6 Useful Tips To Reduce Jet Lag

As a retired physician traveler, I have put a lot of research over the years into how to reduce jet lag. I always want to do everything I can to improve my energy levels during those first days in a new place – especially if I am making a significant jump in time zones. Here’s a look at my own personal regimen to help me reduce jet lag when I travel. I think it will help you too!

The information contained in this Post is not a substitute for medical or health advice from a professional who is aware of the facts and circumstances of your individual situation. Also, some of the links in this post may be affiliate links.  If you buy something after clicking one of these links, I may earn a small commission.  This does not cost you anything extra and helps support this blog.

First, I Start Pycnogenol Two Days Before

Pycnogenol is a natural extract from the French Maritime Pine Bark Tree.  Research has shown that taking pycnogenol for 7 consecutive days – starting two days before your trip – can help reduce jet lag symptoms by up to 50%.  The recommended dose is 50mg three times daily.

I have personally found that Pycnogenol is indeed helpful, and it’s now very much a part of my regimen to reduce jet lag.

Pycnogenol has also been shown to reduce the amount of lower leg swelling that people can experience on long flights.  

You can find various prepackaged jet lag aides that contain pycnogenol along with several vitamins and other supplements.  I don’t use these because the pycnogenol dosage is not high enough nor is the dosing regimen long enough to optimally reduce jet lag. You can buy 50 mg Pycnogenol tablets directly from Amazon.

Beginning two days before my departure, I start taking pycnogenol 50 mg three times daily. I continue this dose for the next 7 days.  I then start it again 2 days before I return home and repeat the regimen for 7 more days.

Then I Use Melatonin on Flight Day

Starting the day I travel, I then use melatonin to help reset my sleep clock and reduce jet lag.

Melatonin is a hormone naturally produced by your brain to regulate your sleep-wake cycle.  I’m not a sound sleeper, and I use Melatonin chronically to help with my sleep. On the day before a long trip, I will take my usual melatonin dose at a time that  corresponds to bedtime at my new destination. More often than not, I usually find myself in the airport at this time. I do not recommend taking your pre-trip Melanonin if that time falls when you are at work or needing to drive.  

I personally take 4 mg of Melatonin every night at home and I increase it to 5 mg when traveling. 

People who don’t regularly take melatonin may find benefit from doses as low as 1 mg. Prepackaged single-dose melatonin is common at airport kiosks but the doses are usually 5 mg.  This may be too high for the melatonin virgin and could cause nightmares, nausea, or headaches if you are not accustomed to higher doses. 

If you don’t take Melatonin regularly at bedtime like me, start taking it the day you travel, and then continue taking it nightly the first several nights at your destination.

I Take Ambien On The Plane

I use Ambien to ensure that I sleep on the plane. And sometimes I will take it for the first 2 nights at my new destination to further help reset my internal sleep clock – depending on the number of time zone changes.

I cannot sleep on planes.  Unless I happen to be in business class, which doesn’t happen very often (since I am a frugal traveler), it is very difficult for me to find a comfortable sleeping position on a plane.  I am 6’3” and plane seats aren’t designed for tall people. I use Ambien to ensure that I sleep on long haul transcontinental flights longer than 7 hours.  

Ambien is more effective for me than benzodiazepine drugs like Xanax or Valium – also commonly used for plane sleep.  Those relax me, but don’t knock me out like Ambien can. I also prefer Ambien because it is short-acting. Its effects are mostly worn off when I arrive at my destination.  Valium is a long acting drug and grogginess can persist for many hours, amplifying jet lag upon arrival at your destination. If you are going to use a benzodiazapine, a shorter-acting one like Xanax would be a better choice.

Ambien sleep is not perfect sleep, but at least it is some sleep, and this goes a long way towards resetting my clock and helping to reduce jet lag. A couple of warnings about Ambien however:

1. I do not recommend taking Ambien for the first time on a plane trip. Some people behave strangely after taking Ambien. You don’t want to find out if you are one of those people on a plane. 
2. I also do not recommend Ambien if you will be driving immediately on arrival at your destination.
3. I do not recommend using a friend’s Ambien (or Xanax). Talk to your own physician and get your own prescription.
4. Talking to your physician will also help ensure that Ambien won’t interfere with any of your other medications or medical conditions.

The Timeshifter App Can Also Help

Several Apps are now available to help you reduce jet lag.  I used Timeshifter for the first time on a trip to Japan and was very impressed. I found it most helpful for correctly managing light exposure

With Timeshifter you enter your destination, flight schedule, trip dates, and typical sleep schedule.   It then generates a full jet lag reduction plan that is very easy to consult regularly on your phone.  It shows you when you should try to sleep, when you should try to see light, when you should try to not see light, when you should have caffeine, and when you should take melatonin. 

Here’s a screenshot of my personalized plan for a trip to Europe. It shows my ideal reduce jet lag instructions for the day before the trip and the flight to Amsterdam.

I hadn’t really considered the importance of light management when combating jet lag until I discovered Timeshifter.  But your own natural melatonin cycles are triggered by light and by darkness, so managing your light exposure to help reset your clock makes perfect sense.  Timeshifter shows you when to see light, when to see bright light, and when to minimize light exposure (including electronic devices). I found this information to be an extremely valuable addition to my jet lag reduction protocol.  

It’s hard to follow the plan perfectly.  For example, on our Kyoto Japan trip, Timeshifter told me to sleep immediately at the onset of our flight which wasn’t practical.  And there were times when I was at the airport, but was supposed to be minimizing light exposure (I wore my sunglasses during these times). I found I could follow the recommendations about 65% of the time for that particular trip. But even at that amount, I do feel that it made a difference in my jet lag reduction

On Timeshifter you can either pay for a single trip at cost of $10. Or for frequent travelers, there is an annual plan costing $25   I think the price is definitely worth if you will be traveling to a significantly different time zone.

I Avoid Alcohol While Flying

Drinking alcohol right before trying to sleep can help you fall asleep faster, but decreases the quality of your sleep.  It keeps you from reaching deeper restorative levels of sleep. Alcohol also acts as a diuretic. This can dehydrate you, increasing your jet lag symptoms. It also makes it more likely that you will have to wake up mid-flight and visit the bathroom.  It’s also best not to mix alcohol with Ambien or Xanax.  

I also avoid drinking alcohol for the first few days in a distant time zone. This is mostly a personal preference since I don’t want to experience the compounded effects of jet lag and alcohol.

I Sleep With An Eye Mask On The Plane

It’s best to avoid seeing any light while trying to reset your sleep clock on a plane.  Seeing light will immediately lower your naturally-produced mid-sleep melatonin. An eye mask helps ensure that you won’t open your eyes and see unwanted light.

I Adapt To The Local Schedule Right Away

I get up at my normal time. I avoid afternoon naps. I go to bed at my normal time.  This all helps reduce jet lag!

Final Thoughts

Hopefully these 6 tips will help you in your own battle to reduce jet lag. I’m always excited when waking up in a new country, and can’t wait to get out and explore. Anything that helps me have more energy during those first few days in a new place is worth it!

If you would like to read about another App that has improved my travel experience, then check out this post:

I Used Dreaming Spanish For A Year – Did It Work For Me?

And if you would like to read more about my approach to Slow Travel, then check out this post:

Slow Travel – What I’ve Learned After 82 Days Traveling in Europe

The information contained on this Website and this Post is not a substitute for medical or health advice from a professional who is aware of the facts and circumstances of your individual situation. Please click here to see my full disclaimer