Remember those first few weeks of sleep depravation induced by your newborn? Few things in life that can replicate that tunnel walking feel of delirious exhaustion. This is, of course, unless you’re experiencing jet lag.

After a trans-continental flight with a couple of toddlers plus the three-hour time change, I usually find myself pretty darn close to that primordial fog of new-parent robo-walking on my first day of “family vacation.”  Sound familiar?

Welcome to a new time zone!

Symptoms of jet lag can include headaches, fatigue, insomnia, irritability, and mild depression. Okay, so maybe this could also be a normal day for most parents, but combine that with your kid’s jet lag symptoms and you’ll find it downright imperative to get them acclimated to the new time zone.

Unfortunately, there is no quick fix cure for jet lag. Typically an eastbound flight is more harsh on the system, but westbound can be brutal, too. Thankfully, there are steps you can take before, during, and after your flight to ease the symptoms of jet lag and allow for smoother transitions to your new time zone.

First the basics:

The average amount of time it takes to acclimate to a new time zone is about 1 day for every hour of time change, maybe a little more depending on the length of travel. If you’re heading from California to NYC, plan for it to take about 3 days to feel back to your old self again. If your trip is only going to be 3 days long, don’t bother acclimating yourself or the kids at all and just enjoy the city that never sleeps.

Before the trip:

A few days before the trip try moving your daily schedule ahead by an hour or two. Get the kids up an hour earlier, eat, nap, bathe and go to bed an hour earlier, too. Eat healthy, keep active and maybe schedule a quick check-up with your doctor to make sure no one’s overly stuffy. If you’ve got a child on time sensitive medications (like me), make sure you discuss about whether you should or should not change injection schedules.

During the trip:

Keep everyone well hydrated, and try to avoid caffeine or alcohol yourself if they typically interfere with your sleep. If you’re kids are older, encourage everyone to start operating based on the time at the destination point. Helps to get everyone in the right mindset and can save you a day of time change adjustment. So, if you board the plane at midnight, but it’s only noon at your destination try to keep the kids up for as long as possible. For younger kids, just remember to stay flexible. If they sleep on the plane when you want them to…great. If not, don’t sweat it.

Make use of your hotel blackout curtains.

After arrival:

Once you’ve arrived at your destination, do as the locals do!  Eat, sleep and be merry at the coinciding times. If you’re staying at a hotel, make use of your blackout-shades to ensure a solid seven to eight hour block of sleep. Set your morning alarm (even if it feels painfully early), and wake the little ones even if it goes against human nature to “let sleeping babes lie.”

Sleeping during the day is not recommended!

Bask in the sunlight during the daytime to help those circadian rhythms realign. Nothing helps kids get to sleep at night than totally exhausting them during the day. Hit the park, fly a kite, run the length of the halls if you must.

While none of these tips are fool-proof they may help parents and kids get a leg-up on the time change *fingers crossed!*