How Science Helps With Jet Lag

Jet lag isn’t something you can simply ignore. It’s a physiological response to rapid time zone changes that disrupt your body’s internal clock, affecting sleep quality, alertness, and daytime energy. While it can feel unavoidable, there are evidence-based strategies that can help your body adjust more efficiently.

Understanding the science behind jet lag is the first step toward recovering faster and sleeping better after travel so have a read of this SleepWise Sleep Better Hub Article: What is jet lag? Notice that your snoring and sleep apnoea is worse when you’re jet lagged? This may be helpful: How jet lag worsens snoring and sleep apnoea.

1.Use light strategically (most powerful tool)

Light is the most powerful signal for resetting your body clock during jet lag. Exposure to daylight at the right time helps shift circadian rhythms toward the new time zone. Morning or evening light, depending on travel direction, can speed adjustment, while avoiding bright light at the wrong time prevents further disruption.

·        When travelling east (e.g. Europe → Australia): Seek morning light and avoid bright light late at night.

• When travelling west: Seek evening light and don’t rush early bedtimes.

Natural sunlight is best. Even 20–30 minutes helps. So roll up those block out blinds and let the Aussie summer light in!

2. Shift your sleep schedule before you travel

This tip falls into the category of ‘Easy to say, difficult to do’ but it’s worth it if you can do it. Gradually adjust bedtime and wake time by 30–60 minutes per day toward your destination time zone for a few days before departure.

This reduces the size of the circadian “jump” your body has to make at your destination.

3. Protect sleep quality, not just sleep time

Jet lag sleep is often lighter and fragmented so good planning can help things along significantly when it comes to bedtime.

• Keep the bedroom dark, cool, and quiet at bedtime.

• Resist the pull of screen time and watching television in bed.

• Use eye masks or earplugs if needed

• Prioritise a consistent bedtime routine

Good-quality sleep speeds circadian adjustment.

4. Avoid alcohol and sedatives – Not Worth It!

Alcohol and sleeping pills may seem helpful for falling asleep during jet lag, but they do not produce natural, restorative sleep. Alcohol fragments sleep later in the night, reducing deep and REM sleep and increasing awakenings. Sleeping pills can sedate the brain without supporting normal sleep cycles, leading to lighter, less refreshing rest. Both alcohol and sedatives reduce airway muscle tone, which can worsen snoring and sleep apnoea. They also interfere with the body’s ability to adjust its internal clock, delaying recovery from jet lag and often leaving people feeling more tired and foggy the next day.

In a nutshell, alcohol and sedatives like sleeping pills:

• Fragment sleep

• Reduce REM sleep

• Worsen snoring and sleep apnoea

• Delay circadian recovery

5. Use caffeine carefully

Caffeine can temporarily improve alertness during jet lag, but timing is important. Consuming caffeine too late in the day can delay melatonin release, making it harder to fall asleep at night. This can prolong circadian disruption and fragmented sleep. Limiting caffeine to the morning hours in the new time zone helps support better sleep and faster recovery.

Best rule:

• Use caffeine only in the morning

• Avoid after 2–3 pm local time

6. Nap wisely (or not at all)

Napping can feel extremely tempting, but long or late naps can delay adjustment to the new time zone. Extended daytime sleep reduces sleep pressure at night, making it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep. If needed, short naps earlier in the day can help manage fatigue without prolonging jet lag.

·        Keep naps short (20–30 minutes)

• Take them before 3 pm

• Avoid late afternoon or evening naps

7. Get your tummy in the right time zone

Meal timing plays an important role in resetting your body clock after travel. Eating meals according to the local time helps signal day and night to the brain and digestive system. This anchors your body clock! Delaying or skipping meals can prolong circadian misalignment. Regular, lighter meals at local times support faster adjustment and can improve sleep, energy, and digestion during jet lag recovery.

• Eat meals according to local time, even if you’re not hungry

• Avoid heavy meals close to bedtime

8. Stay hydrated and move

Staying well hydrated and keeping gently active can ease jet lag recovery. Dehydration from long flights worsens fatigue and headaches, while prolonged sitting slows circulation and increases stiffness. Drinking water regularly and incorporating light movement, such as walking and stretching during daylight hours, helps support alertness and reinforces daytime signals for the body clock.

• Drink water regularly

• Walk and stretch during daylight hours

• Gentle movement helps signal “daytime” to the body

9. Expect rebound sleep - and manage it

Sleep rebound commonly occurs with jet lag after periods of sleep loss. The body pushes into deeper sleep to recover, which can increase grogginess on waking and worsen snoring or breathing disturbances. While rebound sleep helps repay sleep debt, in the case of jet lag, it often occurs at the wrong circadian time, contributing to fragmented nights and prolonged daytime fatigue during jet lag recovery.

No, there’s not much you can do to avoid sleep rebound but you can minimise it’s impact by maintaining consistent bedtimes, continuing to use your SleepWise Sleep Appliance and pushing through with the tips above.

10. Let technology do the timing math for you

Manually calculating when to seek or avoid light, when to nap, and when to shift your sleep schedule can get complicated, especially across multiple time zones. Jet lag apps like Timeshifter use your flight details, chronotype, and travel direction to generate a personalised, hour-by-hour plan covering light exposure, sleep timing, caffeine, and melatonin use.

These tools don't replace the fundamentals above, but they take the guesswork out of applying them correctly, which is particularly useful for long-haul or multi-leg trips where the maths gets harder to do in your head.

• Input your flight and sleep details for a custom schedule

• Get reminders for light exposure, naps, and bedtime

• Useful for frequent flyers managing multiple time zones

Remember,

Jet lag recovery isn’t about forcing sleep - it’s about timing light, sleep, and behaviour to retrain your body clock.

It lasts on average ~1 day per time zone crossed and eastward travel takes longer to adjust than westward. Get busy and hang in there! If all else fails, relive that amazing holiday a day at a time! And if you're flying off on that next adventure, don't forget your mandibular advancement splint deserves a pre-trip check too. A well-fitted, well-maintained appliance means one less thing working against you while your body clock is already doing its best to catch up. Book a quick review with your SleepWise dentist before you jet off, so you can land ready to make the most of every day away.