Our children have traveled east and west with us, so we had to learn to adjust to the time zone changes. I do not want to have to deal with jet-lag when I make a vacation investment. I want this done before I leave. I want to go on vacation!
How to adjust to time zone changes when traveling west
When traveling west, it’s easier to adjust to the time zone changes. On the west coast, at 7:00 am it is only 10:00 am on the east. The darkness of traveling “back in the time” helps children sleep longer and adapt more quickly. The family can still arrive at popular attractions early, even if the kids are waking up earlier in the eastern time zone. Early-bird discounts can be gained by stopping for dinner earlier.
Suggestions for adjusting to time zone changes when traveling west:
- Move bedtime forward. If possible, start a few weeks before and move it back by 1/2 an hour each couple of nights.
- Push back mealtime. A gradual transition is best. Over the course of a two-week period, push meals back 1/2 an hour each night. Only dinner can be moved back during the school year. Make sure your kids have a healthy snack after school.
- Explain it! The older the child is, the easier it will be. Explain to them the time zone and how they can adapt to “vacation” time. Two nights before your trip, move back the bedtime by an hour.
- Book a late morning flight. If you schedule your flight for the “morning”, it will allow kids to sleep in more before leaving on vacation. Although early morning flights are cheaper, they can disrupt sleep patterns. Fly out a few hours after the original departure time if possible.
We flew to California at about 11:00 am in 2010. We had them watch a movie the night before and pushed their bedtime to 11:00. The kids slept in until the following morning, which was 6:00 California time. We had a wonderful trip because we prepared the kids for time zone changes. We enjoyed the coast, San Francisco, and Yosemite on “California Time.”
How to adjust to time zone changes when traveling east
When traveling east, it is harder to understand and how to adjust to time zone changes. It is difficult to convince kids to get to sleep early! However, any adaptations will make the trip better for everyone. Traveling east can be difficult because the sunlight will wake up kids, even when they are supposed to be sleeping. They become cranky when they don’t get enough sleep. Everyone gets cranky after a couple of tantrums. It is still possible to adapt — but you must start early.
We began to adjust to the time zone change in Paris two months before our trip. The first couple of days went smoothly. It got weird. We were awake at 4:00 and didn’t know what to do. We went to bed at 8 p.m. and ignored our favorite spring baseball games or television shows. Arriving in Paris prepared for “Paris Time”, we had a great time! We left early to avoid the long lines at midday, especially at the Eiffel tower.
Traveling east? Here are some tips on how to adjust to the time zone change.
- Advance bedtime. Move bedtime forward a little bit at a time, as we did before going to Paris. Before traveling east, we went to sleep 1/2 hour earlier each three days. We adjusted the bedtime for the kids so they were ready to go to bed at 11:00 Paris Time by the time we arrived in Paris.
- Change the wake-up time. We didn’t change the wake-up time for the first two days. Even though the bedtime was only 30 minutes earlier, it didn’t help them fall asleep. On the third day we woke up 30 minutes earlier. We shifted “wake-up” 30 minutes backwards once they began to wake up less groggy.
- Make the morning your family’s time. We had so much fun when we figured out our family time would be before school and not after dinner. We ate a large breakfast and enjoyed it for a long time instead of having dinner. We played cards – UNO at 6:45 a.m., was fun!
- You must discipline yourself to get to bed at the same time! At first, my husband and I were more focused on the children. After a few days, the kids were doing well. We were exhausted. Be sure to get mom and dad in bed earlier. Planning a vacation and being sleep deprived do not go together!
- Book that red-eye flight! We took a flight to Paris overnight, arriving at 6 a.m. Paris Time after a 5:30 pm flight. We didn’t sleep well. I wish we had. Although we slept for four solid hours, it was better than the rest of our flight.
- Day one is a must. We didn’t have any major plans for the first day. We knew we would be tired no matter what. We chose simple activities – visiting the Eiffel tower, but not climbing (save it for when you are awake and able to appreciate it), enjoying a crepe and exploring the market. We enjoyed the sights and sounds, but we saved the actual sightseeing for the second day and beyond.
Our kids enjoyed the trip even more when we made gradual changes before the trip.
Have you got a tip that helps adapt to a time zone change?
Enjoy your travels!