best ways to deal with jet lag

To effectively manage jet lag, understanding and manipulating your circadian rhythm is key. Here are some strategies based on what Andrew Huberman discussed:

1. Identify Your Temperature Minimum: Determine when your body temperature is at its lowest, which typically reflects your deepest sleep phase. For example, if your temperature minimum is around 4:30 AM, adjust your activities around this time to help shift your internal clock. Start adjusting your waking time a few days before travel. Bright light exposure upon waking up, potentially combined with exercise or a meal, can significantly aid this transition 1.

2. Light Exposure: Use light strategically since it's the primary way to shift your circadian clock. If you aim to advance your wake up time, expose yourself to bright light after your temperature minimum. Conversely, to delay your wake up time, expose yourself to light before reaching this point 1.

3. Exercise and Meal Timing: Align your exercise and eating schedule with the new time zone a few days prior to traveling. This synchronization helps in adjusting your biological clock to the destination's local time 1.

4. Prevent Jet Lag Severity with Red Light: If you need to be awake during irregular hours, utilize red light, which helps in staying alert without disrupting your cortisol rhythm. This method is particularly useful when you are bound by schedules that diverge significantly from your natural sleep time 2.

These strategies revolve around controlling environmental cues like light and temperature, which influence your body's internal clock, thus easing the adjustment to new time zones.