What is the secret to jet lag?

Start adjusting light exposure before your trip to decrease the length of time you will feel jet lagged. You can manipulate your body clock and ease into a new time zone as quickly as possible by controlling your exposure to light and darkness before travel.



The "secret" to beating jet lag in 2026 is a combination of light management and immediate adaptation to the new time zone. The most effective strategy is to force your body to synchronize with the local sun cycle as soon as you land. This means spending significant time outdoors in natural sunlight during the morning if you traveled east, or in the afternoon if you traveled west, to reset your circadian rhythm. Avoid napping at all costs; if you arrive at 10:00 AM, you must stay awake until at least 8:00 PM local time. Another crucial tip is to change your watch and your "mental clock" as soon as you board the plane, eating and sleeping according to your destination's schedule during the flight. Staying hydrated and avoiding alcohol/caffeine during transit helps prevent the dehydration that exacerbates fatigue. For those traveling across many time zones, low-dose melatonin taken shortly before your desired bedtime in the new city can help signal to your brain that it is time to sleep, but the primary driver remains consistent exposure to natural light and adhering to local meal times.

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According to Massimino, regulating light exposure is critical to resetting your circadian rhythms and stopping jet lag in its tracks. “It's a timing issue to reset your circadian clock. So, based on the day-night cycle, when to see light and when to see dark allows you to shift more expeditiously,” he shared.

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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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1 – Anticipate the time change for trips by getting up and going to bed earlier several days before an eastward trip and later for a westward trip. 2 – If you're wearing a watch, change the time to the destination time zone when entering the plane. 3 – Avoid drinking alcohol during your flight.

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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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Drink plenty of water before, during and after your flight to counteract the effects of dry cabin air. Dehydration can make jet lag symptoms worse. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, as these can dehydrate you and affect your sleep. Try to sleep on the plane if it's nighttime at your destination.

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Jet lag symptoms usually occur within a day or two after traveling across at least two time zones. Symptoms are likely to be worse or last longer the farther you travel. This is especially true if you fly east. It usually takes about a day to recover for each time zone crossed.

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To calculate the amount of days it takes to recover from jet lag, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) developed the following formula d = u 2 + ( z - 3 ) + v + a 10 u is the number of flight hours of the trip, and is the amount of timezones passed.

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Adjustment to a new time zone is harder when traveling east than traveling west. This is because you “lose” time and you end up trying to fall asleep when your body is actually waking up.

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Board tired.
The night before, cheat yourself of a couple of hours of sleep—not more. This works well for very long flights that last long enough to get your usual hours of rest. For flights that are just a little too short for that, like a 5-hour run from New York to Paris, this tactic can be risky.

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1 Water. It goes without saying that staying hydrated is probably the most important thing a flight attendant can do. It is recommended as a minimum that you should drink at least 0.25 liters per every hour in the air. Airlines usually supply their crews with drinking water.

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You can use the fasting reset to get the circadian rhythm back on track. If you abstain from food while you travel and indulge in a filling meal the moment you land, you will supply the body with the necessary energy. Just like you would get from a regular morning meal. With fasting, jet lag symptoms can subside.

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Use the flight to rest and reset. With a few hours of sleep during the transatlantic flight, you'll be functional the day you land. When the pilot announces the European time, reset your mind along with your wristwatch. Don't prolong jet lag by reminding yourself what time it is back home.

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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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