Top Tips for Beating Jet Lag: Indagare Founder Melissa Biggs Bradley on Mastering Jet Lag

I am often asked to share my practices for mastering jet lag while traveling. I’ve acquired them over many years and use them often. I often land and hit the ground running, with little time to adjust, so I’ve developed methods for conquering the misery of sleep deprivation and jet lag discomfort. They might not work for everyone—and you may not be able to avoid the symptoms entirely—but here are some of my tips for adjusting as quickly as possible when hopping time zones, with steps you can take before and after your travel to mitigate the effects of jet lag.

Before You Go

First, begin adjusting your body clock early. A few days before your departure, start shifting your sleeping and eating schedules to be closer to those you will be adopting at your destination. What does that mean? For example: If you’re headed to Europe from New York, wake up a bit earlier each day and move your meals a bit earlier. On the days that I depart from New York to Europe, for instance, I get up no later than 4:00 a.m. (which is 10:00 a.m. in Europe). I will set my watch to European time then, so at 7:00 a.m. (1:00 p.m. in Europe) I will eat lunch, and six hours later, before I go to the airport at 1:00 p.m. in New York, I will have “dinner,” which is 7:00 p.m. in Europe. Then, when I get on my 7:00 or 8:00 p.m. flight, my body knows from a time and food perspective that it is bedtime. I go to sleep as soon as I get on board (and if you haven’t already, this is the moment to set your watch or phone to your destination’s time). If you are unable to make these shifts in advance, at least try to wake up extra early on the day of your flight, so you’ll feel more tired than usual by the time you board.

Come prepared with airplane sleep and wellness essentials. A well-stocked carry-on is key for traveling in comfort. In addition to the eye masks, ear plugs, noise-canceling headphones and sleep, hydration and skincare aids I’ve outlined below, you can find my full list of in-flight essentials here.

En Route

Commit to a sleep plan. Sleep rituals help to cue your body to sleep. Bring a sleep mask and earplugs or noise-canceling headphones to make your space dark and quiet regardless of what else is going on around you in the cabin. Many of our Indagare team members also rely on sleep-inducing playlists. Natural sleeping aids like melatonin or magnesium or over-the-counter or prescription aids like Tylenol PM or Xanax can help. Most importantly, try to sleep when you would be sleeping where you are going. If your flight takes place during your destination’s evening hours, do your best to sleep on the plane, so you can hit the ground running when you arrive in the morning. If you’re in the air during your destination’s daylight hours, keep yourself awake by walking in the aisles, stretching frequently and hydrating often, then head straight to bed upon arrival at night.

Next—and this is a controversial one—I try to never eat on a flight. I got this advice years ago from a Singapore Airlines steward on a commercial flight (since suspended) that was the longest flight in the world at the time—18.5 hours from Singapore to New York. There are numerous theories as to why avoiding eating in the air helps. One is that there is so much salt in airplane food (to make it tasty) that you become unnecessarily bloated and lethargic. Another is that low cabin pressure combined with sitting immobile for so long slows down your digestion. Most people will tell you that they eat on planes not because they are hungry but out of boredom. It is especially easy to avoid eating when you are traveling from the U.S. to Europe on a night flight, because you can skip the meal on the plane (to sleep) and arrive hungry and get to eat something much more delicious than plane food at a café in Paris or Rome. It is harder to do on long day flights, but for those I try to stick to eating something healthy and easy to digest before boarding, fasting or having just a snack of unprocessed, light, easy-to-digest foods like soups, unsalted nuts or fruit (and always at a time when I’d be eating at my destination). Plus, avoiding eating keeps your digestive system from working extra hard once you land, reserving your body’s energy for helping you stay awake.

Hydrate inside and out. Pressurized cabins have super-low humidity levels (between 10 and 20 percent, versus a normal average of 40 to 70 percent). This dries out your skin and can make you sleepy. It has been said that on a 10-hour flight, you can lose two liters of water from the low humidity. To counteract this, the best remedy is to drink plenty of water; try to drink at least eight ounces of water every hour of your flight. To avoid having to wait for the steward to provide water refills and decrease the use of plastics, I tend to bring a large metal bottle on board (or ask for multiple bottles at once). I also always bring rehydration powders to add to the water like DripDrop or Liquid I.V., which have extra electrolytes, sodium and potassium, which restore hydration faster than plain water. Don’t drink coffee or alcohol, as they dehydrate. I wash my face as soon as I board (LA Fresh or MAC face towelettes are great for travel). Then use a heavy serum and moisturizer with an SPF on top, since you are exposed to more UVB rays at high altitude. (I also love the organic Natura Bissé tinted moisturizers with UVB protection.) Slathering my clean face with hydrating moisturizer is another cue from my routines that it is time to sleep.

Upon Arrival

Embrace your new time zone immediately. If you arrive at night and need help falling asleep, take a warm bath and avoid caffeine, alcohol and any cell phone or computer screens for at least an hour before bed. If it is day time when you land, spend time in the sun. As soon as you arrive at your destination, try to get outside or somewhere inside where you are exposed to daylight so your natural melatonin levels can adjust to the new time zone; this helps reset your body’s circadian rhythm. I love going for a long walk and eating outside if possible. Maximize your exposure to natural light during your first days on the ground.

Resist napping for more than an hour. Even when you are exhausted, it is best not to give in to the urge to lie down and close your eyes. If you can’t resist, do not sleep for more than an hour. Longer naps will disrupt your body clock further, and it will be hard to get on the new schedule. Push through the day by remaining moderately active; ideally, I try to fit a workout and a massage into my first day, as both seem to help if I am tempted to nap. Even a 20-minute workout or a 60-minute massage is beneficial.

Finally, on my very first night in a new destination, I will often take something to help me sleep through the night. Your body won’t be totally adjusted even if you follow all of these tips, so it is possible that you will wake up in the middle of the night and have a hard time going back to sleep. A time-release melatonin or other sleep aid is really useful.

Upon Return

I follow the same practices when returning home. And yes, there are companies that will sell you supplements and apps or blue-light glasses to help you adjust your clock, but their tactics are all based on similar principles to mine, which are just as easy to do on your own.

I hope these tips help ease your travels, and if you have other suggestions or tricks, please share them with the Indagare community in our new member forum.