reinforce your old schedule instead of helping you adjust to the new one.
The Hydration Factor
Dehydration makes everything worse, including jet lag. Airplane cabins are incredibly dry, and long flights can really mess with your fluid balance. But it’s not just about drinking more water.
I learned to start hydrating well before my flight, not just during it. And I avoid alcohol and excessive caffeine for at least 24 hours before long-haul flights. Seems extreme, but the difference in how I feel when I arrive is noticeable.
Electrolyte balance matters too. I pack those little electrolyte powder packets and use them during and after long flights. Your body loses more than just water when you’re dehydrated.
The Sleep Scheduling Reality
Here’s something that took me years to accept: sometimes you just have to embrace feeling tired for a couple of days. Trying to force your body to immediately adapt to a new schedule often backfires.
Instead of fighting it completely, I now plan for a gradual adjustment. If I’m flying east across many time zones, I’ll go to bed an hour earlier each night for several days before I leave. It’s not always practical, but when I can do it, the jet lag is much more manageable.
I also stopped feeling guilty about taking short naps when I arrive. A 20-30 minute nap in the early afternoon can actually help you stay awake until a reasonable bedtime. Just don’t nap for hours or late in the day.
What Actually Works: My Current Strategy
After years of trial and error, here’s what I actually do now for long-haul flights:
Start adjusting my sleep schedule gradually about three days before I leave. Use a light therapy app to optimize my light exposure. Take low-dose melatonin at the right time for my destination. Stay hydrated but avoid alcohol. Eat according to my destination schedule as much as possible.
And honestly? I plan easier schedules for the first couple of days after I arrive. No important meetings on day one, no demanding activities until I’ve had a chance to adjust.
It’s not perfect, and I still feel some effects from major time zone changes. But I went from being completely useless for a week after international flights to feeling mostly normal after 2-3 days. For someone who travels regularly, that’s made a huge difference in both my productivity and enjoyment of trips.
