Jet lag, honestly
What works: light, fasting, walking. What doesn't: melatonin lottery, sleeping pills, 'pushing through.'
Updated 22 April 2026
After enough Singapore-to-Europe red-eyes, here's what's actually moved the needle. None of it requires a supplement aisle.
Going east (SG → Tokyo, Seoul)
- Easy mode. 1–2 hour shift. Just eat on local time from the first meal.
- Land in the morning, no nap. Walk for two hours in daylight, ideally before noon.
- Sleep at 10pm local, even if you're not tired.
Going west (SG → London, Lisbon)
- The hard direction. 7–8 hours backwards. Plan for 48 hours of fog.
- Skip the in-flight wine. Hydrate aggressively — 500ml every 2 hours.
- Land, drop bags, walk in sunlight. Eat a real meal at the local lunch hour even if you're not hungry.
- Earliest you can sleep: 9pm local. If you crash at 5pm you'll be wide awake at 2am.
What I've stopped trying
- Melatonin — works for some people, knocks out others, never reliable.
- Sleeping pills on the flight — you wake up groggy, dehydrated, and still jet-lagged.
- 'Adjusting' three days before the flight. Nobody actually does this. You're going to a wedding, not a clinical trial.
"Light is the drug. Walk outside before noon on day one and the rest sorts itself."