Sleeping Well on Work Trips: Jet Lag and Hotel Tips

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The best way to sleep well while travelling for work is to protect your routine: shift your schedule a little before you go, get daylight at your destination, and make your room dark, quiet and cool. Jet lag is a mismatch between your body clock and local time, and light is the strongest signal for resetting it.

Why does travel wreck sleep for remote workers?

Time zones, early flights, unfamiliar beds and a full inbox all hit at once. For a freelancer or remote employee there is no office day to absorb the damage: you still have calls and deadlines. A little planning keeps one bad night from turning into a lost week.

What should you do before the trip?

• Shift gradually. If you are crossing several time zones, move your bedtime and wake time a little in the right direction over a few days. Even a small shift helps you start closer to local time.
• Pick your flight with sleep in mind. The CDC's Yellow Book chapter on jet lag disorder suggests choosing a flight that lands at a time that gives you useful light exposure.
• Clear your calendar. Leave the first day free of demanding meetings, or schedule them for hours that fall within your normal waking time.
• Pack for sleep. An eye mask, earplugs and a small pillow weigh almost nothing. Our packing checklist for working on the move shows how to fit them in with your work gear.

How do you sleep on the plane?

Some people sleep easily on a flight and others do not, so aim for rest rather than perfection.

• Choose a window seat if you want to lean against the wall and control the shade.
• Use an eye mask and earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones.
• Wear loose layers, because cabins swing between cold and warm.
• Drink water. Skip heavy meals, and be careful with caffeine and alcohol if you want to sleep, since both can interfere with it.

If you cannot sleep, rest with your eyes closed and avoid starting a big work task at the last minute.

How do you beat jet lag after landing?

Light is the key. The CDC's Yellow Book recommends maximising natural light at your destination, and it describes using timed bright light to shift the body clock. Outdoor light, even on a cloudy day, is usually far brighter than indoor lighting, so go outside rather than working in a dim room all day.

Simple habits that help

• Go outside in local daytime. A walk or an outdoor coffee counts, and you can combine it with a call.
• Eat at local meal times. Regular meals give your body another cue about the new schedule.
• Keep naps short. A short nap early in the afternoon is less likely to push your bedtime later than a long one.
• Dim the lights and screens in the evening. Give yourself a wind-down period before bed.

What about melatonin?

Melatonin is sold as a supplement and is often mentioned for jet lag. It is not right for everyone, and the NIH's National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health explains what is and is not known in its guide to melatonin. Ask your doctor or pharmacist before using it, especially if you take other medicines or have a health condition. This article does not give doses, because the right choice depends on you.

How do you make a hotel room sleep-friendly?

• Request a quiet room away from lifts, ice machines and street noise when you book or check in.
• Control light. Close the curtains fully, and cover small standby lights with tape or a cloth.
• Adjust the temperature. A cooler room is generally easier to sleep in than a warm one.
• Mask noise. Earplugs or a white-noise app work well.
• Fix the bed. If the mattress is too soft or firm, ask whether the hotel has an extra pillow or topper.
• Keep work out of bed. Use a desk or lounge chair for your laptop so the bed stays for sleeping.

If your trip involves a stay of more than a few days, a proper workspace helps keep work and sleep separate. See our guide to building a portable home office and our advice on reliable internet while travelling, so you are not working late from the bed because the hotel Wi-Fi failed.

What routine works on the road?

• Keep a regular bedtime and wake time as far as your schedule allows.
• Wind down for an hour with a book, a warm shower or quiet music instead of email.
• Be active during the day, but not hard exercise right before bed.
• Eat a lighter dinner, and drink water through the day without overdoing it right before bed.

When should you see a doctor?

Short-term sleep trouble after a trip is common. The CDC explains why sleep matters for health on its sleep page. If you keep struggling to sleep after you are home and settled, feel very sleepy in the daytime, or are thinking about sleep aids, talk to a doctor.

For more tools that make trips easier, browse MaviGadget's travel gadgets, including items that help with sleep.