Jet Lag: 21 Tips on How to Handle It – The Dark Side of Traveling”

Last Updated on 18.8.2025 by Vojta

Every traveler knows the feeling: first comes the excitement of the trip, but soon fatigue and sleepiness strike at the worst possible moment. Yes, it’s jet lag. It awaits anyone who wants to look a little further than Europe and flies over several time zones. Then you wake up at 3 in the morning and during the day you’re like a bag. That’s why we have 16 tips for you on how to go to jet lag.

What is a jet lag

Jet lag, is a condition where your body doesn’t have time to keep up with time at the place you just flew to. Ours The body works on the basis of a biological clock that tells us when to sleep, eat or be active. When you fly over several time zones in a few hours, your body still thinks it’s in its original time, while a completely different regime applies around you. 

The result is chaos – the brain wants to sleep when it’s noon outside, and it can’t switch off at night, and you wake up at 3 in the morning.

Tip: Tea plantations, mountains and waterfalls You can find it in the central part of Sri Lanka (unfortunately you will also have a jet lag there). What other magical places is Ella hiding?

circadian rhythm and how does jet lag arise

The circadian rhythm is our natural biological regime that controls many bodily functions – from sleep and wakefulness to digestion and secretion of hormones. This rhythm lasts approximately 24 hours and is strongly influenced by natural light and darkness.

Jet lag is thus the result of a quick move between time zones, to which the body does not have time to adapt so quickly. So when we travel to a different time zone, our brain and body still have our original time and the change causes zone disease.

What are the symptoms of jet lag?

Jet lag manifests after landing and usually takes several days (the worst are the first two nights) before the body adapts its circadian rhythm to the new time zone (It depends on how many time zones you exceed). What are the symptoms of jet lag?

• fatigue and sleepiness during the day: The body is confused because the transition between time zones means that your inner clock does not correspond to reality. Because of this, you are ripe for sleeping at 2 in the afternoon and you can’t stay awake until the evening.
• Insomnia and intermittent sleep: Even if you are physically exhausted, your brain still works according to the old time. So then you wake up at maybe 3 in the morning and you can’t sleep anymore. On the contrary, when it’s time to get up, you’d still be asleep.
• reduced ability to concentrate: Fatigue and confusion caused by disruption of the circadian rhythm negatively affect concentration. If you are going to do something productive and work, it can be quite a chore.
• Irritability and mood swings: You certainly know it. When you’re exhausted for a long time and don’t sleep, it might affect your mood. Someone is more stressed, people are obnoxious and irritable. 
• digestive problems: In addition to exotic food, stomach and digestive problems can also cause jet lag, when the body is simply out.

TIP: Did you know that not long ago, Colombia was one of the most dangerous places in the world? We spent a month there unscathed and will advise you 6 Befromtemporal rules, which will come in handy, wherever you are.

21 tips on how to go to jet lag and what really helps to get out of it soon

I won’t be walking around hot mess. You won’t eat a jet lag in one night, but it will probably take a few days. Nevertheless, I have some tips for you on how to go to jet lag and what helps me.

1. Start adapting to a new time in advance: Don’t wait to land at your destination. You can start preparing your body several days in advance. Depending on whether you are flying east or west, you can go to bed sooner or later. If you move your sleep by an hour every day, you’ll be able to ride lag just fine.

2. Get a good night’s sleep before your flight: Have a really good night’s sleep before your flight. Because if you’re tired before the trip, it will only get worse. So no last minute packing that won’t let you sleep!

3. Light diet and drinking regime: Even if it doesn’t seem like it, a healthy and light diet a few days before the flight will help your body (it won’t be weighed down by heavy food). Don’t forget about the drinking regime. Drink a lot of water, fruit juices and teas (it is better to skip coffee and alcohol). Before the flight, it is recommended to drink ginger tea, which is good for the stomach.

4. Rest during the flight: Time on a plane is perfect for you to crunch and rest. Try to avoid looking at the screen for several hours, which makes it difficult to fall asleep (because of the blue light). We recommend that you take a sleeping bag and something comfortable to wear.

5. Get used to the new time as soon as possible: Adjust as quickly as possible to local time upon arrival. Even if you arrive during the day and are tired, try to stay awake until the evening to adjust your sleep rhythm as soon as possible. A short nap after arrival is fine, but it should never last more than one hour (then you won’t want to sleep at night again).

6. Movement and Exercise: Movement and exercise are essential for the circadian rhythm. After arriving, try to move as much as possible and be outside in the daylight, which will make your biological rhythm sooner. Do a warm-up in the morning and walk a lot during the day, like exploring the area.

7. Choose a flight at the right time: If you have a choice, choose a flight during which you can sleep at your natural time (if you ride low-cost like us, you probably don’t choose much either).

9. Melatonin – helper for falling asleep: Melatonin is a hormone that regulates our sleep and wakefulness and is commonly found in our body and is formed before bed. If you have trouble falling asleep after arrival, melatonin in tablets will help you fall asleep, even if your brain doesn’t want to. 

10. Customize your watch for local time: It helps more than you might think. Set your watch for your destination before you leave to at least convince your brain what the time is right now.

11. Plan a comfort for the first days: Even if you’re probably already excited for a proper adventure, don’t overdo it (at least not right from the start). For example, go for a walk in the area and leave room for rest and lounging.

12. Do not drink alcohol or coffee before or after the flight: Alcohol and coffee are well-known dehydrating substances that have quite a large effect on our sleep. Especially before the flight and after the flight, you better avoid them. 

13. Use daylight and limit artificial light: If you want to help the body adapt to the new time, be in the daylight as much as possible. This will help reset your circadian rhythm. On the contrary, in the evening, avoid bright artificial light and the screens of mobile phones or tablets (which affect the production of melatonin).

14. Get moving in the morning: After your arrival, make time to warm up and move your body. Spread the curtains to come into contact with sunlight. This small step will help you switch to daily mode and make it easier to switch to local time.

15. Aromatherapy: essential oils like lavender help to sleep faster while Citrus or mint will stimulate the organism and help wake up. I always have a small bottle of stimulation oil with me, which helps me when I fall asleep everywhere.

16. Power of adaptogens: Adaptogenic herbs and fungi (Ashwagandha or Rhodiola are popular) help the body manage stress and time zone changes. Just pack a few capsules with you and make a small peel.

17. Breathing exercises against fatigue and stress: After arriving, short breathing exercises help me, for example the 4-7-8 method (inhale for 4 seconds, breath hold for 7 seconds, exhale for 8 seconds). This helps regulate stress, promotes sleep and generally improves body adaptation.

18. Cold shower: Everyone looks forward to the shower after the plane, no doubt about it. Try to take a cold one after a warm shower, which stimulates blood circulation and also helps with fatigue (in other words, it will wake you up nicely). 

19. Massage of trigger points: Try squeezing your palms, feet or even gently massaging your temples. Or, after arriving, go somewhere for a massage, which your back will also appreciate after sitting for a long time (acupressure can stimulate our body and relieve stress and tension).

20. A short meditation: Although it may sound like a cliché, meditation can do wonders for our body in terms of relaxation and rest. A short meditation or mindfulness techniques help you calm your mind and release muscle tension. 

21. Don’t forget magnesium: Magnesium helps relax muscles and mainly promotes quality sleep. So wherever you go, definitely pack it on vacation.

Tip: When we traveled to Colombia for over 50 hours, we were so tired that we probably didn’t have any jet lag and we explored new places straight away. We have so for you 15 tips for the most beautiful places in Colombia, what must you see for your own OČI.

How to prepare for a long flight

If the long flight is still ahead of you, we also have a few tips for you at the end of how to prepare for a long flight and what you might find useful on the plane. Some airlines will give you slippers, earplugs and a sleeping mask, but some will not. Therefore, definitely take them with you together with the pillow. I recommend it too comfortable clothes, lip balm and moisturizing cream, because you are then dried out of the air conditioner on the plane. 

And if you want to sleep for a long flight, try taking melatonin, which will make you sleep better.

time shift in the most visited destinations

• Egypt – time shift: In winter there is 1 hour more in Egypt than in the Czech Republic, in summer the time is the same.
• Qatar – time shift: It is 2 hours more in Qatar than in the Czech Republic throughout the year.
• Thailand – Time Shift: In winter there are 6 hours more in Thailand than in the Czech Republic, in summer 5 hours.
• New York (USA) – Time Shift: There are 6 hours less in New York than in the Czech Republic.
• Turkey – Time Shift: Turkey is 2 hours ahead of the Czech Republic year-round.
• Vietnam – time difference: In the winter there is 6 hours more in Vietnam than in the Czech Republic, in the summer by 5 hours.
• Dubai (United Arab Emirates) – time shift: It is 3 hours more in Dubai than in the Czech Republic.
• Maldives – time difference: It is 4 hours more in the Maldives than in the Czech Republic.
• Bali (Indonesia) – time shift: There are 7 hours more in Bali than in the Czech Republic.
• USA – time shift: The United States has several time zones that range from -6 to -9 hours compared to the Czech Republic (e.g. New York -6 h, Chicago -7 h, Denver -8 h, Los Angeles -9 h).
• Cape Verde – time difference: There are 2 hours less in Cape Verde than in the Czech Republic.
• Mexico – time shift: Mexico has several time zones, usually 6 to 8 hours less than in the Czech Republic.
• Florida (USA) – Time Shift: There are 6 hours less in Florida than in the Czech Republic.
• Zanzibar (Tanzania) – time shift: It is 2 hours more in Zanzibar than in the Czech Republic.
• Mauritius – time shift: It is 3 hours more in Mauritius than in the Czech Republic.

where we liked the most

And at the very end, we have a list of our favorite places where we liked the most and where we highly recommend you to see it.

• Tayrona National Park
• Colombian city of Salento with coffee farms and the world’s tallest palm trees
• Sandy beaches in Sri Lanka
• Actually All of Sri Lanka
• Medellin
• Colombia’s capital Bogota
• Cartagena de Indias

FAQ (FAQ)

Resources

Waterhouse, J., Reilly, T., Atkinson, G. and Edwards, B., 2007. Jet Lag: Trends and Coping Strategies. The Lancet, 369(9567), pp.1117-1129.

Arendt, J., 2009. Managing Jet Lag: Some of the Problems and Possible New Solutions. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 13(4), pp.249-256.

Haimov, I. and Arendt, J., 1999. The Prevention and Treatment of Jet Lag. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 3(3), pp.229-240.