How to defeat jet lag?

Defeat jet lag by timing light, exercise, meals, and sleep to shift your body clock toward the destination’s schedule.

• 1. Before travel: Estimate your temperature minimum—about 90 minutes to two hours before your usual wake time—and begin shifting your schedule a day or two beforehand. Light and exercise after that minimum tend to advance the clock; before it, they tend to delay it. For eastward travel, Huberman gives the example of starting earlier wake-ups with bright light, exercise, and optionally a meal two or three days before departure. 1 2
• 2. Time bright light strategically: Light in the hours after your temperature minimum shifts the clock earlier; light before it shifts the clock later. For eastward travel, the suggested strategy is to wake near the temperature minimum and get bright light afterward; the clock may shift by one to three hours per day, potentially making a large time-zone adjustment in 24–36 hours. 3 4
• 3. After arrival: Use light, caffeine in reasonable amounts, and exercise to help stay awake until local bedtime; avoid an accidental long daytime nap. Eat on local meal times rather than keeping your home meal schedule. 5 6
• 4. For trips of three days or less: Keep your home schedule as much as possible. Use light and darkness to get light around your usual home wake time and limit light when it would shift your clock away from that schedule. 7
• 5. Keep timing consistent: Regular wake times and exercise can help restore a disrupted rhythm. Jet lag often worsens with age. 8 9