Sleep Well During Travel: Beat Jet Lag with These Tips
Summer is here, and whether you’re travelling or jet-setting, jet lag and disrupted routines can make it tough to sleep well. Maintaining good sleep hygiene can be challenging while at home, let alone when you are travelling.
No matter if you're travelling across time zones, coping with jet lag, or just trying to sleep well on holiday, this guide will help.
Before we go through the various ways you can ensure you get enough, good quality sleep while away, let’s review why sleep is so important. As a sleep therapist, I understand and focus on the importance of quality sleep for overall well-being.
When you don’t get enough sleep, it’s not just your mood that suffers. Lack of adequate rest can lead to decreased alertness, slower reaction times, and impaired judgment (1), critical factors that can put a damper on your travel plans and even jeopardise your safety.
While chronic sleep deprivation can also contribute to long-term health and lifestyle issues, such as hypertension, weight gain, diabetes and weakened immune function (2).
Sleep is simply vital. We require sleep and rest just as much as we require food, water, and air to stay alive. This is why it's crucial to prioritise your sleep, even when you're away from home.
Why Travelling Disrupts Sleep
Crossing time zones throws off your circadian rhythm (jet lag).
Unfamiliar sleep environments make it hard to sleep well.
Travel stress can further reduce sleep quality.
Understanding Jet Lag and Why You Can’t Sleep Well When Traveling
Jet lag, also known as desynchronosis, occurs when your body's internal clock, or circadian rhythm, is disrupted by rapid travel across multiple time zones (3). This disruption leads to a mismatch between your internal clock (also known as sleep-wake cycle) and the local time at your destination, resulting in a variety of symptoms that affect both body and mind.
Physically, you may experience fatigue, digestive issues, and difficulty falling or staying asleep.
FACT
Mentally, jet lag can lead to cognitive impairments such as decreased alertness, memory problems, and mood disturbances
These symptoms occur because your body relies on a consistent schedule of light and dark to regulate biological processes, including sleep, hormone release, and metabolism. When you cross time zones, these signals become out of sync, causing the uncomfortable effects of jet lag (4). This underscores the importance of implementing strategies to manage and mitigate jet lag, allowing you to enjoy your travels without the accompanying sleep disruptions.
Top Strategies to Overcome Jet Lag and Sleep Well on the Go
One of the first things I would recommend would be to acknowledge and accept the feeling itself. Jet lag happens however it is not a description of who you are as a person, or a personal trait. Implementing certain changes can help tremendously.
If the below does not help, speak to a professional about it and look for a more personalised 1:1 approach.
Here are my top tips to help you sleep soundly and combat jet lag during your summer travels:
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Preparation is key to ensuring you get the rest you need while travelling. Begin by gradually adjusting your sleep schedule to match your destination's time zone a few days before departure. This can help ease the transition and reduce the impact of jet lag.
Tip: If you're travelling east, try going to bed an hour earlier each night. For westward travel, delay your bedtime by an hour each evening. Research indicates that this method can help your body's internal clock adjust more smoothly (5).
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A familiar sleep environment can make all the difference when you're away from home. Bring along items that help you relax, such as a favourite pillow or a cosy blanket. Or even a smaller version of your preferred candle as smells can also make a hotel room feel like home. Earplugs and an eye mask can also be invaluable in creating a quiet, dark environment conducive to sleep.
Tip: Consider using a white noise app to drown out unfamiliar sounds. Studies have shown that white noise can improve sleep quality by masking disruptive or uncommon noises (6).
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Travelling means changes in your daily routine, including your hydration habits. While it's important to stay hydrated, especially on long flights, be mindful of your caffeine and alcohol intake. Both can disrupt your sleep patterns and exacerbate jet lag symptoms.
Tip: Go for water (plain or sparkling) or herbal teas instead. According to the National Sleep Foundation, caffeine and alcohol can interfere with your body's natural sleep processes, making it harder to fall and stay asleep (7).
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Upon arrival, make an effort to adjust to the local time as quickly as possible. Spend time outdoors during daylight hours to help reset your internal clock, as exposure to natural light is a powerful cue for your body's circadian rhythm.
Tip: Avoid napping during the day, no matter how tired you feel. Instead, try to stay awake until a reasonable local bedtime. A study published in the Journal of Biological Rhythms found that exposure to natural light can significantly reduce the effects of jet lag (8).
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What you eat and when you eat it can also impact your sleep. Heavy, rich meals close to bedtime can cause discomfort and interfere with your sleep. Aim for light, balanced meals, and try to eat at regular intervals according to your destination's time zone.
Tip: Incorporate foods that promote sleep, such as those rich in tryptophan (e.g., turkey, nuts), melatonin (e.g., cherries), and magnesium (e.g., leafy greens). These nutrients can help facilitate better sleep quality (9).
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Travelling can be stressful, which in turn can affect your sleep. Incorporate relaxation techniques into your routine to help calm your mind and prepare your body for rest. Deep breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, calming hypnosis or mindfulness meditation can all be beneficial.
Tip: Download a meditation app to guide you through relaxation exercises or speak to a hypnotherapist to help. Research suggests that mindfulness, meditation and/or hypnotherapy can improve sleep quality and reduce insomnia symptoms (10, 11).
If you find yourself struggling to cope with sleep disturbances, don't hesitate to seek support from a qualified professional. If you’re considering exploring a personalised online approach, my 90-min Power Sleep Session might be the one for you. Designed exclusively for individualised support, this one-on-one approach is crafted to enhance sleep quality and quantity, increase energy levels, improve focus, and address issues related to worry and stress.
My Power Sleep Session helps you break free from sleepless nights, giving you back your energy and getting you to prioritise sleep and wellbeing once more, even while on holiday.
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