The best way to beat jet lag is to start shifting your body clock before you fly, then use daylight, meal times and sleep to lock in the new time zone as soon as you land. Get outside in daylight at the right time of day, drink plenty of water, go easy on alcohol and late caffeine, and keep any naps short.
The next most useful thing to know is that light is the main signal your body clock listens to. Morning light pulls your clock earlier and evening light pushes it later, so the timing of when you get outside matters more than any gadget or supplement.
Business trips that go smoothly usually have one thing in common: a plan that starts before you get to the airport. So here's a simple timeline you can follow, from a few days out to your first meeting on the ground.
A quick note before we start. This is general travel advice, not medical advice. If you have a health condition, take regular medication, are pregnant or have a sleep disorder, check with your GP or doctor before you change your sleep or take anything new.
Three days before you fly
A small head start makes the first day on the ground far easier. You don't need to flip your whole routine, just nudge it in the right direction.
- Shift your bedtime gradually. Flying east, go to bed and get up a little earlier each day. Flying west, push both a little later. Small steps are easier to stick to than one big jump.
- Move your meals with it. Eating at roughly the right time for your destination helps your body follow along.
- Plan your light. If you're heading east, get bright light early in the morning. If you're heading west, get outside later in the afternoon and evening.
- Sort the boring stuff early. Pack, print and charge everything the day before, so you aren't up late the night before you leave. Starting a trip already short of sleep makes everything harder.
- Pick your flight with sleep in mind. If you can choose, a flight that lands in the late afternoon or early evening makes it easier to go to bed at a normal local time.
If you're flying long haul for work and want to arrive in better shape, it's worth reading my guide to finding cheaper business class flights online. A flat bed won't fix jet lag on its own, but it makes sleeping on the plane a lot more realistic.
On the plane
- Set your watch and phone to destination time as soon as you board. Then eat, sleep and stay awake based on that clock, not the one you left behind.
- Drink water regularly. Cabin air is dry, and feeling dehydrated adds to the tired, foggy feeling when you land.
- Go easy on alcohol. It might help you nod off, but it tends to make sleep lighter and more broken, which is the opposite of what you want.
- Sleep only if it's night where you're going. Bring an eye mask, earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones, and a neck pillow so it's easier when it's time.
- Stay awake if it's daytime there. Walk the aisle when you can, keep the window shade open if it's light outside, and keep your brain busy.
For the awake stretches, I like having something to do that doesn't need Wi-Fi. A few offline puzzle games for the plane are perfect for keeping you alert without burning through your laptop battery on work you'll redo tomorrow anyway.
Your first 24 hours
This is where most people undo all their good work. The goal is simple: live on local time from the moment you land, even if your body disagrees for a while.
- Get daylight at the right time. After flying east, morning light helps most, so get outside early and avoid bright light late in the day. After flying west, get outside in the afternoon and early evening.
- Eat at local meal times. Even a light meal at the normal local time sends your body a clear signal about the local time.
- Keep naps short. If you must sleep in the day, set an alarm and keep it brief. A long nap makes it much harder to sleep that night.
- Stop caffeine by early afternoon. Coffee helps you through the day, but late cups will keep you up just when you need to sleep.
- Move your body. A walk outside combines daylight and gentle exercise, which is about as good as it gets for resetting your clock.
Then go to bed at a sensible local time. If you wake in the night, keep the lights low and your phone away, and try not to start working. It's tempting, but it teaches your body the wrong time zone.
Plan your first meeting around it
This is the part most jet lag guides skip, and it's the part that matters most when you're travelling for business. You can't always avoid feeling tired, but you can choose when the important stuff happens.
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- Schedule hard conversations for when you'll be sharp. After flying west you'll often be wide awake early and fading in the evening. After flying east it tends to be the other way round, with slow mornings. Put the pitch, the negotiation or the big presentation in your best window.
- Keep the first evening light. Say yes to a quick dinner, not a late night out. You'll get far more from the rest of the trip.
- Pre-write anything important. Draft your slides, key emails and talking points before you fly. Jet lag hits concentration and judgement, so don't leave the thinking work for the day you land.
- Build in a buffer. If you can, arrive a day early for anything that really matters.
If you're planning a multi-stop trip, an AI assistant can help you map out the days and spot where the tight turnarounds are. I've shared some ChatGPT prompts for travel itineraries you can adapt for a work trip.
Flying east vs flying west
Most people find flying east harder. When you fly east you lose time, so you have to fall asleep earlier than your body wants to. Your natural clock finds it easier to stretch a day out than to squeeze it in, which is why flying west, where you stay up a bit later, usually feels gentler.
In practice, that means flying east is where the pre-flight shift and morning daylight help most. Flying west, your main job is staying awake until a normal local bedtime and getting light in the late afternoon.
What doesn't help much
- Pushing through on coffee alone. It masks the tiredness but doesn't move your body clock.
- Sleeping all afternoon on day one. It feels great at the time and ruins your first night.
- Drinking to relax on the plane. Lighter, more broken sleep and dehydration are a bad combination.
- Staying in a dark hotel room. Your body clock needs light to reset, so hiding from it slows everything down.
- Scrolling on your phone in bed. Bright screens late at night keep you alert when you're trying to switch off.
Melatonin comes up a lot, so a word on that. The rules differ by country: it's prescription-only in some places and sold over the counter in others. Don't assume it's right for you. Ask a pharmacist or your doctor first, especially if you take other medication.
Frequently asked questions
How long does jet lag last?
It varies from person to person and depends on how many time zones you cross and which direction you fly. A common rule of thumb is that it takes a few days to fully adjust after a big time change, and flying east usually takes longer.
Should I sleep on the plane to avoid jet lag?
Sleep on the plane if it's night time at your destination, and try to stay awake if it's daytime there. Set your watch to destination time when you board and follow that clock.
Does melatonin help with jet lag?
Some travellers use it, but the rules differ by country and it's prescription-only in some places. Ask a pharmacist or your doctor before taking it, especially if you have a health condition or take other medication.
What's the fastest way to get over jet lag after landing?
Live on local time straight away. Get daylight at the right time of day, eat at local meal times, keep naps short, avoid late caffeine and go to bed at a normal local time.
