Summer Travel & Sleep: How to Stay Rested When It’s Hot, Bright, and You’re Crossing Time Zones
Summer is the season of vacations, late sunsets, and warm nights—great for memories, not always great for sleep. Whether you’re traveling across time zones or just trying to stay cool during a heatwave, summer can throw off your sleep rhythm. But with a little planning, you can protect your sleep and feel like yourself even when your routine is upended.
Let’s break down the most common summer sleep disruptors, starting with travel.
Jet Lag: Why It Happens and What to Do
Crossing time zones throws off your body’s internal clock. Jet lag isn’t just about being tired—it’s about your circadian rhythm falling out of sync with your environment. Your sleep, hunger, energy, and mood all operate on an internal schedule, and when that schedule no longer matches the local time, everything can feel a little off.
The general rule of thumb? It takes about one day per time zone crossed to fully adjust. So, if you’re flying from Texas to London (a 6-hour difference), you can expect your body to need about six days to fully catch up. That’s why international travel often feels harder than we expect—even if we got “enough” sleep.
That said, there are ways to adapt faster; especially if you plan ahead.
Traveling East (e.g., U.S. to Europe)
Eastward travel requires you to fall asleep earlier than your body is used to, which is much harder than staying up later. (It’s always easier to delay sleep than to advance it.)
That’s because your circadian rhythm naturally runs a little longer than 24 hours, so your internal clock resists being shifted earlier.
When you fly east — say, from California to New York — your brain is still convinced it’s two hours earlier than it is.
So even if the clock says “bedtime,” your body says “nah, not yet.” That mismatch is what makes eastward jet lag feel so brutal. You’re trying to fall asleep before your brain has even started producing melatonin.
Here’s how to ease the transition:
Try to sleep on the flight if it’s overnight. Use earplugs, a sleep mask, or noise-canceling headphones to block out stimulation.
Avoid alcohol, especially in the air. It may help you doze off, but it fragments sleep and makes jet lag worse.
Adapt to the new time zone immediately upon arrival. That means eating, sleeping, and waking on local time.
Avoid long naps. If you must nap, keep it brief and finish before lunchtime.
Use melatonin cautiously. Take a very low dose (under 1mg) about 1–2 hours before your target bedtime. Test it out at home first to make sure you tolerate it well. Learn more about melatonin here.
Control your light exposure. Get bright light in the morning and avoid it in the evening to shift your body clock earlier.
Traveling West (e.g., Europe to the U.S.)
Westward travel tends to be easier on the body because you’re staying up later, not forcing yourself to sleep earlier. That’s more aligned with your natural circadian rhythm.
In other words, your internal clock is better at stretching the day than shrinking it.
So, flying from New York to California usually feels smoother than the other way around (especially when it comes to sleep and energy).
Your brain’s like, “Cool, we’re staying up later, I can work with that.” But ask it to fall asleep earlier than usual, and that’s when you get jet lag, wide-eyed tossing and turning, and a cortisol-fueled 3 a.m. meltdown.
To adjust more smoothly:
Stay awake during your flight if possible, since you’ll be arriving during the day.
Short naps are okay, but don’t overdo it—your goal is to stay up until the local bedtime.
Use caffeine strategically to promote alertness, especially in the afternoon. Just don’t load up too late in the day.
Shift your internal clock later by exposing yourself to bright light in the evening and avoiding light early in the morning.
Melatonin can help, but in this case, it’s best taken in the morning to delay your internal rhythm. (This should be done under professional guidance if possible.)
Preflight Tips: Start Shifting Before You Go
If you want to hit the ground running, you can start adjusting your schedule a few days before you fly:
Before eastward travel: Go to bed and wake up earlier for 1–3 days leading up to your trip. Get bright light in the morning, and avoid screen time or overhead lighting in the evening.
Before westward travel: Shift your sleep later, adding evening light exposure and keeping mornings dim to delay your rhythm.
These small tweaks can make a big difference in how long jet lag sticks around.
Bonus Disruptor: Hot Summer Nights
Let’s not forget about the heat. High temperatures (especially if your bedroom doesn’t cool off at night) can cause lighter, more fragmented sleep.
Tips for staying cool:
Keep the room dark during the day to prevent heat buildup.
Use fans, breathable bedding, and cold packs on your pulse points.
Sleep in light clothing (or none at all) and consider a cool shower before bed.
If you have AC, set the thermostat to 65–70°F—this is the sweet spot for most people.
Final Thoughts
Traveling, time changes, and summer heat don’t have to ruin your sleep. A little prep—adjusting your schedule, controlling light exposure, using melatonin wisely, and staying cool—can help your body adapt faster and keep you rested wherever the season takes you.
Safe travels, and sweet dreams! Want more personalized tips? Click here to schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation.
