Jet Lag, Sleep, and Staying Alert on Dive Trips
Adjust Your Sleep Schedule Before You Travel
If possible, start shifting your sleep a few days before you leave. You do not need perfection. Even a small change helps.
- Traveling east: go to bed 30–60 minutes earlier each night for 2–3 nights.
- Traveling west: stay up a little later and push your wake time out.
The goal is simple: avoid stepping off the plane at 8 a.m. local time when your body still thinks it is 2 a.m. and time to be asleep.
Go Into the Trip Rested, Not Depleted
Red-eye flights are bad enough when you are well rested. If you start the trip already sleep deprived, jet lag hits harder and lasts longer.
- Aim for 7–9 hours of sleep for at least the two nights before you travel.
- Avoid late-night packing marathons; finish bags earlier in the day.
- Plan your last workday so you are not sprinting to the airport mentally fried.
Hydrate and Pace Yourself on the Flight
Airplane cabins are dry and encourage dehydration, which makes jet lag and headaches worse.
- Drink water steadily through the flight, not just at meal service.
- Limit alcohol and heavy caffeine; both disrupt sleep and hydration.
- Eat light, simple meals instead of big, salty, or greasy ones.
Because I struggle with leg cramps and dehydration on dive trips, I have been experimenting with a sport drink powder from Skratch. I treat it as an addition to water, not a replacement.
Use Light and Activity to Reset Your Clock
Once you land, your body needs clear signals about what “time of day” it is.
- Arriving during the day: Get outside, walk, and get sun exposure for at least 30–60 minutes.
- Arriving at night: Keep lights dim, avoid screens, and go to bed on local time as soon as you reasonably can.
Natural light is one of the strongest tools for resetting your internal clock. Use it on day one instead of hiding in a dark room.
Use Naps Carefully
Short naps can help you get through the first day, but long naps will fight your adjustment.
- Keep naps to about 20–30 minutes.
- Nap earlier in the afternoon, not close to bedtime.
- Avoid napping right before a planned dive; you do not want to roll straight from deep sleep into task loading underwater.
Match Your Dive Plan to Your Energy Level
It is tempting to schedule a full-gas dive day right after you land. That is rarely smart.
- Consider a lighter first day: shallow dives, easy conditions, or even a rest day if the travel was brutal.
- Save deeper, more complex, or current-heavy dives for when you feel fully alert.
- Tell your operator if you are jet lagged. Good teams will respect a slower start.
Sleep Aids, Melatonin, and Diving
Some divers use melatonin or over-the-counter sleep aids to manage jet lag. Others use prescription medications for sleep or anxiety on long flights.
- Never try a new sleep aid for the first time on the way to a dive trip.
- Be cautious with anything that leaves you groggy, dizzy, or slow to wake; those are not traits you want when diving.
- If you use prescription sleep medication, talk with your doctor about timing it around days you plan to dive.
I have tested melatonin several times and it does not help me, so I rely on schedule changes, hydration, and light instead. Your experience may differ, but the principle is the same: know how your body reacts before you put diving on top of it.
Jet lag and poor sleep do not care how good your training is. If you are exhausted, your awareness, judgment, and problem-solving all take a hit, and those things are core to safe diving. Arrive as rested as you can, reset your clock quickly with light and movement, and be honest about how you feel before jumping into demanding dives. Giving yourself one slower day on the front end is often the difference between a trip you enjoy and a blur you push through.