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Summer is the season of travel. But if you’ve ever crossed time zones on a trip, you know it can take a toll on your sleep and your vacation. Michelle Drerup, director of behavioral sleep medicine at the Cleveland Clinic, explains, “Jet lag is a temporary disruption of your body’s internal clock.”Your body may be in a new place, she says, but your internal clock is still at home. That can lead to sleep disruptions, daytime sleepiness, low energy, irritability and digestive issues.Drerup says jet lag relief starts before you even travel, with getting adequate sleep leading up to the trip.If you’re traveling east, she says a sleep shift may help some — that means going to bed and waking a little earlier. But she says that can get complicated, so she recommends focusing on things you do while traveling.”Things like making sure you’re staying hydrated, drinking a lot of fluids, but maybe limiting alcohol, which can worsen sleep quality and make you more dehydrated,” Drerup said.Drerup says to be careful about relying on caffeine, since it’s a temporary solution that may make sleep more difficult later.If you’re flying overnight, she says to sleep as much as possible on the plane, and if you arrive in the morning, avoid napping. Instead, stay active and seek sunlight.”Getting time outdoors, natural light is the strongest cue that helps reset our circadian clock,” Drerup said.When you arrive at your destination, adapt to the local schedule as much as possible. Drerup says there are several jet lag calculators available for free online that can be personalized with where you’re leaving from and your destination, along with flight times. She says it essentially provides an itinerary for when you head out on your trip and when you return, offering insights on when to seek light and when to sleep. She also says melatonin can sometimes help, but says timing and dosage vary based on the destination and on each person’s body.
Summer is the season of travel. But if you’ve ever crossed time zones on a trip, you know it can take a toll on your sleep and your vacation.
Michelle Drerup, director of behavioral sleep medicine at the Cleveland Clinic, explains, “Jet lag is a temporary disruption of your body’s internal clock.”
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Your body may be in a new place, she says, but your internal clock is still at home. That can lead to sleep disruptions, daytime sleepiness, low energy, irritability and digestive issues.
Drerup says jet lag relief starts before you even travel, with getting adequate sleep leading up to the trip.
If you’re traveling east, she says a sleep shift may help some — that means going to bed and waking a little earlier. But she says that can get complicated, so she recommends focusing on things you do while traveling.
“Things like making sure you’re staying hydrated, drinking a lot of fluids, but maybe limiting alcohol, which can worsen sleep quality and make you more dehydrated,” Drerup said.
Drerup says to be careful about relying on caffeine, since it’s a temporary solution that may make sleep more difficult later.
If you’re flying overnight, she says to sleep as much as possible on the plane, and if you arrive in the morning, avoid napping. Instead, stay active and seek sunlight.
“Getting time outdoors, natural light is the strongest cue that helps reset our circadian clock,” Drerup said.
When you arrive at your destination, adapt to the local schedule as much as possible.
Drerup says there are several jet lag calculators available for free online that can be personalized with where you’re leaving from and your destination, along with flight times. She says it essentially provides an itinerary for when you head out on your trip and when you return, offering insights on when to seek light and when to sleep.
She also says melatonin can sometimes help, but says timing and dosage vary based on the destination and on each person’s body.
