Jet lag in children

Book a night flight

Book a night flight and make the most of it: ensure you arrive at your destination by the end of the afternoon. During a night flight, your routine will be disrupted. You and your little one will likely sleep (yay, the flight goes by faster!), but not as much as during a regular night. Additionally, the long journey is tiring. When you arrive at your destination in the late afternoon, you have plenty of time to unpack and eat, but then it’s already bedtime. From our experience, everyone falls asleep quickly after such a long journey and night flight. This way, you’ve already started adjusting to your new routine!

Adjust the routine before departure

Before you travel, you can gradually adjust your child’s sleep and eating patterns to the new time zone. This helps their internal clock shift gradually, making the transition easier.

Hydration and nutrition

Make sure your children stay well-hydrated during the trip. Limit caffeine and sugary drinks, as these can disrupt sleep. Also, be cautious with heavy meals right before bedtime.

Go outside

Exposure to natural sunlight can help the body’s internal clock adjust to the new time zone. Try to plan outdoor activities during the day to help regulate the sleep-wake cycle.

Stay active

Let your children burn off some energy by playing or moving outside. This can help them stay awake and active until the right time to go to sleep in the new time zone.

Encourage sleep at the right time

Make sure your children go to sleep at the correct local bedtime, even if they don’t feel tired yet. A calming bedtime routine can help them prepare for sleep. If it’s later at your vacation destination, try the

Make sleep comfortable

Bring familiar sleep sacks, stuffed animals, and other items that your children associate with their sleep routine. This can help them feel more comfortable and fall asleep faster.

Patience and flexibility

Be patient if it takes a few days for your children to fully adjust to the new time zone. Adjust your plans and expect some irritability until their bodies have adapted.

Use technology in moderation

Limit the use of electronic devices, especially right before bedtime. The blue light from screens can disrupt the production of the sleep hormone melatonin.

Set a good example

Make sure that you and other adults in the family are also trying to adjust to the new time zone. Children often learn by observing the behavior of their parents.

Give it time

Remember that adjusting to a new time zone can take several days. Stay calm and positive, and give yourself and your children time to acclimate. Generally, children need one day for each hour of time difference. Our children experienced jet lag for 10 days coming from Sydney (a 10-hour time difference). I can’t sugarcoat it for you! 😉 Overall, jet lag in children from traveling east (such as to Asia) tends to resolve more quickly than jet lag from traveling west (such as to America).