Why Jet Lag Affects Us

Jet lag can be a real beast.

Jet lag happens when our bodies don’t have enough time to react to the change in time zones that we travel to. Before car and air travel were common, you’d travel by donkey, covered wagon, or boat – which took a really long time to get to where you were going.

But there was a great advantage to slow travel that we miss out on today. Because travel took so long, it gave our bodies time to gradually acclimate to the new time zone in each city, as we’d travel. Day by day, mile by mile, our bodies adjusted to the changing time zone as we moved across them. Our bodies were in sync with the natural time zone in each location that we traveled through, based on where the sun rose and set that day.

Today, we can travel somewhere so quickly that our body doesn’t get a chance to adjust to a new time. You can wake up in New York and be in California by the afternoon. Poof! You’re in a new time zone without having had any time to adjust. Your body’s rhythm is lagging, after flying.

Jet Lag = the lag in time that your body is struggling with after flying on a jet. 

How Jet Lag affects our bodies

Can I tell you a secret?

Jet lag impacts so much more than sleep.

Among the many intricate systems and cycles taking place in our bodies each day, jet lag can impact how and when our bodies

• get hungry
• eliminate waste
• produce breastmilk
• secrete hormones
• regulate body temperature
• maintain heart rate and blood pressure

When you travel to a new time zone, don’t be surprised if your baby seems hungry, tired or needs a diaper change at the “wrong” times. Your baby is actually following his usual rhythm beautifully- it’s just that the clock says something different now.

Baby tips for time zone shifts

Expose your baby to sunlight during the day.
Sunlight regulates our circadian rhythm, which is what tells our bodies when to go to sleep and wake up. By exposing your baby to sunlight in the new location, you’ll gently nudge his circadian rhythm to sync up with sunrise and sunset in the new location.

Encourage lots of physical movement.
Rolling, crawling, scooting, cruising, climbing, dancing. Bonus – get your baby moving outdoors in the sunshine! Two for one!

Stay Hydrated

Did you know that dehydration can exacerbate the symptoms of jet lag, making you feel even worse? It’s easy to get dehydrated after a flight, so make sure to drink plenty of water in the days after your flight and feed baby frequently.

Keep naps regular lengths.
Even though your baby will be exhausted, try to keep daytime naps to the typical length that they are at home. Too much daytime sleep can impact nighttime sleep, which exacerbates the jet lag cycle.

Keep baby awake till bedtime if possible.
On the day that you arrive at your destination, try to keep your baby awake until his typical bedtime in the new time zone. Regular naps are great – what you want to avoid is putting your baby down for a super early bedtime. This isn’t always possible, but if you can, it will set your baby up for a smoother adjustment.

Jump into the new time as soon as you arrive.
 At the same time, count on your baby waking up at the “wrong” time at first, including the middle of the night. Remember, his body is still on the old schedule. Give plenty of grace and keep those expectations low. On the other hand, if you’re flying in and out for a quick trip, it may be easier to stay on your home time zone. You’ll decide what’s best for you!

Prepare for a rough first night.

That first night you can expect your baby to wake a lot at night – or to be wide awake for hours at a time. Try not to panic – and try not to hand them the iPad, which emits blue light and stimulates our brain to stay awake even longer. A small snack (remember, it’s probably meal or snack time in their body!) can help, as well as some non stimulating toys.

Keep a light schedule for the first two days

If you can, avoid any major exertions or outings in the first two days of your trip. Everyone will be exhausted and bleary eyed, and the stress of new locations and reservations in a new place can make things more stressful. Of course, sometimes this is out of your control, so manage what you can and let the rest go. Remember: you can’t fight jet lag. You can’t beat jet lag. The best way to handle it is to accept it, roll with it, and wait for your bodies to adjust.

24 hours to adjust for each hour of time difference. 
Keep in mind that our bodies need 24 hours to adjust to every one hour time difference. If you’re traveling to a destination that’s 3 hours later than your home time, give your baby’s body (and yours) about 3 days to adjust to the new time. If your destination is on a 3 or 4 hour time difference, than can work out well. But if you’re going to Israel for ten days, it’s not super practical to give your baby 12 days to adjust to the new time, as it will be time to head home before they’ve adjusted! For bigger time differences, give your baby 2-3 days to adjust naturally to the new time zone and then shift baby onto the new time.

Blackout Your Sleep Space

Even if you’re not into blackout curtains at home, you might want to try this one. There’s nothing worse than waking up with the sun when your body thinks it’s still 3am. Having a dark room will encourage your baby (and you) to get as much sleep as possible in the early morning. These are my favorite travel blackout curtains – use code BABYSLEEPMAVEN to save.

Direction Matters.
If you’re traveling from East to West, your baby’s bedtime will get moved later. It can be helpful to add in an extra afternoon nap for a day or two until baby adjusts to the new time. If you’re traveling from West to East, bedtime gets a little easier! What feels like regular bedtime for your baby (say 7:30pm) is much later on the East coast, which gives you time to get to your destination without an overtired baby, or maybe even head out for dinner.

I’ve got more baby travel tips for you in this blog post here so you can make the most out of your trip!

Getting baby back to routine at home

Try not to stress too much about sleep when you’re traveling. I know it’s hard. When you get home, things will get back on track! The best thing you can do when coming home from a trip is to expect sleep to be wonky for 5-7 nights. It’s hard, and it’s normal. Often, just giving your baby’s body time to adjust back to your home time is enough to help them get back on track naturally.

If you’ve waited for at least a week and you’re still struggling, be sure to check out my free mini course about why Cry It Out won’t work for your baby. It will teach you three reasons I recommend avoiding Cry It Out or Ferber methods, and what you can do instead to help nurture your baby towards better sleep! Grab the free course here.

If you’re struggling with your toddler’s sleep, check out my free toddler sleep guide here.