How to Manage Jet Lag After a Flight

Plan around your destination clock

You can land at noon and feel ready for bed, or reach the hotel at midnight and feel wide awake. Jet lag happens when a flight crosses time zones faster than your body clock can adjust. The first day is easier to plan if you decide before departure when you want to eat, rest and go to bed by the clock at your destination.

Start by writing down your arrival time and the first thing you need to do there. If you land in the morning, you may have most of a day to get through before bedtime. If you land late, think about what will let you get to bed sooner, such as arranging transportation or keeping what you need for the first night in an easy-to-reach bag.

Give yourself a little room on the arrival day. If you can, move a demanding meeting or a long drive to a time when you’re more likely to be alert. An itinerary with a flexible first afternoon leaves room to get a meal, spend some time outdoors and slow down if you slept poorly on the flight.

For a related guide, read Make a little more room for sleep.

Before the flight, protect your sleep

Both the CDC and NHS suggest shifting sleep gradually toward the destination schedule in the days before travel when practical. For an eastbound flight, that usually means trying an earlier bedtime and wake time. For a westbound trip, it generally means moving them later. Try a shift you can fit around work and other responsibilities while still getting enough sleep.

During the flight, check the destination time before deciding whether to nap. If it’s nighttime there, an eye mask and earplugs may make it easier to rest. Keep water available and avoid relying on alcohol to sleep. If the cabin stays bright or you can’t sleep, you can still keep the first day’s plans flexible when you arrive.

After landing, make the first day manageable

On a longer trip, start using local time for meals and bedtime. If you land during the day, an easy outdoor activity, such as a walk near your hotel, can help you spend time in daylight and stay up until closer to local bedtime. For large time shifts, the CDC notes that the best timing for bright light depends on how far and in which direction you travel.

A long afternoon nap can make bedtime harder. If you need a nap to stay alert, the CDC suggests keeping it short, around 20 to 30 minutes, so it’s less likely to get in the way of nighttime sleep. If you’re too sleepy to drive safely, arrange a ride or delay the drive. A nap by itself gives you no assurance that you’re alert enough to drive.

If you arrive in the evening, give yourself a simple route to bed. Set an alarm for the local morning, keep the room comfortably dark, and leave activities that can wait until the next day. If you wake unusually early, keep the rest of the day’s plans loose so you can adjust as your sleep settles.

For a related guide, read Evening Screen Habits: A Practical Plan for Less Bedtime Scrolling.

Adapt the plan to the length of your trip

For a visit of only a couple of days, the CDC and NHS both note that staying closer to your home schedule can be an option. Check the destination’s clock against your commitments first. If your meetings and meals fit your usual waking hours, staying partly on home time may make the return easier. If they fall during your usual night, plan your rest around the times you need to be alert.

For a longer stay, use a few predictable points in the day, such as breakfast and a local bedtime, to settle into the new schedule. Sleep often improves over several days. A short note about when you slept and when you felt most alert can help you plan the next day and make a better arrival plan for future trips.