Jet lag Tips for family travel
A family holiday is a much anticipated occurrence and an exciting time in the calendar. If you’re travelling further afield jet lag can be a factor and, whilst it is an individualised response, there are a few things you can do to mitigate the effects of jet lag so as not to spoil the start of your holiday. Having a management plan around jet lag can help you maintain your sleep schedule and overall wellness during your travels, so you can make the most of your trip.
Jet lag is essentially a desynchronisation of the body’s circadian rhythm. These are the body’s natural rhythms which help keep us in a much needed state of balance. They are free running rhythms meaning they don’t rely on external stimuli. Commonly known rhythms are our sleep pattern, appetite and hormone release. When we rapidly change time zones, such as on a long haul flight, greater than 3 hours and in an easterly or westerly direction, the body’s circadian rhythms are put off balance and it can take a while for them to readjust.
Rapid change in time zones, such as on a flight, mean we can travel to destinations quickly, but our body’s knowledge of where we are in time and space lags behind. Therefore, long-haul travel poses a fundamental risk to our general wellbeing due to its effect on the stability of our daily rhythms.
Symptoms of jet lag can vary, but the most common ones are; trouble falling asleep and getting up, disorientation, grogginess, a reduction in alertness, loss of concentration, slower reaction times and gastrointestinal issues such as nausea or a loss of appetite. How a person responds to jet lag is largely determined by some precipitating factors. For example, pre-travel sleep patterns, alcohol intake and general level of stress.
The general rule of thumb is for every time zone crossed, it takes a day to realign the body’s rhythms. However, jet lag is highly individualised so managing it can vary from person to person. Harder too for parents who have to focus on the needs of their children whilst travelling, particularly with young children. Your own recovery from jet lag can take a back seat as you focus on what the children need. However, where possible try to manage your jet lag as its your holiday too and you want to enjoy family time, so plan as much as possible(!) to mitigate jet lag symptoms.
The direction of travel can also have an effect. West is best for adapting to new time zones, whereas travelling East generally holds a greater challenge to the body in terms of adapting to a new place. Days become longer when travelling East-to-West and it is relatively easier to adapt daily rhythms to local time zones. On the other hand, days become shorter when travelling West-to-East and it can be harder to adapt daily rhythms to local time zones. North or South travel doesn’t tend to offer the same impact on our body’s rhythms as trans-meridian travel, but the associated travel fatigue can still take effect. More on this later in the article.
In terms of long haul travel, there are many ways of adjusting to a new time zone and it very much depends on how extreme a person’s jet lag symptoms are and how far they have travelled. Here are a few tips which may help realign to a new time zone well.
Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone that is fundamentally involved in regulation of the sleep and wake cycle. Dim light in the evening signals the brain to release melatonin and helps prepare the body for night time sleep. Melatonin levels need to be rising in order to fall asleep and typically, levels peak after about two hours. Morning light on the other hand suppresses the melatonin release, so levels fall and the body wakes up. Seeking light in the daytime, particularly the morning, helps the body to realign where it is in time and space and normalise daily rhythms, particularly in terms of being asleep or awake.
Seek natural light in the daytime, particularly the morning of the first few days if flying westward and the afternoon if eastward. Don’t worry if this isn’t followed stringently, it’d be hard to do so on a family holiday! Remember that light is our biggest driver in terms of realigning our daily rhythms. It synchronises the body clock and lets the body know it should be awake.
Avoid bright lights in the evening once in your new time zone. This will suppress melatonin and make it harder to fall asleep.
Plan meal times around travelling and eat at normal times for your new time zone. Appetite is also a strong signaller of rhythm, so if you can eat at the correct meal times for your new time zone and access light at appropriate times, you’ll be onto a winner in terms of adjusting to your new destination.
Hydrate as much as possible during the travel phase, airline cabins will dehydrate you.
Move around as much as possible during travel or ensure you take time to walk around on arrival.
Avoid inappropriate napping to catch up on lost sleep. Only nap for 20-30’ in the afternoon and avoid long daytime sleeps.
Physical activity can also help, particularly if done outdoors. Easy with children as you can jump in the pool with them to stay awake!
In a technology driven world there are many apps available to help you plan your travel by giving you advice about when to be exposed to light and when to avoid light.
And what about the return journey? Coming home from holiday is always a period of mixed emotions. Looking forward to getting home, yet sad to be leaving a fab holiday and lots of quality family time. Once you’ve had a nice relaxing holiday it can be easy to forget to plan for the journey home. However, you need to combat jet lag on the return journey, particularly if you have a family and have to juggle the usual routine once home.
Depending on your direction of travel, the same travel management tips apply. Night flights are good as you can sleep and then recover at home whilst getting to grips with your new time zone in a familiar routine. Parental recovery is often harder as you’re more travel fatigued from travelling with children, never mind the jet lag! As you readjust to a UK time zone, access to daylight at the right times, correct meal times, hydration and physical activity are your best friends again.
It’s worth noting that it’s not just long haul travel that can affect us when travelling, especially with children. Short haul travel can take its toll, for example with symptoms such as tiredness and headaches, so if you’re planning a short trip the last thing you need is associated fatigue spoiling your holiday fun.
Short haul travel challenges are essentially the same as long haul without the jet lag, but worth having a plan for. Any shortfalls from inadequate travel times can be overcome with a sensible, albeit pragmatic, approach to the travel logistics. For example, try to have maximal sleep on the nights leading to travel (hard with a young family I appreciate) and try to avoid travelling overnight. Early morning flights will disrupt sleep too, so either stay in an airport hotel the night before, or avoid the very early flights. Best practice would be to fly in the middle of the day when the body’s ‘get up’ time is not affected, thus desynchronising sleep practices is minimised. Also, allow for recovery time from travel and don’t leave planning to the last minute. Plan ahead and establish a travel routine that works for your family. Accept you can’t control travel decisions and be practical in your approach to manage the situation as best you can.
Finally, some commonly asked questions relating to jet lag and flying with children are a) is long haul a good idea and b) when’s the best time to fly?
In terms long haul, yes do it! If you’re able to, taking children to far off places is an incredible experience for them and you. Regarding jet lag, there’s no escaping the misalignment of the body’s daily rhythms, whether you’re a child or an adult. Being prepared and having a plan for during travel, including accessories (e.g. games, snacks and eye masks) will help.
Lots of factors go into deciding your holiday, cost being a high priority, but the timing of your flight can make all the difference. Obviously go with what works best for your family, but don’t shy away from a night flight, particularly if travelling long haul. Pack in your cabin bag suitable things to help with this such as favourite PJ’s, familiar teddy and an eye mask. Children may not sleep as much as they would at home, but then neither does anyone on a plane, and remember, you can get back on routine once on arrival, so enjoy any peace and quiet you do get! If travelling short haul, it’s better to have a reasonably timed day flight and plan accordingly for that.
If you need further advice relating to any aspect of sleep health you can find more information on www.gilchristperformance.co.uk, Instagram Gilchrist or LinkedIn SarahLGilchrist.