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Managing children with jet lag

Travelling to Europe from the UK is easy, and there’s much to see. But what about going further afield? This can be daunting for parents, with the worry of kids throwing tantrums, crying babies and jet lagged children, yet there are ways to make the flight more bearable. If you are wondering how to deal with a jet lagged child, follow this guide for advice on how to prevent jet lag and how to deal with it.

What is jet lag?

Jet lag is the most common name for Desynchronosis. It occurs when residents of one time zone visit another that is vastly different than their own. Adjusting to a one-hour time difference is relatively easy, but adjusting to a time difference of five hours or more will need some extra preparation.

How can you prevent jet lag in a child?

The best way to avoid jet lag is to prepare in advance. This could mean changing their schedules slightly, avoiding destinations that have too much of a time zone difference, and of course, trying to get them to sleep on the plane itself.

Airlines will help with this by turning the cabin lights on and off, signalling when to sleep and when to stay awake. Children, however, may need this explained to them.

What are the top tips for dealing with jet lag in a child?

Other tips to help prevent jet lag include:

  • Scheduling your flight so that it arrives during the daytime
  • Making use of stopovers
  • Reducing travel-related stress

Children can be very susceptible to the stress of their parents, especially if they are very tired when trying to adjust to a different time zone. If you are ever worried, having comprehensive family and child travel insurance can help, by providing a safety net. What’s more, it can help keep your kids settled and in a routine if your flights were ever cancelled.

Your children will become very frustrated if jet lag interferes with their regular sleeping schedule, so you need to cover all your bases and be as relaxed as possible to help them.