Unfortunately for travelers, this change is not as simple as the age-old advice of following the schedule of the destination you’re headed to. That’s where the Timeshifter app comes in handy, creating customized light exposure/avoidance plans based on your specific travel itinerary, usual sleep patterns (are you a morning person or a night owl?), and several other factors. “Light—or the absence of it—is the most important signal for the circadian clock and the only way to truly control it,” Beyer-Clausen says, citing multiple studies. And once the brain is synced with your new time zone, you’ll be naturally alert during the day and sleep better at night.
If your personal plan calls for sleeping on a plane, that can be easier said than done, but there are ways to put the odds in your favor. Beyer-Clausen recommends packing a comfortable eye mask and using meditation apps like Headspace or MyNoise to play relaxing music or nature sounds that can help you fall asleep.
Shop more sleep mask recommendations.
Prepare entertainment in advance
Beth Santos, founder of women’s travel community Wanderful and author of solo travel guide Wander Woman, leaves nothing to chance when it comes to staying busy on a flight. “I believe strongly in the ‘just in case,’” she says. “It’s when you’re planning for that in-flight entertainment system to work that it won’t, so I’ll download movies to watch offline, stock up on podcasts, and download a book or two to my tablet [before the flight].”
This is especially important for Santos when her three young children are in tow so she creates individual plane kits that include fun snacks, a journal, and other activities that don’t have small pieces or cause a mess.
Although airlines often offer a flimsy set of headphones to use with the in-seat TVs, noise-canceling headphones can also double as earplugs for sleeping. If you prefer something smaller, be sure to pack this tiny transmitter that connects the in-seat TV to your AirPods or any other Bluetooth-enabled earbuds.
Santos’s eldest children have foldable Bluetooth headphones that are easy to pack, but she also swears by headphone headbands for children who are too young, or perhaps too fidgety, to wear the regular kind.
Shop more noise-canceling headphone recommendations.
Stay hydrated
The low humidity levels inside an airplane cabin make dehydration a common problem for passengers, so “bring your own water bottle and make it a large one,” says Henley Vazquez, co-founder of tech-forward travel agency Fora. “You don’t want to rely on flight attendants to bring you water, and you want to stay hydrated.” Some frequent fliers abstain from drinking alcohol and caffeine leading up to a flight to avoid extra dehydration, too.
Shop more reusable water bottle recommendations.
Practice self care
The importance of hydration applies to your skin as well. “The dry air in the cabin is particularly harsh on your skin, stripping the moisture barrier of its oils,” says Giacomo Piva, travel industry analyst and cofounder of luggage storage network Radical Storage. “Carry and apply moisturizer at regular intervals throughout the flight, especially for your hands…[and] you’ll reach your destination with plump skin and less irritation.”
Piva even encourages travelers to treat the flight like their own personal spa, using a thick face mask for extra moisture, along with their favorite beauty products.
Refresh before getting off the plane
With lost luggage becoming an increasingly common issue, it’s always a good idea to pack a few outfits in your carry-on just in case. But this advice also serves another purpose.
“It makes a big difference when you land to be able to change into something fresh and put yourself together,” says Vazquez. Packing a small toiletry bag with some basics—like a toothbrush, toothpaste, moisturizer, perfume, and eye drops—goes a long way toward starting your trip on the right foot.
Shop more Dopp kit recommendations.
This article has been updated with new information since its original publish date.
