How to Outsmart Jet Lag This Holiday Season

If you’ve ever landed at your destination only to spend the next few days feeling groggy, wired at 2am, or hungry at odd hours, you’ve experienced jet lag, your internal clock struggling to catch up with the outside world.

Why Jet Lag Happens

Your body runs on a 24-hour internal rhythm, anchored by a master clock in the brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). This clock is primarily set by light and darkness, which is why full spectrum sunlight is such a powerful regulator. When you fly across time zones, your clock doesn’t instantly reset, it adjusts gradually, about one hour per day. Traveling east often feels harder than going west because it’s easier to stay up late than to fall asleep earlier.

Circadian biology is fundamentally about timing, and jet lag is a major disruptor because air travel across continents is a completely foreign experience for our species.

Light: Your Most Powerful Reset Tool

Light is the most potent signal to your circadian system. Morning sunlight (sunrise) in your new time zone helps your body shift earlier, while evening light pushes your clock later. To minimize jet lag, get outside into sunlight soon after you arrive, watch sunrise consistently on your trip, and avoid isolated blue light from conventional sources after nightfall while maximizing darkness. A pair of orange blue light blockers is a life saver here for the night time. Think of light as the anchor that syncs your biology to your new schedule. Grounding, or placing your bare feet onto a natural conductive Earth surface, like grass and soil, is another great way to create circadian alignment on top of sunlight exposure.

Sync Meals, Movement, and Temperature

Your organs also run on their own clocks, influenced by when you eat, move, and experience temperature changes. Eating meals on the local schedule and moving your body (ideally outdoors) can speed up your adjustment. Even cues like cool mornings and warm evenings help reinforce the new rhythm. Start living on local time as soon as you land. Download the MyCircadian app to understand specifics involved with times.

A Gentle Pre-Flight Shift

If you can, adjust your sleep schedule by 30-60 minutes per day before your trip. For eastward travel, wake up earlier and seek morning light; for westward, stay up a little later. Hydrate well with glass bottled spring water, fast or eat nutrient dense food, and minimize or remove alcohol to support recovery in transit.

The Takeaway

Jet lag isn’t inevitable. It’s your body’s clock asking for time to adjust. By using light strategically, syncing your meals and movement, and making small pre-flight tweaks, you can feel clear, energized, and aligned sooner, so you can focus on enjoying the people (and plates) that make the holidays special.

The Circadian Toolbox

A short list of tools that help you align your biology with the natural light–dark cycle, whether you’re recovering from jet lag or just re-tuning your circadian system.

• MyCircadian App: MyCircadian tracks sunrise, sunset, UV exposure, vitamin D, and moon phases, while logging sun sessions and offering tools like a lux meter and compass for optimal health.
• Blue Light Blockers: A priceless tool in your toolbox to block isolated blue light from causing circadian disruption via the eyes, to be worn strictly after nightfall. I suggest getting the orange ones. Red makes it difficult to see at night. Clear and yellow blue blockers aren’t effective enough for nighttime use.
• Night Service: The sleep aid you’ll still love in the morning. Designed with tart cherry and adaptogens, it eases stress, promotes restful sleep, and restores your nervous system so you wake feeling recharged.
• Chromalux: Incandescent bulbs which serve as the perfect lighting source indoors, providing a balanced spectrum of light, rather than toxic isolated blue light.
• EMR TEK: Cutting-edge light therapy devices designed to recharge your body, restore vitality, and keep you feeling unstoppable, everyday wellness powered by science.

Bio

Zaid Dahhaj is a Circadian Biology Educator who teaches the physics of human biology through the lens of light, time, and environment. He’s the voice behind The Circadian Classroom on Substack and co-host of The 2AM Podcast. Zaid helps people understand that sunlight, meal timing, movement, and darkness aren’t wellness trends, they’re written into our cells.