How To Avoid Jet Lag While Travelling With Kids

When you plan for long vacations abroad, the thought of a long flight and subsequent jet lag definitely appears in your mind. The red eyes, fatigue and drowsiness is something everyone wishes he or she could do without! When you travel with children, the worry is likely to intensify, naturally. However, with careful planning and preparations it is not impossible to stay relatively unaffected by jet lag, no matter where you fly.

Below listed are a few handy tips to evade the woes related with jet lag when you fly with kids:

1. Engage Kids In Activities Before The Flight Time

cooking with kids

If you have playful and active kids and plan to take them to a vacation in faraway destination, engage them in activities on the day or travel. Involve them in packing or activities so that they end up spending most of their energy before the flight. It ensures they will sleep during most of the flight duration, even if it is in the evening or daytime. If you get an overnight flight there is nothing like it.

2. Mind The Time Zone

time zone

The time zone gets changed when you fly from one country to another and sometimes it can be rather drastic. Based on the destination you are flying to, try to adjust your schedule to an extent. For example, you can urge the children to eat a little later or earlier than usual before catching the flight.

3. Keep The Body Hydrated

girl drinking water

When you take a long flight, dehydration can worsen the impact of jet lag both on you and the kids. So, intake fresh water and do not drink much alcohol or coffee. Even after you reach the destination, drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.

[ Read: How To Prevent Jet Bloat ]

4. Keep The Kids Engaged In A Flight

air travel with kid

If the majority of your time in the flight is taken up by managing the kids, the impact of jet lag is likely to multiply. So, it is prudent that you ensure the kids have no dearth of options to occupy themselves in the flight. Some airlines offer in flight entertainment options with some kid centric features, but those are limited mostly to first or business class fliers. Try to get seats beside the window for your kid as it can make managing him or her easier during the flight.

5. Getting Rest After You Arrive


Based on the time of your arrival in the destination, the check in time at the hotel may still be a few hours away. You and kids will be fatigued after the long flight. Based on the time zone, you may let them sleep for a few hours. If you arrive in morning, sleep or rest till the afternoon at least. However, you may also book the hotel rooms a little in advance so that a room and bed will be ready as you arrive.

6. Keep The First Day For Rest

Get A Good Night's Sleep

You may have lots of plans to see the tourist attractions and take part in activities after reaching the travel destination. However, your body needs some time to rejuvenate after a long flight. The same thing is applicable for the kids. So, upon arrival keep the first day or night for rest. Sleep for a few hours at least and you will be able to minimize the effects of jet lag to a large extent.

7. Keep The Meals Light

timely meal

Upon arriving at a new destination, your body tries to adjust to the new time zone. So, it would be wise to have light meals that are easy to digest. Gorging on spicy and junk foods can lead to digestion problems.