Jet Lag and Children: How to Cope
Jet lag is bad for anyone, but especially for children, as they cannot understand the reason as to why they are feeling like they are. More often than not, your child will take so long to become accustomed to the new time zone that half of the holiday is over before you have to get them used to another one. It can be an incredibly testing time, and often a child that is suffering from jet lag, can put a lot of pressure on you, and the holiday, so we recommend following these great tips which can help you prepare for jet lag, and how to help your child not suffer too much.
What is jet lag?
Jet lag is quite simply when your normal sleep pattern has become disturbed after you have been on a long flight. It takes a while for your body to adjust to the new time zone that you are in, so you can expect your symptoms to last for a few days.
This is because your body has its own built-in clock, often known as circadian rhythms, which signals to your body when to wake up, and when you should be sleeping. Because your body is synced to your own time zone, it because disturbed when you reach another time zone. Obviously, the more time zones that you travel through, the more likely you are to experience jet lag.
For adults, this can be bad enough, but you can see why it would be particularly unpleasant for children, as they will not understand what causes it. Even if they are old enough to be told what to expect, they will not get why, which is why it can be a hard time for them.
What are the symptoms of jet lag?
Understandably, most of the symptoms associated with jet lag are sleep-related; and you might experience just one symptom or a number of them. This varies from person to person.
Common symptoms of jet lag include; disturbed sleep. This can include insomnia, waking up extremely early, or feeling excessively sleepy; daytime fatigue; some difficulty concentrating or functioning as you normally would be able to; stomach problems — you might experience diarrhoea or constipation; just generally not feeling quite right, often described as feeling generally unwell; or changes in your mood.
You will normally find that your symptoms are likely to become worse, the further you have travelled. If you have crossed at least two different time zones, you will usually find that the symptoms of jet lag will occur within a day or two of travelling; however, they are more likely to be worse or your symptoms will last for longer if you have travelled in an easterly direction. The general rule of thumb is that it will take a day to recover for each time zone that you have crossed.
The important thing to remember is that although jet lag is likely to make your child feel horrible for a bit, it is only temporary, and they will begin to feel better over time. If you or your family fly frequently, and you find that it is something that you really suffer from, you should see your doctor and ask to be referred to a sleep specialist who might be able to help you.
How to prepare your children for the flight:
Although you might never be able to fully escape the dreaded jet lag, there are a number of different ways in which you can prepare your young child for a long haul flight, and this starts whilst you are still at home.
Start by slowly adjusting their bedtime. In order to get them used to a long flight, try adjusting their bedtime a bit in the run-up. Try putting them to bed a little earlier than usual, and consider booking an overnight flight. That way, they will stand more chance of getting to sleep on the flight, which will then mean that they wake up prepared for the day.
It takes a lot of organisation when travelling with a baby or a young child, but try and consider the flight time, and book accordingly. Getting them used to sleeping on an overnight flight can be really effective, but do consider what the time will be when you land at your destination.
Skipping their nap on the day of the flight can work for some children, as it can make them more tired, and more likely to sleep on the nap; but of course, anyone with young children will know that skipping a nap can be really counteractive, and might mean that they are incredibly miserable on the flight, which can actually make it more stressful.
Over-tiredness, and then jet lag on top of this, can be a complete recipe for disaster. You know your own child, so if you think skipping a nap on the day of the flight will make them sleep for longer, it can be a great way to minimise the effects of jet lag.
If you can, feed your child before the flight, which will mean that they can skip the in-flight meal. Unfortunately, the food on flights is not always the healthiest and is often full of salt in order to give it more flavour. So, not only will it mean that if your child is asleep during the flight, they do not need to be woken up for food, but it will also mean that your child will experience fewer gastrointestinal problems when you have arrived at your destination.
If you know your child has a favorite program or film, make sure you have downloaded it and that all electronic devices are charged in preparation. That way you have something to fall back on should they become restless on the flight.
Flying can be stressful, particularly for young children, who do not always understand fully what is going on. Download anything that you know your child will enjoy, but make sure you don’t let them watch anything that is going to get them too excited and overstimulated. Try and find something that will hold their attention for long enough, but won’t actually make the situation more stressful.
How to help them when you arrive:
If your children are old enough, try and discuss the time difference with them, which will them to understand why they are feeling like they are. Although it is not likely that this will help to prevent them from experiencing the symptoms of jet lag, and they still might be upset and have trouble settling, it will help to reduce the confusion surrounding it.
Try and factor jet lag into your plans. Travelling with a child, and entering a different time zone is never easy, and although you can prepare them to reduce symptoms, the chances are you will never be able to eliminate it completely, so take into consideration that you are likely to have a bad first few nights. Try not to plan too many heavy trips on the first couple of days, to allow you to all ease into the new time zone. Don’t try and rush it, or assume that you will feel fine, as the likelihood is that you will not.
Make sure you change the time on your watch as soon as you arrive at your destination. This way, you can plan your day accordingly, and you are not trying to work out the time when you arrive, which will ultimately end in confusion.
Find out more ways to help your child whilst travelling here
