Paris, 2023. Picture this: I’m sitting in a gorgeous, sun-drenched Parisian cafe with Elisa and our two kids – ages 1 and 5 – surrounded by delicate pink and white decor, tiny marble tables, and enough glass fixtures to make any parent nervous. Maybe not the best location choice… but more on that later. The espresso and croissants should have been perfect. Instead, I’m thinking, I don’t even want to be in Paris right now.
Yes, you read that correctly. I was in one of the world’s most beautiful cities on a stunning spring day, and I was miserable.
Why? Because I hadn’t slept in over 30 hours. Our red-eye flight had been a fussy kids (ours and others), zero sleep, and that special kind of exhaustion that makes you question every life choice. My body was convinced it was still 6 hours behind, my brain felt like cotton, and despite Elisa’s gentle suggestions that maybe – just maybe – I should head back to the hotel for a nap, I was determined to power through.
Spoiler alert: This was a terrible plan.
I was snapping at the kids. Getting frustrated over nothing. Even the caffeine wasn’t helping. Elisa kept giving me those patient, knowing looks that said “Mike, you’re being ridiculous,” but I was too stubborn to listen.
I stood up to use the bathroom, grumpy and off-balance, and SMACK – my head went straight into a delicate glass wall lamp. It shattered into a thousand pieces across the cafe floor.
The entire place went silent. Elegant Parisians turned to stare. Our kids froze. And Elisa looked at me with that expression every spouse recognizes – part exasperation and part “I told you so.”
“Mike,” she said firmly, “go take a nap. NOW.”
I left. She handled the gracious cafe owners (thank god for her French charm). And I had the best two-hour nap of my life.
That lamp-breaking moment taught us everything we needed to know about jetlag: the most important thing is having grace with yourself, your spouse, and your kids.
What We’ve Learned After 20 Years of International Travel
Here’s the thing – we’ve traveled internationally for two decades, and we’ve made every jetlag mistake in the book. But those mistakes taught us strategies that actually work, especially with kids in tow.
- Get Moving Immediately (Even When You Don’t Want To)
The moment you land, get outside and MOVE. Daylight is the strongest cue for your body clock, and pairing it with a bit of movement can help you adapt faster. For us, this looks different depending on the day:
- Mike’s approach: Hit the hotel gym if possible (and if he’s not breaking lamps)
- Elisa’s reality: Constantly chasing kids counts as cardio
- Family strategy: Park visits, walking tours, anything that gets us moving in natural light
The key is exposure to sunlight (or even clouds) combined with physical activity. Your body needs those environmental cues to understand where it is.
- Forget Pre-Trip Schedule Shifting
We used to stress about gradually adjusting the kids’ bedtime schedule before traveling. Here’s the truth: it doesn’t work with kids. Any parent knows how challenging bedtime routines are on a normal day. Adding the pressure of schedule-shifting while you’re packing the night before departure? Recipe for disaster.
Let it go. We manage jetlag when you arrive, not before. But if you do want to try… some experts suggest nudging bedtime 30–60 minutes toward the destination for a couple of nights.
- Extend Grace to Everyone (Especially Yourselves)
This might be the most important advice: you’re all going to be cranky. Your partner will snap. You’ll lose patience. The kids will melt down over weird things. It’s not personal – it’s biology.
We’ve learned to recognize jetlag irritability for what it is and give each other (and ourselves) extra grace during those first few days. common rule of thumb is about one day per time zone crossed to feel normal again (often faster going west than east).
- Jump Into the New Time Zone Immediately
When we land, we act as if we’re already on local time. If that means keeping overtired kids awake until 7 PM (which feels like 1 AM to their bodies), we do it.
Surprisingly, excitement about new places often helps kids push through better than we expect. They might be tired, but they’re also curious about their new environment.
- Strategic Melatonin Use (With Caution)
We travel with Olly Kids Sleep supplements (melatonin, L-theanine, and botanicals). Important disclaimer: I’m not a doctor, and you should consult yours before giving kids any supplements.
That said, we’ve found short-term melatonin use helpful for signaling to everyone’s bodies that it’s nighttime in the new time zone. We’re careful not to use it long-term, as research suggests your body might reduce natural melatonin production, but for those crucial first few days? It can be a game-changer.
The Reality Check
Here’s what no travel blog tells you: you’re going to have moments where you’re all falling asleep at parks, getting cranky over nothing, and questioning your life choices. That’s normal. That’s travel with kids.
The goal isn’t to avoid jetlag entirely – it’s to manage it with humor, patience, and realistic expectations. Some days you’ll handle it like pros. Other days you’ll break lamps in Paris cafes.
Both are part of the adventure.
