Jet lag and race travel: how to reset your sleep routine

Quick answer

For race travel across time zones, plan local wake time, sleep and light exposure around your direction of travel.

Set one local anchor before you fly

Write down the competition and wake times at your destination. On a multi-day trip you can begin shifting before departure. The typical aim is earlier for eastward travel and later for westward travel. For a large shift, get help timing light exposure if needed.

Keep the first day flexible

Eat on local time and allow for a light session if travel fatigue is high. Light can help or delay adjustment depending on timing, so use a route-specific plan. If you need a nap, keep it brief to protect your planned sleep. Set your alarm to the local time zone.

Keep reading

• How to get enough sleep when you train early
• Tired after eight hours of sleep: what should you look at?
• Vibration or sound: which alarm works for your mornings?
• Sleep mask

Sources

• CDC Yellow Book — Jet Lag Disorder
• BJSM — Sleep and the athlete: expert consensus