Can you avoid jet lag by sleeping on plane?

Blocking out light is key to getting sleep on the plane (a proven jet lag antidote on overnight flights). If your destination is several hours ahead, wear sunglasses until you're ready to snooze, then strap on a sleeping mask.



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Try to Sleep During the Flight
One of the best ways to minimize jet lag is to try and sleep during the flight. Using earplugs, eye masks, or noise-cancellation headphones helps to block out light and noise.

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Common ways pilots avoid jetlag is staying hydrated, good rest, avoiding caffeine and alcohol, exercising, or sleeping on the airplane. For long-haul flights airlines use multiple pilots for the flight to allow each pilot to get some rest. The more time zones that are crossed, the worse the jet lag.

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The key to beating jet lag is to get onto local time as soon as possible. Spend time outdoors in sunlight and do your best to stay awake until nighttime.

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It is widely acknowledged that jet lag is worse when travelling east, but this has nothing to do with the direction of Earth's rotation. Like many creatures, humans have a circadian rhythm that follows a 24-hour period and is kept in sync by the eyes' response to natural light levels over the day.

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If you have the choice, try to book a flight that leaves between 8 am and noon and arrives between 6 pm and 10 pm. According to this book, flights that leave late at night (10 pm-1 am) and arrive in the morning (8 am to noon) give a much bigger risk for jet lag.

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Flying east or west makes a difference to jet lag This is because travelling west 'prolongs' the body clock's experience of its normal day-night cycle (the normal tendency of the body clock in most of us is slightly longer than 24 hours). Travelling eastwards, however, runs in direct opposition to the body clock.

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Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate Abidos's most important advice for fighting jet lag is also one of the easiest: Stay hydrated. That means chug water, and skip stuff that's not water. As alluring as an airport beer or nightcap may be, your best bet for beating jet lag is to avoid alcohol early in your trip.

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How to survive a long-haul flight: 10 proven tips
  1. Find comfortable clothes to wear on long flights. ...
  2. Reserve a good seat. ...
  3. Prepare yourself for sleep. ...
  4. Don't pack too much in your cabin luggage. ...
  5. Take your own snacks. ...
  6. Move around the plane. ...
  7. Stay hydrated. ...
  8. Relax!


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Read on for our science-backed strategies* for how to sleep on a plane.
  1. Stay at the right temperature. ...
  2. Wear bed socks. ...
  3. Power down your devices. ...
  4. Wear a light-blocking eye mask. ...
  5. Listen to pink noise. ...
  6. Wear noise-canceling headphones or earplugs. ...
  7. Uncross legs and use footrests. ...
  8. Lean backward with proper support.


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Don't Pull an All-Nighter However, that sleep on the plane is never as good as the sleep you missed out on the night before. If you're somewhat rested and ready for a long journey, chances are you won't miss connections due to being rundown and listless from that all-nighter you pulled.

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The disruption of the circadian cycle can trigger any number of regulating processes that are pertinent to our everyday life including blood pressure, appetite, heart rate and more. “Scientists have a limited understanding of why some people are particularly susceptible to jet lag while others seem spared.

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And when you're looking at long journey, a sleepless flight can make overcoming jet lag that much harder. Yes, of course flying business class with a lie-flat bed is better when it comes to sleeping and adjusting time zones. Duh: This isn't some grand revelation.

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On arrival, stay awake until an early local bedtime. Plan a good walk until early evening. Jet lag hates fresh air, daylight, and exercise. Your body may beg for sleep, but stand firm: Refuse. Force your body's transition to the local time.

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In addition to shift work, the two types of employees who work on aircraft, pilots (also known as flight deck or flight crew) and cabin crew (also commonly known as flight attendants), regularly experience jet lag.

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