Conquer your jet lag with simple, expert-approved diet tweaks

For more on improving your sleep, find out about 'sleep tourism', how much sleep you really need and our review of the best sleep supplements.

Our bodies are used to a daily routine. We eat at certain times, we’re more active during predictable periods and we have a good idea of when the sun will rise and set. The brain signals us to wake, sleep, get things done and digest food at just the right moments.

This is our circadian rhythm – and long haul flights break it at intercontinental speed.

“The disruption essentially throws off the release timing of hormones like melatonin and cortisol, which regulate sleep-wake cycles and other bodily functions including digestion,” says sleep specialist and founder of The Sleep Site, Dave Gibson.

“The body clock naturally aligns with the environment but when you travel across multiple time zones it remains set to the original time zone, leading to more severe symptoms the further you travel.”

We call this phenomenon ‘jet lag’ and while those words may carry a sprinkling of glamour, the realities are grounding.

“Common symptoms include insomnia or excessive sleepiness, headaches, daytime fatigue, digestive issues like bloating, constipation or diarrhoea, difficulty concentrating and mood changes such as irritability,” says Dave.

Even the most flight-hardened travellers can experience these effects.

“I’ve certainly felt the cognitive fog myself – I once tried to pour orange juice on my cereal after a trip,” says Captain Zoe Cameron-Casey, a long-haul pilot and human factors instructor at Virgin Atlantic.

“Even as a teenager I remember seeing this in action. My dad was a pilot too and after one trip he took me and my siblings to the supermarket. We managed to convince him to buy all sorts of snacks and things he’d usually say no to.”

5 jet lag facts

• The term ‘jet lag’ originated in the 1960s when long-haul travel was taking off – travel writer Horace Sutton, who may have coined the term, described jet lag as “a debility not unakin to a hangover”
• Studies have found that jet lag is worse after travelling east, rather than west, as this direction of travel shortens the day and can make it difficult to go to sleep at a normal time
• 68% of international business travellers experience jet lag symptoms regularly
• Jet lag is recognised as a health condition by authorities including the NHS
• When the clocks change each spring and autumn we can experience relatively mild jet lag symptoms, sometimes referred to as ‘social jet lag’

How to reduce jet lag

Jet lag is a fact of long-haul flying but there are dietary tweaks and other measures that can reduce the symptoms – at least in some people’s experience. We’ll start by looking at what we know best: diet.

Adjust your mealtimes

Regular mealtimes are a cornerstone of your circadian rhythm. The gut is better equipped to digest foods at predictable times of day, due to factors such as peaks and troughs of gut microbiota activity.

Some travellers try to combat this effect by tweaking their mealtimes in the days before a long flight – a tactic best reserved for longer stays in distant places.

“When I’m flying professionally, I usually stick to UK time, especially on shorter layovers (24-48 hours), because it’s more effective than constantly trying to reprogramme my internal clock,” says Zoe.

“But for personal travel or longer trips it can help to gently adjust sleep and meal timings in the days beforehand – particularly when heading east. Even small shifts can reduce the initial impact.”

Once you’ve touched down it’s generally advised to adapt to local mealtimes.

“Eating in line with your destination’s local time can help nudge your body clock into sync,” says registered nutritionist, Milena Kaler.

“Think of meals as time cues. If you arrive in the morning, try to wait until local lunchtime to eat. It’s a gentle but effective way to adapt,” she says.

Choose these foods in the morning

After landing in your far-flung destination, Milena suggests eating a reinvigorating combination of protein and complex carbs.

“Go for a breakfast that wakes up your metabolism without overwhelming your system – something like eggs on sourdough with avocado, or Greek yogurt with oats and berries,” she says.

Naturally, you might reach for a caffeinated drink such as coffee to start the day wakefully, but this might not be the best choice when it comes to managing jet lag symptoms.

“Even mild dehydration can make jet lag feel worse, so start with water, or hot water with lemon if that’s your thing,” says Milena.

“Foods like citrus salad with yogurt, or peanut butter on toast with sliced banana, will give you a gentle lift without a crash.”

Quick tips:

• Recover with a breakfast combining protein and complex carbs
• Focus on hydrating with water
• Energise with healthy foods, not caffeinated drinks

Choose these foods at night

When you’re dealing with jet lag, Milena suggests winding down with foods that encourage calm and support melatonin production.

“Keep things light, warming and easy to digest with foods like salmon with roasted sweet potato, or a warm grain bowl with chickpeas, spinach and a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds,” she says.

One of the most disruptive symptoms of jet lag is difficulty getting to sleep. There’s no magic nutrient to solve the problem, but eating the right foods (throughout the day, not just at night) could help.

“Tryptophan, which is found in oats, seeds and turkey, helps produce melatonin, our sleep hormone,” says Milena.

“Magnesium, found in leafy greens, nuts and dark chocolate, supports relaxation and helps create the right conditions for sleep – although it’s not a knockout pill.”

Quick tips:

• Light, easy-to-digest foods are best when managing jet lag
• Foods containing tryptophan can help with production of melatonin, the sleep hormone
• Foods containing magnesium can help us relax and get to sleep in a new time zone

The best snacks to eat

As many frequent flyers can attest, long-distance travel sometimes brings out the unhealthier extremes of our appetite.

“When you’re tired, your body doesn’t just feel low on energy – it starts craving all the wrong things,” says Zoe.

“You’re more likely to overeat, reach for sugar or carbs, or make impulsive choices you wouldn’t normally make when well rested, so it’s a good idea to plan ahead and pack something nutritious for the flight.

“If I’ve got something healthy to hand, I’m far less likely to give in to the crisps or chocolate,” she adds.

Most airports will let you through security with solid foods in your hand luggage, so there’s nothing to prevent you from taking some healthy, home-prepped nibbles for the flight.

“Snack smart with things that give slow-release energy and help the body relax,” says Milena.

“Try oatcakes with seed butter or a banana.”

While we’re on the subject of snacks, Dave suggests some light bites (and a drink) that will help look after your gut microbiota around a long-haul trip.

“One problem with long-haul travel is that it affects your gut microbiome, which is the inner ecosystem of our digestive systems,” he says.

“Eating probiotic foods such as natural yogurt, kombucha and kimchi, or even taking a probiotic supplement, can support your gut bacteria, and this in turn reduces jet lag’s effects on your digestive system.”

Quick tips:

• Jet lag causes cravings – but try to stick to healthy snacks
• Most airports will let you bring home-prepped snacks through security
• Probiotic snacks like natural yogurt support healthy gut bacteria during disruptive travel

Is it possible to completely eliminate jet lag?

Time is a healer and, for most people, jet lag symptoms become unnoticeable within 4-6 days of reaching the destination (the period would likely be shorter if you’ve crossed fewer than six time zones).

Unfortunately, there’s no sure way to prevent jet lag symptoms after flying, but you do have some options, dietary and otherwise, to reduce the symptoms.

“Jet lag is pretty much unavoidable on long-haul flights – you’re shifting time zones, after all – but there are definitely ways to make it easier,” says Zoe.

“The biggest help is exposure to natural light as soon as you land. Your circadian rhythm is heavily influenced by light, so stepping outside and moving around in daylight really helps signal to the brain that it’s a new day. Even a short walk in natural light can accelerate adjustment.

“Also, regardless of the time zone, my number one rule is to keep ‘day one’ light. Your body is already working hard to recalibrate, so don’t overload it. Fresh air, movement, hydration and a bit of compassion go a long way,” she adds.

According to Dave, adapting your mindset before and during travel can also help you to acclimatise when you land.

“On travel day, pack early to minimise stress and ensure rest, and set your watch to the arrival time as soon as you board the airplane, as this helps to reinforce the new schedule you’ll follow for meals and sleep,” he says.

“When you arrive make sure you adapt your light exposure, meals and sleep times to the local schedule as quickly as possible. If it’s not bedtime, avoid napping and instead stay awake until your local bedtime. If you have to nap, however, limit it to a 20-minute power nap so that you’ll still be tired at bedtime.”

In the aviation industry, jet lag is handled as an important factor in passenger safety and employee wellbeing.

“Airlines address it through structured fatigue risk management systems, with guidance on things like strategic rest, light exposure, sleep hygiene and recognising when performance is starting to be affected,” says Zoe.

“Managing fatigue well is simply part of doing the job properly – and the same principles that help flight crew stay alert and focussed can work just as well for travellers trying to feel human again after a long-haul flight.”

It turns out that the best advice, after a plane has moved you a very long way, is to move a much shorter distance under your own steam.

“Jet lag is a full-body recalibration and the best thing you can do is support it with patience, daylight, sleep – and the thing that works best for me, movement,” says Zoe.

“Whether it’s a run along the beach in Barbados, a walk through Central Park, or a Punch Hub boxing class back home in Oxfordshire, getting my body moving helps shift my internal clock and blow away the jet lag.

“It doesn’t have to be intense – just getting outside and into natural light can lift your energy and help kick-start the adjustment.”