Lale Arikoglu, articles director, US
My tip is don’t go to bed. Force yourself to stay up, no matter how awful you feel. If I do that, I can usually crack jet lag in a day! If it’s the other way round, I just force myself to go to bed even if I’m staring at the ceiling. It all falls apart otherwise. And on that latter note—invest in an eye mask.
Sarah Allard, digital editor, UK
“I totally get how tempting it is to reach for that free fizz when you’ve just boarded a flight, or to ask for a glass of red alongside your dinner when you’re mid-flight and relaxing into your second film. But booze is widely known to be a major sleep disruptor. So if avoiding jet lag means getting some serious shut eye on your flight, then I highly recommend ditching the booze and drinking plenty of water instead. Also stay away from caffeine (pretty obvious but easily forgotten for morning take-offs) and I guarantee you’ll land feeling far more refreshed and a lot less sleepy.”
Sophie Knight, digital visuals editor, UK
“No matter what the time of day, I always try to sleep on long-haul flights. On landing, I force myself to adjust to the local time zone. If it’s the middle of the night I’ll hop right into bed, or if it’s the middle of the day I’ll try to stay awake by getting out and about. In the worst case scenario, I’ll set myself a 90-minute time limit to nap. Waking up from a deep sleep can be the hardest thing but I force myself with the help of a cold shower. I also avoid alcohol and caffeine on the first day. Eye drops are essential, and so is perseverance.”
Abigail Malbon, acting audience development manager, US
“My advice is more what not to do. In my personal experience, it’s best not to take sleeping pills. I learnt this the hard way on a flight back from Australia—yes, I slept for the duration of the flight, but my body clock ended up completely confused for the next week, and it took me way longer than usual to get over the jet lag. Now, I listen to my body more and sleep when I can. When I’m not sleeping, I’ll do something relaxing—for me, that’s watching a comforting TV show or film and forgetting about the world below.”
Zahra Surya Darma, digital team assistant, UK
“Whenever possible, aim to arrive early in the morning. The light outside has a direct impact on your circadian clock, tricking it into thinking it’s the start of the day even though it’s evening at your departure destination. As a result, you’ll experience a surge of energy similar to what you usually feel in the mornings. More often than not, you can’t check in to your accommodation until the afternoon, so you’re forced to get out and explore, even though you’re walking around in a zombie state. As the day progresses and darkness sets in, your body will naturally want to settle down and rest. By then, you’ll be exhausted which almost always guarantees a good night’s sleep.”
This article originally appeared on Condé Nast Traveller UK.
