Long-Haul Flights

often involve many hours of sitting still, limited sleep and dry cabin air. To reduce discomfort during the journey, move your legs regularly, get up and walk around from time to time, and make sure you drink enough fluids. Avoid excessive amounts of alcohol, as it can contribute to dehydration and interfere with sleep.

People who have previously had a blood clot or who are prone to swelling in the legs may benefit from wearing compression stockings on long-haul flights. If you have an increased risk of blood clots, consult a doctor before travelling.

Jet Lag

Long journeys across several time zones can disrupt your body's internal clock, leading to daytime tiredness, difficulty sleeping, problems concentrating and digestive symptoms – commonly known as jet lag. Symptoms are often more pronounced after travelling east, for example from Sweden to Asia, than after travelling west towards North or South America. However, the effect also depends considerably on the time of day or night your flight departs.

Long-Haul Travel Eastwards

Most flights depart in the afternoon or evening. As you travel eastwards, the night becomes shorter and you may have only a few hours available for sleep. When you arrive, you may then have a whole day ahead of you, making it difficult to stay awake until the local evening. The best approach is therefore to try to sleep as soon as possible after departure and, where possible, begin adapting immediately to the local time at your destination.

Long-Haul Travel Westwards

When travelling westwards, your day becomes longer, and it can be quite challenging to stay awake until the local bedtime. Again, try to adapt to the local time at your destination as quickly as possible.

You will probably wake very early the following morning feeling surprisingly alert, very hungry and perhaps also with an urgent need to visit the toilet. Your body is still running on Swedish time, where it may already be approaching lunchtime.

If you wake this early, it can be useful to have something simple to eat and then try to go back to sleep.

This pattern may continue for the next few days, usually becoming less noticeable each day.

Short Stays at Your Destination

For very short trips lasting only a few days, it may sometimes be easier to maintain parts of your usual local sleep-wake pattern rather than trying to adjust completely to local time.