Trying to beat jet lag before my trip

I’m getting ready to fly from Seattle to Paris next week. I have a plan to help me adjust to the nine hour time change.

I’m thinking of going to bed and waking up one hour earlier each night for the nine days before my trip. This way, I’ll treat each day like it has 23 hours instead of 24. By doing this, I hope to adjust my body clock to fit Paris time by the time I land. So, I’ll be moving my bedtime earlier for nine days leading up to my departure.

If all goes well, I should be getting to bed by 1pm next Sunday (I’m skipping the Super Bowl party) and waking up around 10pm. That matches up to 10pm to 7am Paris time. My flight from Seattle leaves around noon (Seattle time) on Monday, which should be just in time for me to sleep for most of the flight. We should get to Paris around 8am. If everything works out, I’ll be ready to start my first day in Paris with a good cup of coffee and a croissant.

Of course, this whole plan depends on whether I can actually sleep on the plane, which can be tricky. I’m hoping that being awake for about 14 to 15 hours before we take off will help.

Has anyone else tried something like this or heard about it? I know I’m not the first to give this a shot. I’d love to hear your experiences and any tips you might have.

I usually go for overnight flights. I take a little nap, stay awake all day at my destination, and then sleep at the local bedtime. It works for me.

Lennon said:
I usually go for overnight flights. I take a little nap, stay awake all day at my destination, and then sleep at the local bedtime. It works for me.

That’s how I do it too.

I use an app called TimeShifter to help me with coffee timing and adjusting.

Lennon said:
I usually go for overnight flights. I take a little nap, stay awake all day at my destination, and then sleep at the local bedtime. It works for me.

Exactly how I do it

Lennon said:
I usually go for overnight flights. I take a little nap, stay awake all day at my destination, and then sleep at the local bedtime. It works for me.

Yep. Arriving in the afternoon is best. Just drop your bags, and don’t touch anything you can sleep on. Stay awake until around 7 or 8pm and then you’ll be super tired.

I get that this isn’t always doable, but if you can time your flight right, this simple trick has worked wonders for me, and I never have jet lag:

:crescent_moon:
Plan to arrive at the destination between 5 and 9 pm
:milky_way:

This way, you’re already tired after the flight, and it’s night in the new place.

You’ll easily fall into the right sleep rhythm when it gets dark.

The worst for me is arriving early in the morning when everyone else is starting their day. The sun is in your face, and you feel awful after a long flight.

Before I go to Europe, I cut back on caffeine. After arriving in the morning, I grab breakfast with coffee, and have more caffeine at lunch. I stick to local bedtime around 9pm for a good sleep. Caffeine really affects me a lot.

I try to rest as much as I can before the trip and during the flight. Then I stay awake until a reasonable bedtime the first night, getting into the new time zone. I avoid napping during the day while I adjust. It usually works well for me. I take an OTC sleep aid like Benadryl or generic Tylenol PM on the flight and the first night or two when I arrive. It’s tough to sleep on the flight, and the arrival day is hard for anyone, but if I’m somewhat rested, it’s not terrible.

Shifting my schedule gradually seems interesting. I’ve tried it but just by 30 minutes a day for flights on the East and West coasts. That feels a bit easier than a full hour, though it takes twice as long. Don’t stress too much about being perfectly on time. Even getting close can make things easier.

@Cedar
I feel the same way. I like this method

Don’t overthink it. Have a bit of sleep on the plane, stay active after you land, and avoid napping. Go to bed around 9pm and get some good sleep. That’s it.

Bay said:
Don’t overthink it. Have a bit of sleep on the plane, stay active after you land, and avoid napping. Go to bed around 9pm and get some good sleep. That’s it.

Totally agree. They’ll feel fine after the first day.

This is similar to what happens on Trans-Atlantic cruises. Each night they adjust the clock an hour, and you slowly adapt as you go. It usually works pretty well if you can sleep on the plane and if your routine helps with shifting schedules.

Sounds a lot like what TimeShifter suggests.

Colby said:
Sounds a lot like what TimeShifter suggests.
Timeshifter® | The Jet Lag App® | Jet lag is history. | Timeshifter®

I just downloaded that app. Thanks for sharing.

It looks like a similar idea, but TimeShifter packs it all into a few days.

@Kari
I’ve used that app, and it worked well for me, no jet lag!

I usually fly SEA to CDG and just stay awake all day after I arrive, going to bed at a normal time for the area. I take an OTC sleep aid for the first three nights to help me sleep better. I don’t do anything unusual before my flight.

The TimeShifter app worked well for me going from the US to Australia, but that’s in the opposite direction.

Honestly, you might be overthinking this. Just get a couple of good nights’ sleep before you fly. Try to nap as much as possible on the plane, and force yourself into the local schedule quickly. Have that extra coffee in the morning and go to bed a bit early.

Someone mentioned to me once that the best way to handle jet lag is to eat according to local time. If you’re not feeling hungry at dinner time, eat anyway! If you’re not hungry for breakfast, eat then too! Your body will get used to the new schedule faster this way than by trying to sleep or not sleep.

There’s an app for that too, but I haven’t tried it myself.

Usually, I don’t sleep well the night before because I’m busy with last-minute stuff. Then, I crash on the plane. I get there feeling a bit groggy, but by 5 to 7 pm, I’m ready to fall asleep. Not the best method.