How to Get Over Jet Lag: Practical Tips for Faster Recovery
What to do when you land to beat jet lag faster, including how to sleep when your body clock is on the wrong time.
Part of our jet lag guide.
After a long flight: call 999 if you have chest pain or sudden breathlessness, and get urgent help for a painful, swollen calf or thigh. These can be signs of a blood clot. A fever after travelling to a malaria area needs a doctor the same day.
Key fact: Living on local time from the day you land, and getting daylight at the right time of day, are the two most effective ways to get over jet lag.
Flying long-haul soon?
Most jet lag gets better with the right routine. If it badly affects you, our UK prescribers can assess you online for licensed jet lag treatment. Adults 18 and over. Approved before 3pm, Monday to Friday? Dispatched the same day, by Royal Mail Tracked 48, Tracked 24 or Special Delivery guaranteed by 1pm next working day.
Start Jet Lag Consultation →Why do you feel jet lagged?
Your body clock is still running on home time, so your brain releases sleep signals and switches on alertness at the wrong times of the local day. Everything below works by nudging your body clock onto local time faster. For more on the causes and symptoms, see our main jet lag guide.
Switch to local time straight away
From the moment you land, live on local time: eat meals at local mealtimes and go to bed at a normal local bedtime, even if you feel wide awake or exhausted. Set an alarm for a normal local wake-up time on the first few mornings, so you don't sleep in and keep your body on home time.
Get daylight at the right time
Daylight is the strongest signal to your body clock. The time of day matters:
| Direction | Seek daylight | Avoid bright light |
|---|---|---|
| After flying east (e.g. to Asia) | Morning, from a few hours after waking | Late afternoon and evening |
| After flying west (e.g. to the USA) | Afternoon and early evening | Early morning, for the first day or two |
Even on a cloudy day, outdoor light is far brighter than indoor light, so a walk outside counts. Our guide east vs west jet lag explains why direction matters.
Can't sleep with jet lag? How to sleep better
Sleep problems are the main symptom of jet lag. Which problem you get depends on which way you flew:
- Can't fall asleep at night (usually after flying east): your body thinks it's still evening or afternoon.
- Waking very early and not getting back to sleep (usually after flying west): your body thinks it's already morning.
- Sleepy during the day: your body thinks it's night back home.
To sleep better:
- Go to bed at a normal local time, not as soon as you arrive.
- Keep your room dark, cool and quiet; use an eye mask and earplugs if you need to.
- Avoid screens, heavy meals and alcohol in the last hour or two before bed.
- If you wake in the night, keep the lights low and rest quietly rather than checking your phone.
- If you wake too early after flying west, stay in a dark room until a normal local wake-up time.
Still not sleeping after 2 weeks? If sleep problems carry on well after the trip, it's no longer jet lag. See your GP, or read about insomnia treatments.
Should you nap when jet lagged?
A short nap can help you get through the first afternoon, but long naps keep your body clock anchored to home time and make it harder to sleep at night. If you need to nap, keep it to 20 to 30 minutes, set an alarm, and avoid napping late in the afternoon or evening.
Food, drink, caffeine and alcohol
- Drink plenty of water, especially after a long flight in dry cabin air.
- Eat at local mealtimes, and keep evening meals light to help you sleep.
- Use caffeine wisely: coffee or tea in the morning and early afternoon can help you stay alert, but avoid it in the 6 hours before bed.
- Go easy on alcohol: it may make you feel sleepy, but it disrupts sleep later in the night.
Exercise and staying active
Light exercise, ideally outdoors in daylight, can help you stay awake during the local day and may help you sleep at night. A walk is ideal. Avoid hard exercise late in the evening, which can make it harder to wind down.
Can melatonin help you recover?
Melatonin is the hormone your body releases in the evening to signal night-time. In the UK, melatonin 3mg tablets are a prescription-only medicine licensed for the short-term treatment of jet lag in adults, taken at bedtime after you arrive for up to 5 days. It isn't needed by everyone. See our melatonin for jet lag guide for the evidence and how it's used.
Mistakes that make jet lag worse
- Sleeping as soon as you arrive in the daytime.
- Long afternoon naps.
- Staying indoors in a hotel room or office.
- Drinking alcohol to help you sleep.
- Coffee in the evening.
- Lying in late on the first mornings.
- Taking a sleeping tablet or melatonin at the wrong time of day.
When to get medical help
- Call 999 for chest pain, sudden breathlessness or coughing up blood during or after a flight.
- Get urgent help for a painful, swollen, warm or red calf or thigh after a long flight.
- See a GP if poor sleep or tiredness lasts more than 2 weeks after you get home.
Getting jet lag treatment
If jet lag regularly knocks you out for days, our UK prescribers can assess adults online for licensed treatment. See our jet lag treatment page.
UK safety and reporting side effects
In the UK, melatonin is a prescription-only medicine. Melatonin 3mg tablets are licensed for the short-term treatment of jet lag in adults aged 18 and over, and they aren't licensed for jet lag in children. Before any medicine is supplied, a GPhC-registered pharmacist independent prescriber reviews your consultation, including your health and the other medicines you take. Always read the patient information leaflet in the pack.
Melatonin sold as a supplement abroad or on unregulated websites (as gummies, sprays or tablets) isn't a licensed medicine in the UK, and its strength and contents can vary. Only buy medicines from a registered UK pharmacy: you can check any online pharmacy on the GPhC register.
If you think you've had a side effect from a medicine, tell your pharmacist or doctor. You can also report it to the MHRA through the Yellow Card scheme, which helps keep medicines safe for everyone.
Jet lag is only one part of travel health. Before you go, check FCDO travel advice for your destination and TravelHealthPro for vaccines and malaria advice. Tiredness after a long-haul flight affects your reactions, so don't drive if you feel sleepy after you land.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fastest way to get over jet lag?
Switch to local time as soon as you land, get daylight at the right time of day for your direction of travel, keep naps under 30 minutes and avoid alcohol and late caffeine. Together these help your body clock catch up faster.
How do I sleep with jet lag?
Go to bed at a normal local time, keep the room dark and cool, and avoid screens, alcohol and heavy meals before bed. If you wake in the night, keep the lights low and rest quietly until a normal local wake-up time.
Why do I wake up so early with jet lag?
After flying west, your body clock is still ahead of local time, so it thinks it's morning in the early hours. Stay in a dark room until a normal wake-up time, and get daylight in the afternoon and early evening.
Why can't I sleep at night after flying east?
After flying east, your body clock is behind local time, so at bedtime it still thinks it's evening or afternoon. Morning daylight and avoiding evening light help your clock move earlier.
Should I stay awake all day when I arrive?
Try to stay awake until a normal local bedtime, with a short nap of 20 to 30 minutes if you really need one. Sleeping for hours in the daytime keeps your body clock on home time.
Does coffee help jet lag?
Coffee can help you stay alert during the local day, but avoid it in the 6 hours before bed so it doesn't stop you sleeping.
Does exercise help jet lag?
Light exercise outdoors in daylight can help you stay awake during the day and sleep better at night. Avoid hard exercise late in the evening.
Is it better to stay on home time for a short trip?
For trips of 2 or 3 days, it's often easier to sleep and eat on UK time where you can, rather than adjusting and then readjusting when you get home.
References
- NHS. Jet lag. nhs.uk
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC Yellow Book: Jet lag disorder. cdc.gov
- Herxheimer A, Petrie KJ. Melatonin for the prevention and treatment of jet lag. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2002, CD001520. cochrane.org
- Melatonin 3 mg film-coated tablets: summary of product characteristics. medicines.org.uk
Medical disclaimer: This article is for information only and isn’t medical advice. Prescription medicines, including melatonin, need a clinical consultation before they can be supplied. If you have chest pain, sudden breathlessness or a painful, swollen leg after a flight, seek medical help straight away. In a medical emergency, call 999.