The Family Jet Lag Strategy That Actually Worked for Us
All the family travel blogs tell you jet lag is unavoidable. But I didn’t want to fully believe that.
A decade ago, we took our kids, aged six and nine, to Europe for the first time. We flew into Copenhagen, which is six hours ahead of us, and were afraid jet lag would negatively affect our experience. So we got strategic. And instead of being miserable the first few days, we managed to keep jet lag to a minimum, and I want to share what worked for our family.
Start adjusting kids’ sleep schedules a week before your trip
When we were a full week away from leaving for our trip, we started waking up our kids early. We started at 6:00 AM on the first day, 5:00 AM on the next, and by day three, we were waking up at 4:30 AM and kept that up until we left.
We went for family walks around our neighborhood to wake us up. It may not have been the most fun, but it got our kids up early, and it gave us family time to talk about and anticipate all the fun things we would see and do in Europe. Just as important, it helped them transition to the time change more easily.
We booked a 24-hour layover on purpose, and here's why
On our way to Copenhagen, we had a 24-hour layover in Iceland. This was purposeful to keep active on day one, and we got to see Iceland in the process. We landed at 6:00 AM, rented a 9-passenger van, and hit the ground running.
We had our kids and my in-laws with us, and although they kept briefly nodding off in the van, we kept stopping as we drove around Iceland’s Golden Circle. That meant no one got into a deep sleep.
We all held up well through most of the day. My husband made it until evening — the free triple espresso shots at the car rental counter didn't hurt either. Around 5:00 PM, while we were still driving the Golden Circle, the kids and grandparents were napping, and my husband and I were chatting. Then, mid-conversation with him, I fell asleep in the middle of my own words. My husband thought it was hilarious. Can't say that's ever happened to me before.
The midnight sun wasn’t helping much since that meant daylight until around 2:00 AM. But we turned in around nine that night, and we’re glad our lodging had blackout shades. The next morning, we felt good to catch our 8:00 AM flight to Copenhagen.
Kerid Crater in Iceland
Keep moving even when you're exhausted
Just like our Iceland experience showed you, keep moving on the first day after you land. Keep busy and resist the urge to nap. If you flew overnight, be sure to eat breakfast as soon as you land and get outside. Natural light is one of the best signals you can give your body that it's time to be awake.
Turn in early that first evening. And try not to schedule anything in the early morning on the second day to help your body transition. The second day is usually the hardest, but by day three, most families find their footing.
Sync your meal times with the locals
Eating breakfast when you land is just the start, and you’ll want to keep your meals to the local time. It will tell your internal clock that this is normal, and that will go a long way in adjusting.
I hope your kids aren’t as picky with eating as ours were. We ended up taking a terribly long time deciding where to eat in Copenhagen because my kids couldn’t find anything to eat, and my in-laws couldn’t agree either.
Do yourself a favor and research a few family-friendly spots before you land. Future you will be grateful.
We get to choose how we deal with jet lag. Use these tips, and your family will be ready to explore from the moment you land.