Free and Easy Ways to Avoid Jet Lag

No matter how much your family travels or what a savvy flyer you may be, jet lag can happen to the best of us. It’s a common symptom of travel between time zones from a lack of sleep, added stress and a good amount of your day spent in transit.

For families traveling over the holiday season, or just for an easy, go-to list of tricks to stave off jet lag, we have a few expert suggestions any traveler can adhere to.

Healthy Diet and Exercise

While it may seem like the answer for everything and easier than it sounds, having a healthy lifestyle is a main factor in avoiding jet lag symptoms like drowsiness, nausea and fatigue. Families sticking to healthy lifestyle choices, like clean-eating diets and plenty of exercise, in the New Year may see a change in even their travel experiences.

A healthy diet helps your family run on more nutrient-rich foods, producing better energy levels and a slew of other benefits that result in better, deeper sleep and higher brain function — all great jet lag remedies, too, if you do fall prey.

Stay Hydrated

Make sure everyone drinks plenty of water before, during and after the trip. Staying hydrated is a great way to stay focused and full — even between meals — so you and the kids can stay alert, even when you may be exhausted.

Remember to drink more in destinations with higher elevation than your family is used to. For the adults in the group, try to avoid caffeine, tobacco and alcohol leading up to a long flight when you want to arrive fresh. While alcohol may help some doze off, it won’t be as deep a sleep as your body may need.

Get Deep Sleep

If your family is traveling to a different time zone, or if it’s a longer flight than the kids are used to, try adjusting everyone’s sleep pattern the few days leading up to the flight. If it’s an overnight flight you’d like everyone to sleep through, skip naps during the day and exercise a bit more than usual to set yourselves up for success later that night on the plane.

If you have an early morning flight, feel free to take a few naps on the plane, but try to keep them short, maybe only 20–30 minutes at a time. Download books, movies, games and entertainment to keep everyone alert for the majority of the flight to encourage a regular sleep pattern later when you land. Make sure the kids stay up a little later than usual when you land; maybe make the vacation bedtime 9:30–10 p.m. — this should help everyone adjust to the long travel day and new time zone.