Mom’s advice for redeye flights

publish Opened 2023-10-19 in the context of planning 2023 NYC trip. Backlink: Musings on everything else.

This title is a trick. Mom’s real advice is: Avoid redeyes at all costs.

But if you must take a redeye, here’s her other advice as a seasoned traveler:

Day 1 advice

Whether you took a redeye or not: Sleep when it’s night time. Ideally no later than midnight local time.

Tips for this:

• Eat carbs in the evening.

Day 2 advice

Don’t nap. Stay awake and leverage your tiredness to get to bed on time.

Tips for this:

• Eat something light to keep you awake. Remember:
  • Carbs/sugars put you to sleep.
  • Salads/protein wake you up.
• Do something active or exercise. Exercise wakes you up in the short term (good) and makes you tired in the long term (also good).

Day N advice

Keep doing this till your sleep schedule is adjusted.