Jet Lag: A Fool-Proof Fix

I travel internationally several times in a typical year, but I never suffer from jet lag. The day after I arrive, I sleep like a baby, and I’m fully on local time for the rest of my trip. Indeed, I almost never feel as well-rested as I do the day after I land.

‘Twas not always so. I have a simple system that works like a charm for me. I suspect it will work for almost any strict adherent.

The system:

1. Do not sleep on the plane. Not for a single minute! Don’t even “rest your eyes” lest you doze off.

2. When you land, remain continuously active until at least 8 PM local time. Like a shark! After you clear customs and check into your hotel, tour around and/or socialize. Eat dinner right before you go to bed.

3. The end.

The result for me is always the same. I feel like a zombie by the time I land. I yearn to take a nap, but I keep moving until dinner time. When I finally sleep, I crash. When I wake up early the next moving, I feel like I’m ready to take on the world.

The system is easiest to practice if your plane lands in the late afternoon. Then you just clear customs, check in, eat dinner, and go to sleep. But even if you land at 6 AM, stay awake until 8 PM.

Added bonuses: Once you wake up, you’re automatically on a very early schedule, allowing you to reach congested sites before any crowds build. And if you eat breakfast, most hotel buffets start around 6:30 AM, so you don’t need to waste time finding food.

Several people tell me that my advice has failed for them, but when probed, all of the naysayers confess that they did sleep “a little” on the plane. My method, to reiterate, is to sleep zero on the plane. Even a few minutes have proven ruinous.

Easier said than done? Planes are so uncomfortable in so many ways (even in business class) that you’re not really missing much. Normally I use four tiers of onboard activities to get me through the trip.

1. I start with intellectually demanding reading: a serious yet engaging book. When I flew to Abu Dhabi, I got through half of this biography of Deng Xiaoping.

2. Once I lose focus, I switch to light reading, usually graphic novels.

3. After I lose patience with any form of reading, I watch new movies and shows on my phone or the plane screen.

4. Last, when I reach maximum crankiness, I watch my favorite old movies and shows.

I also visit the bathroom every two hours or so just to dance and hop around and make faces in the mirror like a crazy person.

Does anyone else use my method? Has anyone followed my method to the letter to no avail? Please share your experiences in the comments.

Flying to Frankfurt, summer 2023