How to Overcome Jet Lag With Babies?

Jet lag, also known as a jet lag condition, is a temporary sleep problem that can occur when a person travels across many time zones in a short period. You are more likely to suffer from jet lag the more time zones you cross. This blog will teach you how you can overcome jet lag especially when it comes to babies.

Circadian rhythms, your body’s internal clock, instruct you when to stay up and when to sleep. You’ll suffer from jet lag since your body’s clock is still tuned to your original time zone rather than the time zone to which you’ve traveled.

If you’re worried about taking your kid on an international trip, or if you’ve returned from one and want to know how to overcome jet lag. Then you have to know more about timezones and sleeping habits.

Jet lag causes daytime drowsiness, an unpleasant feeling, difficulty staying focused, and gastrointestinal problems. Even though the jet lag is temporary, it can reduce your vacation or work travel comfort. Some steps you can take to help prevent or overcome jet lag with babies.

Symptoms

To overcome jet lag with babies first you need to learn about symptoms. Jet lag has a wide range of symptoms. If your baby is fussy or unusually clingy, you’ll know she’s out of sync with her sleep schedule, which is a sign of jet lag. 

You might only have one symptom or a few of them. Symptoms of jet lag include:

• Insomnia, early waking, or excessive drowsiness are examples of sleep disturbances.
• Daytime exhaustion, tiredness.
• Stomach issues, constipation, or diarrhea (upset stomach).
• Difficulty concentrating or operating at an average level.
• A sensation of sickness.
• Mood swings.
• Lethargy

Jet lag does not have to be a significant obstacle. But when the symptoms show up, you must be prepared. 

How to deal with your jet lag?

When dealing with jet lag in toddlers or babies, we always use the same approach. So here are some ways to help newborns and toddlers cope with jet lag. 

1. As soon as we arrive at the location, get on the local timetable according to the time difference.
2. Keep the room dark when your babies sleep. Likewise, ensure the room is peaceful and quiet when our baby or toddler shows signs of jet lag, such as waking up after only a few hours of sleep.
3. We aim to stick to the same sleep schedule as we do at home because it helps us deal with baby or toddler jet lag faster.
4. During the day, we spend as much time as possible outside in the sunlight, especially during the first few days. It is necessary to cope with the time difference.
5. When flying with babies or toddlers, we stick to our present timetable. If it’s nap time, we try to persuade them to take a nap. If the flight is overnight, we try to get them to sleep as much as possible.
6. Always wake up at the same time every day. Keep naps the same way as at home, waking our baby or toddler for naps after a reasonable amount of sleep.
7. If we come early in the morning and need a nap to get us through to bedtime, keep it short.
8. It’s more about getting our infant or toddler to sleep in general.
9. When we deal with jet lag in newborns or toddlers, they wake up in the middle of the night. So do something simple like read a short story to assist them in falling back asleep.
10. Even though others may have had a different experience, do not alter our sleeping habits or use any pharmaceutical, herbal, or naturopathic therapies in preparation.

Follow these simple ways to avoid the jet lag symptoms and make the most of your journey or family holiday.

Causes:

• Your circadian cycles are disrupted:

A disturbed sleep-wake circadian cycle can lead to sleeping problems. If a person’s internal clock is not synced, they may have difficulty falling asleep, waking up during the night, or not sleeping as long as they want in the morning.

People with jet lag are more prone to have sleeping issues and weariness until their circadian rhythm adjusts to the new location’s day-night cycle. Then, the total sleep time is reduced, and their circadian rhythm could be disrupted, resulting in shallower, fragmented, and poor-quality sleep.

• The influence of the sun:

The most robust approach to produce a phase shift, an advance or delay in circadian rhythms, is to expose yourself to bright light. Early morning light causes you to wake up sooner, whereas light near bedtime causes you to wake up later.

As a result, jet lag can be reduced by seeking and avoiding light at the appropriate times. To find light, go outside in the sunlight or use an available portable lightbox to expose oneself to bright, continuous light. Stay indoors and away from the sun, or use dark shades to block off the light if necessary.

The number of time zones traveled, the direction of travel, and the regular wake and sleep periods are all factors in determining when to seek and avoid light.

• Cabin pressure and atmosphere in planes:

Regardless of time zone travel, changes in cabin pressure and high altitudes associated with flight travel may contribute to the symptoms of jet lag.

Also, humidity levels in planes are low. Therefore, you may become dehydrated if you do not drink enough water during your flight.

• Dehydration:

Some symptoms of jet lag may be worsened by dehydration. You may become slightly dehydrated if you do not drink enough water during your flight.

Also, humidity levels in planes are low, which might lead to increased water loss.

The following factors enhance your chances of experiencing jet lag:

• When you travel across more time zones, the more likely you will become jet-lagged.
• Flying east where you “lose” time may be more complex than flying west where you “gain” time.
• Jet lag is most common among pilots, flight attendants, and business travelers who travel a lot.
• Jet lag may take longer for older people to recover from than it does for younger people.

Prevention:

A few helpful tips might help prevent or reduce jet lag symptoms:

• Arrive a few days ahead of time to allow the body to acclimatize if you have an important meeting or another occasion that requires you to be at your best.
• Make sure to get enough rest before you begin your journey. The lack of sleep at the beginning adds to the difficulty of jet lag.
• Keep yourself hydrated to combat the drying effects of dry cabin air, drink lots of water before, during, and after your journey. Dehydration worsens the effects of jet lag. It will help if you avoid caffeine and alcohol, which can dehydrate you and disrupt your sleep.
• If your destination is at night, try to sleep on the plane. Noise and light can be blocked with earplugs, headphones, and eye masks. If you’re going somewhere during the day, fight the impulse to sleep.
• Adjust your routine gradually before you go. Consider going to bed an hour earlier each night for a few days before leaving if you’re heading east. For several nights go to bed one hour later if you’re flying west.

Some other ways to prevent jet lag in babies are:

• Setting a schedule ahead of time:

Jet lag is alleviated by being up and active during the day. For example, allow your child to run around on the playground, in the park, or in the pool to burn off some energy.

Planning the sleep routine before and after your travel can help deal with baby jet lag troubles.

• Adjusting time:

Adjusting to jet lag can be difficult depending on your child’s age. A time change of an hour or two may not affect babies under six months who do not have regular sleep patterns.

If a child skips a nap due to travel or if you try to encourage them to sleep when it’s still light outside, an older baby or toddler may have a more challenging time adjusting their sleep schedule.

• At night, don’t turn on the light:

Too much screen time on an electronic device or too much sunlight in the plane cabin can potentially alter your body clock. It is because light regulates the amount of melatonin produced by your body.

Melatonin is a hormone that helps your body prepare for sleep. When the lights are dimmed at night, it is released in the brain.

Your body slows down melatonin production throughout the day or when the light is bright, which helps you stay alert.

• Make their stomach is full:

Bring their favorite foods and urge them to eat small amounts frequently. Fruits are great since nearly every child will eat a banana or strawberries. Mealtimes will be affected by a lack of appetite. 

Balance the foods so that they are pleased without their digestion being disrupted and causing diarrhea or constipation.

It would be great to encourage your children to eat as much as possible before going to bed. If the body is still digesting the previous night’s meal, they will not need to get up early for breakfast. Don’t assume they’ll go back to sleep if they’re hungry.

• Time of flight:

Consider taking a flight at night time. Evening or late-night flights, depending on where you’re traveling, might be a godsend for parents. Whether your child sleeps throughout the flight, they will most likely be wary enough to go to bed when you want them to without any resistance.

Traveling with newborns and toddlers is exhilarating and demanding, but the jet lag that accompanies it can be overcome. With enough time to acclimate, your young one will be sleeping soundly, and you will be able to concentrate on the exciting trip you have planned.

Conclusion:

Babies suffering from jet lag might wake up in the middle of the night. Disrupting the vacations, complain that your excellent sleeper is waking up screaming all night or refusing to nap during the day. You’re most likely doing too much during the day. Your child is exhausted and overstimulated, so you have to keep that in mind.

If you follow the above guidelines and solutions, you can prevent and overcome most of the problems of jet lag with babies. It’s tempting to schedule something every day and see as many locations and people as possible when on vacation. But remember to take breaks. Allow your child to catch up, whether it’s for an entire day or an afternoon every few days.

Even if you have a hard time for your first trip, with this, you will have enough experience dealing with jet lag with babies and toddlers for your next trip.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I keep my baby from getting jet lag?

You won’t avoid jet lag, but you may try to mitigate and overcome jet lag effects on babies if you know your trip plans ahead of time. Before you board the plane, make sure your tiny traveler gets enough rest before departing. Jet lag gets worsened If newborns and toddlers are weary from the start.

Does the duration of flight affect jet lag?

The length of your flight may have an impact on your jet lag, but it’s because you’ve traveled across different time zones.

The more time zones you travel across, the worse your symptoms will become. The symptoms will last longer, particularly if you are traveling eastward. Usually, it takes a day to recover from each time zone crossing.

Is resetting your baby’s body clock helpful?

You have to decide whether to reset your body clock. If you are home in less than a week, consider if the effort of resetting your baby’s body clock and sleep schedule is worthwhile. After all, you’ll have to return when your youngster has adjusted to the new time zone.

Shift the schedule accordingly. A few days before you leave, change your child’s sleep routine. Get them to bed a little earlier or later each night to change the tuck-in schedule depending on the destination.