How-to Guide
Overcome Jetlag Faster
INTRO
If you fly across more than 2 time zones, you’re likely to experience jetlag. The misalignment between the timing of your body’s internal clock, and the timing of your new sleep and wake schedule in the new time zone, is the main contributor to this phenomenon.
Until your body’s clock synchronizes with the new environment, your mood and your mental and physical performance are at risk of being impaired or altered. Understanding how to adjust your body’s clock faster, and understanding how to better deal with the symptoms of jetlag while it’s occurring, are important to help you perform better in the new time zone and get back into peak form as soon as possible.
PRINCIPLES
Key Considerations When Planning Your Trip
Consider these factors when planning your strategies to overcome jetlag:
- Direction of travel: Are you traveling eastward or westward? The direction of travel determines the timing of the strategies you’ll use.
- Time at destination: Are you staying at your destination for more days than the number of time zones you cross? If so, you’ll benefit from synchronizing your body’s clock with the new time zone as fast as possible. If not, you won’t be attempting to shift your body’s clock, but instead, you’ll simply focus on dealing with the causes of travel fatigue, like boosting alertness during the daytime and facilitating sleep at night. In other words, you won’t be making efforts to adjust the timing of your body’s clock to the new time zone, but rather, you’ll be making specific efforts to deal with the consequences of mismatched timing.
- During travel: There are things you can do while in transit to speed your adjustment to the new time zone and limit travel fatigue.
- Before you leave: Do you need to arrive in your new time zone and perform at your best on your first or second day of arrival? If so, you may choose to start adjusting your body’s clock to the destination time zone before you leave home.
Note: Trying to adjust your body’s clock before you leave isn’t always the best approach. If you have a few low-stress days to adjust once you arrive, we generally suggest that you wait to start adjusting until you travel.
Adjusting to Your Destination Time Zone Faster
Consider following these steps if you’ll be spending enough time in the destination time zone to fully synchronize your body’s clock with the new environment.
Key Factors
- Exposure to light is the most important factor in synchronizing your body’s clock with the destination time zone.
- Melatonin: The next most powerful way to shift your body’s clock is to take melatonin at specific times. Simultaneously changing your patterns of light exposure and taking melatonin at the right time will additively shift your body’s clock.
- Diet composition and physical activity timing are secondary factors to successfully dealing with jetlag.
Time Warp by humanOS
A Do-it-Yourself (DIY) device to shift your body’s clock super fast
Light is the major factor that will shift your body’s clock in one direction (e.g. time zones eastward of you) or another (e.g.time zones westward of you). And the sensitivity of our body’s clock is highest at the times when it typically experiences darkness, for instance at night while we are sleeping. Additionally, light can penetrate our closed eyelids and shift our clock while we lie there sound asleep. Therefore, if we had the ability to have the right type of light turn on and off at the right times while we are sleeping, we could get exposure to light that shifts our clock as fast as possible. And if we use the right type of light, your sleep might not be disturbed.
Can we use this information to help ourselves adjust to a new time zone faster? We sure can!
Setting Up Your DIY Device
If we had the ability to have a source of light containing the blue wavelength in the ambient environment where we sleep during very specific windows, we could shift our clock faster. But, you wouldn’t want that light source to be on all night. So ideally, you would have a timer device that could have the right light be on at the right time. Fortunately, we can easily assemble all the pieces we need to construct such a travel-friendly device ourselves. Here is what we need (specific recommendations at listed under “Products” below):
- Violet LED Bulb: A violet bulb emits blue wavelength light, but is also friendlier to our visual system at these times in that it’s possibly less disturbing to sleep than full-spectrum white light (which also contains a lot of blue wavelength light). Imagine being in a room with the room lights on. Now imagine being in that same room only illuminated by a black light. The black light-style light would make it seem, practically, like you’re in a darker room. For sleeping with any light on, this type of light is preferable and just so happens to be the right type of light we need to shift our clock: win-win.
- Outlet-to-Lampholder Adapter: Next, you’d want the ability to screw that bulb into an adaptor, so that you could plug the bulb into an electrical socket. An outlet-to-lamp holder adapter allows you to do just that.
- Electric Plug Timer: You want the ability to create timer settings that control when the bulb turns on and off. For this, we can use an electric plug timer with settings.
- Bulb Travel Case: Lastly, since you’ll want to use this device at home at times but also on the road while you travel so you continue to adjust more quickly than usual, you’ll need a hard case for your violet LED bulb.
Timing of Exposure is Critical
We’ll keep this as simple as possible (and include specific references for our westward and eastward examples in our appendices below). We will use the example of Chris who is traveling across three time zones from San Francisco (SF) to New York (NYC; eastward), and back (westward). Chris will be spending enough time in each timezone to want to adjust his clock to New York time. When it’s time for him to come home, we’ll want to adjust his clock back to San Francisco’s time and do so as quickly as possible. Now that we have our scenarios, here is how Chris uses the humanOS DIY clock-shifting device to adjust super fast!
- Traveling Eastward: Chris is first traveling from SF to NYC and thus wants to shift the timing of his body’s clock earlier. When it’s 8 a.m. in NYC, it’s 5 a.m. in SF and he has a meeting at 8 a.m. New York time is the first full day in NYC. Two nights before Chris’s trip, he will set up Time Warp so that the violet light turns on in his bedroom at 5 a.m. SF time. That morning, Chris will continue to sleep until his usual time of 7 a.m., but the last two hours of his sleep will be under the exposure of the violet light. He will keep the violet light on while he gets ready in the morning after waking up until he leaves for work. He repeats having the violet light turn on at 4 a.m. SF time on the day of his travel to New York, and again at 4 a.m. SF time (7 a.m. NYC time) on the first night he sleeps in New York. He might already be fully adjusted to New York, or close to it, on his first full day in NYC.
- Traveling Westward: Chris has been in NYC for 10 days and now it’s time to come home to SF. While Chris has been in NYC, he has been going to sleep at 10 p.m. New York time, which is 7 p.m. SF time. Chris wants to get back onto his usual SF schedule quickly. To do this, Chris uses Time Warp again, but this time, in an entirely different way. Instead of having the violet light present in the early morning, he’s going to set Time Warp to have violet light on at bedtime for the first two hours of his sleep, after which the timer settings cause Time Warp to shut off.
Note: Anyone in the same room as the violet light will be affected. If you sleep with a bed partner, who is not traveling with you, one of you should aim to either sleep in a different room or for the one not traveling, sleep with an eye mask on.
Time Warp by humanOS
Travel Direction
Whether you’re flying eastward or westward, the behaviors you use to get over jetlag are generally the same. However, the timing of these behaviors depends on the direction of your travel. In this guide, we, therefore, give examples of travel in each direction; westward and eastward.
Below, see our Appendix A and B, which provide detailed examples of how two people, Ashley and Steve, time their jetlag mitigation strategies depending on the direction of their travel. When traveling, identify which direction your headed and see the appropriate reference.
See Appendix A - Eastward Travel Example
See Appendix B - Westward Travel Example
COPING WITH JETLAG
If you either have insufficient time to adjust to the new time zone before you return to your starting destination, or if you care to feel and perform better before you fully adjust to the destination time zone, consider the strategies below.
“Bank” Sleep Before Traveling
In the week before traveling, prioritize getting extra sleep. Aim for about another 30 minutes of time in bed over your usual amount of time in bed during this period. For example, if you usually spend 7.5 hours in bed each night, aim to spend 8 hours in bed in this pre-travel window.
Strategies to Support Alertness and Cognitive Function
Use the following strategies to support wakefulness before important activities at the destination time zone.
- Light exposure: In addition to its effects on your body’s clock, exposure to daylight not only sets the timing of your brain’s master clock but also directly boosts alertness. To maximize this effect, avoid wearing sunglasses. If you’re indoors, seek bright spaces (such as those near windows).
- Caffeine: Consuming caffeine can temporarily reduce fatigue. Cap your total daily intake at 3 mg caffeine per kg bodyweight per day (see this resource for quantities of caffeine in foods and drinks), and consume caffeine no later than 9 hours before bedtime at your destination.
- Naps: Naps of around 10-20 minutes have the largest acute effect on alertness. Longer naps have stronger effects on alertness later but can leave people sleepy for some time after napping. Note that napping can make it harder to fall asleep the following evening, so use naps judiciously.
- Plant nootropics: To boost brain function, consider Bacopa Monnieri (300 mg comprising 55 % bacosides by weight), cocoa (about 1 g dark chocolate (70 % cocoa or higher) per kg body weight), and spearmint extract (900 mg). Consume these at breakfast in the destination time zone (and note that cocoa contains caffeine).
- Modafinil (Provigil): Modafinil is a prescription wake-promoting prescription drug that can effectively sustain wakefulness in sleepy individuals. It is cleared from the blood very slowly (its half-life is about 15 hours), so people who are prescribed this drug take it first thing in the morning upon waking. Talk to your doctor for more information on modafinil to see if a prescription is right for you. Strategies to Support Better Sleep We’ve already explained the importance of melatonin, which we suggest you only take while your body’s clock synchronizes with the new time zone. In addition to melatonin, you may want to try the following:
Strategies to Support Better Sleep
We’ve already explained the importance of melatonin, which we suggest you only take while your body’s clock synchronizes with the new time zone. In addition to melatonin, you may want to try the following:
Light exposure
Avoid both intense light and full-spectrum white light (which contains a lot of blue light) during your planned sleeping hours at your new destination.
- Reduce indoor light exposure: In the 2 hours before your planned bedtime, dim the light in your room.
- Wear blue-blocking glasses: Wear these 2 hours before your planned bedtime.
- Reduce exposure to light from light-emitting devices: Use f.lux on your computer, Twilight on Android phones, and Night Shift mode on iPhones.
- Block sources of light: If, for instance, there is a light-emitting alarm clock in your hotel room, cover it.
- Wear an eye mask: Wear this when sleeping if there is light in your bedroom.
Sleep Aids
- Melatonin supplements tend to quickly induce feelings of sleepiness, so you should not take them shortly before tasks such as driving. Melatonin also tells your organs that it is nighttime, which means that your body doesn’t tend to process nutrients in foods and drinks as well shortly after taking it. So, avoid consuming calorie-containing foods and drinks in the 6 hours after taking melatonin.
- CBD: Cannabidiol (CBD) is a component of the marijuana plant that does not cause a psychoactive “high.” It has not shown any potential for abuse or dependence. There is evidence that CBD can help with falling and staying asleep. Doses range from 50 to 100 mg or higher. You must check the legality of CBD at all the places where you are traveling as it is not a legal substance in all states and countries. Some but not all of us on the humanOS team report a very positive effect from using CBD for the purpose of getting restorative sleep.
- L-glycine: Take 3 g L-glycine 1 hour before destination bedtime. This may help you fall asleep faster, improve how well you feel you sleep, and support your brain function the next day.
- L-serine: Take 3 g of L-serine 1 hour before destination bedtime. This may help synchronize your body’s clock with the new time zone faster and improve how well you feel you sleep.
Sleep Drugs
Short-term use of these drugs can help you sleep at a time that might otherwise be challenging, but regular use of these drugs may cause health problems. If you take either of these drugs, aim to use them as little as needed and no more than the first 2-4 nights at your destination. Do not take the drugs at the same time.
- Diphenhydramine: 25-50 mg diphenhydramine taken 30 mins before bedtime at your destination is common. This may help you fall asleep faster and prolong your sleep.
- Zolpidem (Ambien): 5-10 mg taken 30 mins before bedtime at your destination is common. This may help you fall asleep faster and is perhaps the most effective legal sleep drug for most people in the short term. This drug requires a prescription in most countries.
Note: If you are going to take sleep drugs while you are traveling, consider alternating which drug you take on a nightly basis to maintain efficacy at full strength.
TRAVEL FATIGUE
Many symptoms people experience from jetlag actually result from travel fatigue, which you’ve probably experienced during a long journey on the road. Symptoms of travel fatigue can include disorientation, lethargy, and headaches. Extended physical inactivity during prolonged travel may also increase the risk of deep vein thrombosis, but this is rare.
Travel fatigue results from:
- Physical inactivity from being in a confined environment.
- Limited food options.
- Breathing dry cabin air that has a lower oxygen content than outdoors, which may lead to dehydration and fatigue.
Minimizing Travel Fatigue
To minimize travel fatigue, use these strategies on all long-distance trips:
- Physical activity: Break up time spent sitting with brief bouts of physical activity. When you first wake up, look to see what the daily InTUNE Training workout is on the humanOS Dashboard. Seek spaces in which you can move in airport sand planes, and aim to complete the InTUNE workout over the course of your journey. On the flight, while you’re not trying to sleep, aim to stand up at least once an hour. If you don’t stand up but want activities to increase the work your muscles do while you sit, do the following exercises in your seat:
- Isolated isometric muscle actions: This simply entails strongly tensing the muscles of your choice without actually moving. One strategy we like is to go through different muscles of the body sequentially. For example, you might begin by tensing your calves, move to the thighs, then to the torso, and finally to the arms. Two examples of such isometric exercises are listed below:
- Wall sit: Lift your butt one inch off your seat and hold this position.
- Core brace: Brace your midsection as if you are about to take a punch to the abdomen.
- Food: Plane food is notoriously poor quality, so take your own food for the journey (see below).
- Hydration: While traveling, drink water before you feel any thirst. If you’re trying to sleep, don’t drink so much that you need to wake up to use the bathroom though.
- Hand washing: Wash your hands frequently while traveling to reduce your exposure to pathogens. You may also want to try supplements that support your immune function, such as probiotics. Dry cabin air may also increase your risk of getting a cold – one more reason to stay hydrated.
- Arrival planning: Plan your arrival at your destination to avoid undue stress.
- Stopover: Consider arranging a comfortable stopover for longer trips, if possible.
Smart Food Choices While Traveling
As a general rule, choose whole foods that travel well and contain minimal additives – this is especially relevant to some of the high-protein snacks listed below. Here are some good food options while traveling:
- High-protein snacks: Whole dairy products (such as cheese), jerky or biltong, protein bars, and protein powders.
- Fruits: Peelable (e.g., bananas, citrus fruits) or dried fruits (no added sugar).
- Vegetables: Packaged vegetables you can eat raw (e.g., bell peppers, carrots, cucumbers).
- Fat-rich foods: Raw nuts, creamed coconut, or dark chocolate (at least 70 % cocoa).
- Carbohydrate-rich foods: Plain or salted rice cakes.
APPENDICES
Appendix A - Eastward Travel
Example: Ashley is traveling from Los Angeles to London.
This is an 8-hour time zone difference. On arrival in London, she’ll be inclined to wake up late and go to bed late. She, therefore, wants to shift her body’s clock earlier as quickly as possible until its timing synchronizes with the environment in London.
Before Leaving
The first day she is there, she needs to give a presentation at 09:00, London time. Because of her presentation, Ashley decides to start to adjust the timing of her body’s clock 2 days before she leaves.
Two days before leaving, she:
- The night before, she sets Time Warp (see box above) so that the violet light turns on while she is sleeping 3 hours before she typically wakes. She does this so that the violet, clock-shifting light is present for those hours while she sleeps.
- Spends 1 hour outside in daylight as early as possible after she wakes up.
- Exercises at this time.
- Adjusts all her meals 1 hour earlier than her normal meal times.
- Dims the lights and puts on blue-blocking glasses 3 hours before her usual bedtime.
- Takes 5 mg melatonin 3 hours before her usual bedtime (her usual bedtime is 10 p.m. (22:00), so she takes melatonin at7 p.m. (19:00).
- She goes to bed 1 hour earlier than usual, so at 9 p.m. (21:00).
The day before flying, she:
Does each of the above 1 hour earlier than the day before:
- The night before, she sets Time Warp (See box above) so that the violet light turns on while she is sleeping 3 hours before she is set to wake so that the light is present for those hours while she sleeps.
- She takes melatonin at 6 p.m. (18:00)
- She goes to bed at 8 p.m. (20:00)
- Etc.
Travel Day
- The night before, she sets Time Warp (see box above) so that the violet light turns on while she is sleeping 3 hours before she is set to wake so that the light is present for those hours while she sleeps.
- Adjust time-of-day on devices: At the airport, Ashley sets her watch, phone, and other devices to London time.
- Diet: While traveling between time zones, she reduces her calorie intake by 25 to 50%. She only eats at times of day that coincide with meal times in both her home time and London time. Since she is traveling eastward, Ashley has a big breakfast in the morning in Los Angeles (at which time it’s the early afternoon in London), a moderate-sized lunch at midday (early evening in London), and then fasts until breakfast the following morning in London. To help her sleep while in transit, Ashley skips caffeine on this day.
- Melatonin: While on the plane to London, Ashley takes 5 mg of melatonin at 5 p.m. (17:00), Los Angeles time (1 hour earlier than the day before).
- Blue-blocking glasses: As she takes melatonin, Ashley puts on blue-blocking glasses.
- Sleep: Once she starts to feel sleepy an hour or so later, she uses the bathroom, locks her seatbelt, puts on an eye mask, puts in earplugs, and gets as much sleep as she can before she arrives in London.
Arrival at the Destination Time Zone
Ashley is now in London
After her first overnight sleep at the new time zone, Ashley fully shifts her meal times to her target meal times at London time. Meal timing sets the timing of many of our bodies’ clocks.
- The night before, she sets Time Warp (see box above) so that the violet light turns on while she is sleeping 3 hours before she typically wakes so that thelight is present for those hours while she sleeps.
- Before her talk: At around 8am, Ashley spends 30 minutes walking outside, to get some bright light exposure and in turn boost alertness. She eats herfavorite protein bar and a piece of fruit, providing a high-protein, convenient, and easily digestible breakfast. She also has a cup of coffee and 60 g of darkchocolate (85 % cocoa) at this time, which provides the only caffeine she consumes that day. To manage her stress before her presentation at 9 a.m., shedoes 5 minutes of Box Breathing using the tile on the humanOS.me Dashboard.
- Daylight: After her talk, Ashley aims to get as much natural daylight as she can (so she doesn’t wear sunglasses) between 2 and 5 p.m. (14:00 and 17:00).During this time she does some exercise.
- Evening light: She aims to try to go to bed at 10 p.m. (22:00). She actively reduces her exposure to light beginning 2 hours before her bedtime. So, at 8 p.m.(20:00) she puts on blue-blocking glasses. When she is back in her hotel room, she turns off the room lights and uses her amber-toned string lights toilluminate her room.
- Melatonin: To help her sleep, Ashley takes 5 mg melatonin at 9 p.m. (21:00), 1 hour before her planned bedtime. Until she feels that her body’s clock is fullysynchronized with the environment in London, Ashley keeps taking melatonin at this time (it turns out that she takes it for another 3 days).
Appendix B - Westward Travel
Example: Steve is flying from Berlin to San Francisco.
This is a 9-hour time zone difference, therefore he wants to shift his body’s clock later as quickly as possible to synchronize it with the environment in San Francisco.
Before Leaving
On arrival, Steve needs to attend a late client dinner the very first night. He will then be spending 10 days in San Francisco –plenty of time to fully adjust to the new time zone. Steve decides to start shifting the timing of his body’s clock 2 days before he leaves so that he can spend as much time in the new timezone with no jetlag.
Two days before traveling, he:
- Reduces his exposure to morning light by wearing blue-blocking glasses for the first 4 hours after waking. He usually wakes at 7 a.m. so he wears his glasses until 11 a.m.
- Adjusts all his meals 1 hour later than his normal meal times.
- Exercises for 1 hour from 6 to 7 p.m. (18:00 to 19:00).
- Increases his exposure to light at night by leaving his room fully lit until 30 minutes before his usual bedtime. His usual bedtime is 10 p.m. (22:00).
- Goes to bed at 11 p.m. (23:00), 1 hour later than normal. The next morning he sleeps in as long as he can.
- He sets Time Warp (see box above) so that the violet light is present at bedtime and for the first two hours of sleep before shutting out according to how you set the device.
The day before flying, he:
Does each of the above 1 hour later than the day before.
- Wears his blue filtering glasses until noon.
- Exercises for 1 hour in the evening, from 7 to 8 p.m. (19:00 to 20:00).
- Goes to bed at 12 a.m. (24:00), 2 hours later than normal.
- He sets Time Warp (see box above) so that the violet light is present at bedtime and for the first three hours of sleep before shutting out according to how you set the device.
Travel Day
- Adjust time-of-day on devices: At the airport, Steve sets his watch, phone, and other devices to San Francisco time.
- Blue-blocking glasses: While in transit, Steve wears blue-blocking glasses in the morning until 1 hour later than the day before (i.e., 1 p.m. or 13:00).
- Diet: While traveling between time zones, Steve reduces his calorie intake by 25 to 50%. He concentrates his calorie intake at times of day that coincide with meal times in both the starting and destination time zones. Since he is traveling westward, he skips breakfast in Berlin (at which time it’s about midnight in San Francisco). He aims to have his first meal of the day at a time that coincides with an early breakfast in San Francisco. So, Steve has a big meal at 3 p.m. (15:00)Berlin time (6 a.m. in San Francisco). Steve brings jerky, mixed nuts, and fruit with him for these travel meals.
- Sleep: Because Steve has to be up late for his client’s dinner, he tries to nap on the plane. Before doing so, he uses the bathroom, locks his seatbelt, puts on an eye mask, and puts in earplugs. After his nap, he has a cup of coffee to help him be sharper at his client’s dinner.
Arrival at the Destination Time Zone
Day of Arrival
- Dinner time: To help him be alert for his important dinner, Steve gets a lot of natural light in the 3-hour window between when he lands and his client dinner. Steve has a medium glass of wine with his client when they arrive, but doesn’t consume any alcohol after that. For dinner, Steve opts for a protein-rich meal.
- Melatonin: After dinner, Steve returns to his hotel room. To help him sleep, Steve takes 5 mg of melatonin. He then dims the lights, gets ready for bed, and reads a book in dim lighting until he feels ready to sleep.
First Full Day In New Time Zone
- Minimize early morning light: Steve sleeps in as long as he can but he’s still up early since the timing of his wake rhythm hasn’t fully adjusted to the new time zone. He minimizes his exposure to bright and full-spectrum light until breakfast.
- Breakfast and Meals: His planned breakfast time is 7 a.m. At breakfast, he has a strong cup of coffee but consumes no caffeine thereafter. This is his first full in San Francisco and he shifts all his meal times to San Francisco-time.
- Natural Light and Exercise: To help synchronize his body’s clock with the new time zone, Steve aims to get as much natural daylight as he can (so he doesn’t wear sunglasses) especially between 3-6 p.m. (15:00 and 18:00), San Francisco-time. During this window, he also does some exercise.
- Evening light: Steve plans to try to stay up until 10 p.m. (22:00), San Francisco-time. He maintains his exposure to bright, full-spectrum light until 9:30 p.m.(21:30).
- Melatonin: To help him sleep, Steve takes 5 mg melatonin at 9:30 p.m. (21:30), 30 minutes before his planned bedtime. Steve keeps taking melatonin at this time for another 2 to 3 days until he is feeling in sync with San Francisco-time.
RELATED RESOURCES
Product List
Here are some products that we have found useful in our travels. (To get over jetlag, melatonin is by far the most important of these.)
Protein-Rich Food Products
- EPIC: Meat-based snacks.
- Crunchy Critters: Insect-based snacks.
- RXBAR: Egg white-based protein bar.
- KetoBrownie: Ketogenic diet-friendly protein bar.
- Garden of Life: Whey protein powder.
- Vega: Vegan protein powder.
- Melatonin: Take 5 mg at the time suggested by the calculator (or 1 hour before bed).
- CBD: Plus Products. Gummies with and without melatonin.
- L-glycine: Take 3 g 1 hour before bed for sleep.
- L-Serine: Take 3 g 1 hour before bed for sleep.
- Bacopa Monnieri: Take 300 mg with breakfast to support cognitive function.
- Spearmint: Take 800 mg with breakfast to support cognitive function.
- Spirulina: Getting enough phytonutrients while traveling can be hard. Take 2 g with each meal.
- Probiotic: Take 1 tablet with breakfast to support immune function.
Blue-Blocking Glasses
Time Warp - humanOS’s DIY Clock-Shifting Set-Up
- Electric Plug Timer: Timer Outlet, Nearpow Multifunctional Infinite Cycle Programmable Plug-in Digital Timer Switch.
- Violet LED Bulb: JandCase A19 Purple Light Bulbs.
- Polarized Outlet-to-Lampholder Adapter: Leviton 61 660 Watt, 125 Volt, Polarized Outlet-to-Lampholder Adapter.
- Bulb Travel Case: Hermitshell EVA Hard Travel Case.
Others Useful Products
- Hearos: Foam earplugs.
- Trtl travel pillow: Neck pillow for napping on flights.
- Unimi sleep mask.
- Novelty lights: Amber lights. These provide a useful source of light at night if where you’re staying only has very bright lighting.