Here's How to Trick Your Brain Into Avoiding Jet Lag
Fact checked by Nick Blackmer
Key Takeaways
The Australian airline Qantas is redesigning key parts of the inflight experience to try and ease passengers’ experiences of jet lag on long-haul flights.
The company said that adjusting cabin lighting schedules, incorporating physical movement throughout the flight, and tailoring the meal service menu improved passengers’ sleep and cognition.
Circadian rhythm experts say that the timing of light exposure is the most important factor to minimize jet lag and a one-size-fits-all approach is unlikely to benefit all passengers.
Long-distance flights that zip across time zones can leave passengers feeling groggy and fatigued. To quell jet lag on its international flights, the Australian airline Qantas is redesigning parts of the inflight experience to help passengers feel a bit fresher when they arrive at their destination.
Ahead of launching the longest nonstop flight in the world, the airline collaborated with researchers from the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre to test how certain changes to the inflight experience affect jet lag.
During three 20-hour test flights from New York City or London to Sydney, the researchers adjusted the cabin lighting to help people adapt to the destination time zone, served meals designed to encourage drowsiness or alertness, and led passengers through light exercise.
The 23 volunteer passengers reported less severe jet lag, had a better quality of sleep, and showed signs of better cognitive performance for two days after the flight, according to Qantas. The data from these studies haven’t yet been published.
“People can choose how they spend their time, but we’ll make recommendations based on science around menu choices and best times to eat or rest. That extends to before and after the flight to improve how people feel when they arrive on the other side of the world,” Alan Joyce, CEO of Qantas Group, said in a statement.
The airline will launch its Project Sunrise program, connecting Sydney directly with New York and London, in late 2025.
Related: How to Adjust to a New Time Zone
How Does Light Exposure Help Rest the Circadian Rhythm?
When light hits our eyes, it sends cues to that region of the brain that it’s daytime, while the absence of light signals nighttime. That response is connected to certain hormones like melatonin and the stress hormone cortisol. When the body is exposed to light at odd times—like when traveling across time zones—the circadian rhythm is thrown off and jet lag can occur.
“Jet lag happens when your internal clock is out of sync with the outside world. The hormones that are anticipating changes in your biology and the clock are not lining up correctly,” Rafael Pelayo, MD, a sleep medicine specialist and clinical professor at Stanford University, told Verywell.
To reduce jet lag, the Qantas researchers created a lighting schedule to help passengers adjust to the destination time zone, according to Sveta Postnova, PhD, a senior lecturer at the University of Sydney and circadian science expert on the Qantas project.
Related: How to Balance Circadian Rhythms
For instance, the passengers in the test group traveling from New York City were exposed to more light at the beginning of the flight, followed by darkness for the last 10 hours of the flight.
“Fully personalized interventions would be best and should be used before and after flying. However, they are impractical during flights where passengers are exposed to the same environment. We design the in-flight schedules to benefit most passengers,” Postnova told Verywell.
But reducing jet lag effectively should be “highly personalized,” according to Mickey Beyer-Clausen, co-founder and CEO of Timeshifter, an app designed to help travelers and shift workers re-adjust their circadian rhythms.
Individuals have different chronotypes, or times when they’re naturally inclined to sleep and wake up. For instance, setting a uniform lighting schedule on an airplane may help some night owls while messing with the circadian rhythm of some early birds, he said.
According to Beyer-Clausen, users of the Timeshifter app can input their flight itinerary and details about their sleep habits. The app will recommend when they should avoid light or increase their exposure, when it’s best to avoid caffeine, and when to try taking a nap.
When it’s time for some light exposure, a passenger can crank up the brightness on their computer while watching a movie. And when it’s time to avoid light, they need not necessarily take a nap—they can simply wear dark sunglasses while going about their day, Beyer-Clausen said.
“Sleep is not the starting point for any solution to deal with jet lag,” Beyer-Clausen said. “The focus should be on shifting the circadian clock to the new time zone so that you’re sleeping naturally faster and that you get alert and awake in the morning faster.”
Related: 5 Ways to Sleep Better on an Airplane
Do Food and Exercise Help With Jet Lag?
After light exposure and avoidance, the timing of meals is the biggest factor associated with circadian balance, according to Pelayo.
On its test flights, Qantas sometimes offered passengers foods like chili, chocolate, and caffeine to help them stay alert. To help ease passengers to sleep, they provided comfort foods like soup and foods high in tryptophan and fast-acting carbohydrates, like chicken and bread.
Eating carbohydrates can increase the potency of tryptophan, which turns into melatonin and serotonin—hormones that help control sleep. However, research indicates that because serotonin impacts both sleepiness and wakefulness, there’s not much evidence that eating more tryptophan and carbs will do much to improve sleep.
The Qantas team said it will also create “Wellbeing Zones” on its flights to give passengers more room for movement. On the test flights, passengers followed instructional videos to stretch and do simple exercises onboard.
Getting exercise, staying hydrated, and eating well can help people feel better as they travel. For instance, movement can help to ward off blood clots, which can develop after several hours of sitting without movement. And exercise and drinking water can keep people from nodding off when they’re trying to avoid a nap, Pelayo said.
When Does It Make Sense to Use a Sleep Aid?
Of course, getting sufficient sleep is necessary to give people the energy they need to take on the day. Taking a melatonin supplement can help a traveler ease into sleep, even when the timing is out of sync with their typical sleep schedule.
People who have more severe insomnia or anticipate needing to be alert at their destination may ask their health provider to prescribe them a sedative or a stimulant medication to help with the effects of jet lag.
But it’s important to be mindful of one’s travel plans before taking medication or supplements, according to Pelayo. Taking a poorly timed sleep aid can cause drowsiness, which can impact travel safety.
“What people really want is a kind of an on-off switch for their brains, and we really don’t have that,” Pelayo said.
Read Next: Traveling With Restless Legs Syndrome
What This Means For You
Time zone adjustment apps can help you customize your sleep schedule before, during, and after travel. If you’re concerned about being unable to fall asleep or stay alert while traveling, speak with a health provider about whether taking a medication or supplement will be helpful.
