How can you manage jet lag in children?

Helping children adjust to different time zones may seem daunting as you think about an upcoming trip, but there are steps you can take to combat jet lag in children of all ages.

“Jet lag occurs when your circadian rhythm is disturbed by travel and time zone changes,” explains Dr. Innessa Donskoy, the director of sleep education at Advocate Children’s Hospital. “Your central internal ‘brain clock’ tells you when it’s time to sleep and wake, so when you disrupt that natural pattern, you can experience exhaustion, headaches, indigestion or trouble falling asleep.”

Jet lag symptoms may also be behavioral, such as tantrums or hyperactivity, but the same methods for decreasing symptoms in adults work for children.

Dr. Donskoy’s tips for minimizing jet lag in children: 

1. Light is the strongest cue

Special receptors in the eyes send signals to the brain that set the internal clock, which controls sleep timing. When you travel across time zones, that clock needs help adjusting. Once you arrive to your destination, use light strategically. In the first few days, try to get your child plenty of natural sunlight in the early morning if you’re aiming to shift their schedule earlier. This helps their body reset more quickly.

Later in the day — especially in the evening — limit bright light and screens. Dim rooms, close curtains or even use sunglasses if you’re out late to prevent confusing the brain about the time. These light cues help your child’s body align with the new time zone, making it easier for them to fall asleep, stay asleep and wake up at more appropriate times.

2. Limit random naps

If your child does nap, limit rest time to shorter naps that are earlier in the day to ensure they have enough sleep pressure built up for bedtime.

3. Use food as “clock fuel”

The circadian rhythm in the brain isn’t the only way the body uses “clock” genes — they’re in every organ, especially the gut. These “peripheral clocks” use cues like consuming calories to tell the body it’s time to be awake, energized and ready to burn fuel. This means breakfast needs to be a priority meal.

When a child eats too much late at night, especially in a new time zone, their body stays busy digesting instead of winding down. This can make it harder to fall asleep, cause restless nights and even stress the metabolism over time. Try to keep meals aligned with the local schedule.

4. Focus on the bedtime routine

Keeping a consistent pattern of activities before sleep, like a bath, book, snuggles, a goodnight kiss or listening to a song, help your child’s brain recognize that it’s time to wind down. This is called a sleep onset association: you naturally connect falling asleep with certain activities. The more you can bring your familiar bedtime routine from home, the easier it is for your child’s brain and body to feel safe and let sleep happen. Instead of rushing through the steps to hit a specific bedtime, prioritize keeping the routine familiar and consistent.

5. Lower your expectations

Even after your trip, anticipate overnight wakings, accidental car naps, difficulty settling and challenging mornings. It will take time for your child to adjust after their normal sleep pattern has been disrupted. So, ease back into flexible, realistic schedules that account for your children’s ages, the time difference and the length of your stay. Include unstructured blocks of downtime for outdoor play or reminiscing about the trip together.

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