Should you nap when you get to Europe?

On arrival, stay awake until an early local bedtime. 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.



People Also Ask

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.

MORE DETAILS

Limit naps in the days following your arrival. If you need it, taking a short nap can help you stay awake during the day. But napping for more than 30 minutes can keep you from falling asleep at night. Try to stay awake until your normal bedtime and get up on time the next day.

MORE DETAILS

So, you have to treat your body well and help it along with a few easy steps:
  1. Drink water. On an international flight, I generally board the plane with a full liter of water. ...
  2. Don't drink alcohol. ...
  3. Sleep when flying TO Europe. ...
  4. Stay awake. ...
  5. Go to bed. ...
  6. For 3-4 nights: take Tylenol PM (or something similar). ...
  7. No napping.


MORE DETAILS

15 Science-Backed Tips for Sleeping 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.


MORE DETAILS

Most people find that jet lag is worse when traveling east than it is when traveling west. View Source . Jet lag differs based on the direction of travel because it's generally easier to delay your internal clock than advance it. Jet lag does not occur on north-south flights that do not cross multiple time zones.

MORE DETAILS

How long jet lag lasts depends on the time difference between your point of departure and your destination. The greater the time difference, the longer it tends to take your body to adjust. Researchers have found that, on average, it takes people about one day to adjust for each 1 to 1.5 hours of time change.

MORE DETAILS

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.

MORE DETAILS

Rely on Light and Naps And, despite what travelers may have heard about avoiding naps if they're trying to beat jet lag, he said that a 30-minute to hourlong snooze is actually beneficial because it gives you enough energy to stay awake through the day but still get a good night's rest.

MORE DETAILS

Some people withstand jet lag better than others — possibly because they may be more sensitive to light, they're simply better at falling asleep, or they're just more tolerant of discomfort.

MORE DETAILS

Symptoms may be more pronounced as more time zones are crossed. Most people find that jet lag is worse when traveling east than it is when traveling west.

MORE DETAILS

If you're sleeping on a plane, you can't actively work to relax those muscles and release the tension, so you can become susceptible to dizziness, ear infections, eardrum damage, hearing loss and nose bleeds.

MORE DETAILS