Jet Lag Flying From Florida To The UK: Tips To Recover Faster
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You land back in the UK from a Florida trip with no idea what time it actually is. Hitting the unwelcome cold air feeling like you’ve been up for days, because who can actually sleep on a plane? You head home and then spend the next two weeks battling various jet lag symptoms.
While jet lag from Florida isn’t something I’ve ever managed to avoid completely, it is something I’ve minimised so I function better with just a few small adjustments while on holiday. This guide shares the tried and tested jet lag strategies I’ve used many times.
What Is Jet Lag?
Jet lag is the body’s reaction to time zone changes after travelling. Travel can be by any form of transport, not just flights. Eastbound recovery is typically slower and feels worse, which means that jet lag on the Westbound flight to Florida can happen but is less problematic than when you fly home from Florida to the UK.
Jet Lag Symptoms: How It Makes You Feel
Coming home from Florida can feel like your body’s been left somewhere over the Atlantic. You’re physically back in the UK, but your internal clock is still running on Florida time, so you’re wide awake when you should be asleep, struggling to get going in a morning, and skipping breakfast.
The most common jet lag symptoms include:
Feeling tired, heavy or unusually drained during the day
Struggling to fall asleep at your usual bedtime
Finding it difficult to wake up in the morning
Waking during the night or having poor-quality sleep
Feeling foggy, forgetful or unable to concentrate
Becoming more irritable, emotional or slightly anxious
Experiencing headaches, changes in appetite, nausea, indigestion or constipation
Jet lag affects everyone differently and symptoms happen because your sleep, digestion, hormones, and energy levels got used to being on Florida time and have yet to catch-up with UK time. Symptoms usually begin to improve within a few days but until then being kind to yourself is the best approach.
How long does jet lag last from Florida to the UK?
5 days is the average time to recover from jet lag when flying to the UK from Florida, although it can take up to a week, depending on how you manage symptoms and daily routine. The worst part is usually during the first few days up to day 3, as your body struggles to go to sleep and you find yourself lying wide awake staring at the ceiling, missing Disney World and thinking about snacks.
Professionals opens in a new tab widely agree that the body adjusts to a change in time zone by an hour a day. With the 5 hour time difference between Florida and the UK, this means a 5 day adjustment period, which is always what I have experienced more or less.
Destination | UK time difference | Jet lag recovery time in days |
|---|---|---|
Florida | +5 hours | 5 |
Typical Jet Lag Recovery Experience
Most Florida-to-UK flights land in the morning or early afternoon. Initially, you may cope on momentum alone, but then the jet lag hits. Here’s what a typical recovery looks like for me if I just do the flight and try to stay awake:
Day 1: Often feel "fine" at first, then wide awake in the evening and sleepy at the wrong times.
Day 2: The toughest day, with poor concentration and a heavy 2-4pm slump.
Day 3: Early waking continues, but there’s a small improvement.
Day 4: Most people notice clear improvement.
Days 5-7: Feel back to normal.
The worst mistake on arrival day is going to bed because you feel wrecked. I did it, felt immediately better, but that’s part of the reason jet lag is worse when you come home.
Why Jet Lag’s Worse Coming Home From Florida?
When coming back to the UK from Florida jet lag is harder because you’re asking your body to do everything 5 hours earlier than it wants to. That’s the equivalent of just under a third of a waking day. Your body clock adjusted to doing things on Floridian time, jumping backwards is both physically and mentally harder as it means you effectively stretching your day.
Most direct UK flights leave Florida later in the day and land in the UK the following morning. Taking a flight at this time is one thing you can do to help your body to adjust, if you can sleep on the flight. However if you don’t sleep, landing at 8am feels like landing in the middle of the night and you just want to go to bed. So instead you’re starting a new day, on less than an hours sleep, and this is where you can make jet lag even worse, because you head home and go straight to bed. It’s when I had the worst jet lag experience for around 14 days.
How Do You Make Jet Lag Easier When You Get Back To The UK?
The best way to combat jet lag is to get yourself back onto UK time instantly, even though you don’t feel like it. That means eating at UK times, and not heading straight home to bed when you land. That is one of the toughest things to do on day one when you land home, not going straight to bed to sleep. But from my experience jet lag will wreak havoc in your life if you sleep when you feel tired for weeks, especially if you fly home in the Winter months.
Stay up, even if you haven’t slept on the flight and you did half a day in EPCOT before you headed to the airport. Throw on the washing, eat light, and have an early night by going to bed around 9pm.
But the best thing you can do to start beating jet lag, is to start preparing in Florida a couple of days before. And it’s so easy to do and doesn’t affect your holiday at all.
Tips To Prepare In Florida To Reduce Jet Lag When You Land
The best recovery plan starts 2-3 days before departure. This involves:
Move bedtime and wake time half an hour earlier for the final two or three days, and try and get outside in the sun earlier. too
Shift meals earlier too, not massively, just don’t have tea at 9pm and avoid late dining reservations.
Avoid the classic last big night where you eat and drink a lot.
Drink plenty before the airport and in the days on the run up to flying, starting a travel day home dehydrated makes the jet lag symptoms worse to start with.
Travel Day Plans To Reduce Jet Lag
When it comes to travel day, get up and eat earlier, don’t be tempted to lie in because you have a busy day ahead. Eat lighter meals, and don’t go caffeine or alcohol crazy.
If you have an overnight flight, this is a chance to get the best start on recovery. Aim to stay awake for the first part of the journey, then sleep for as much of the UK night as possible. And switching your watch to UK as soon as you get seated on the plane helps.
Tips To Reduce Jet Lag
The priorities to reduce jet lag are:
morning daylight,
UK mealtimes, even if you eat light
no long naps,
no caffeine after midday
a normal UK sleep schedule and routine
This combination gives your brain and body the strongest possible message that the holiday is over and British time has resumed. Morning sunlight really helped me, and it’s why when I come back in the Winter months I struggle more with jet lag, because I can’t always sit outside with a coffee.
Two of my best jet lag reducing tips have seasonal notes, because although the symptoms of jet lag are the same no matter when you fly, dealing with them in the UK is impacted by the time of year.
Morning light: In winter this is harder, and there’s less light so when you’re trying to fix routines in January it’s harder because it’s dark. The tip is to go out: I have found walking for 15 minutes as soon as you get up, helps. In the summer, you can just go and sit outside at 6am and there’s already some light, so I always find it easier to get that necessary morning light.
UK sleep schedule: It’s so easy to fall asleep early on the sofa under a blanket when it’s chilly outside and dark at 4 o’clock, especially when jet lag has your sleep messed up. Avoid doing this. Don't put the film on, and don’t reach for the blanket. Instead, try a board game, colouring, something a little more active and less snuggly. In the summer, when it’s lighter it’s easier to go for a walk, garden, or head outside for a drink.
How Do You Manage Sleepless Nights After Florida?
Early waking or not being able to sleep until 4am is the most common jet lag symptom because your body still thinks 3-5am UK time is late evening in Florida. Avoiding bright light and the urge to grab your phone and doom scroll is key. Also trying to just say to yourself never mind and calmly lie in the dark is better; as hard as that is when you start thinking you’’ll only have 5 hours sleep now before a busy day.
No matter whether you can’t sleep or you’re awake at 3am, here are some tips:
If you are fully awake, get up briefly, then return to bed when sleepy.
Read a physical book
Make a warm milky drink
Put your phone out of reach and avoid the battle to the glowing rectangle at 3:47am.
Where possible avoid starting the day at 4am unless you genuinely have to. Don’t reach for a 4am caffeine hit unless you normally wake during this time. Avoid the afternoon sofa nap.
Jet lag may leave you feeling out of sorts for a few days, but it will pass as your body adjusts to being back on UK time. Be patient with yourself, get outside in the daylight and ease gently back into your normal routine.
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How long does jet lag from a Florida to UK flight last?
For most people, jet lag after flying home from Florida improves within a few days. As a general guide, you may feel tired or out of rhythm for around three to five days, although some travellers recover sooner and others may need up to a week.
Is jet lag worse as you get older?
Jet lag can feel more noticeable as you get older, although everyone responds differently. Changes to sleep patterns and the body clock may mean that some older travellers take a little longer to adjust after crossing several time zones. However, age is only one factor. Your sleep before the flight, hydration, stress levels, flight timing and general health can all affect how you feel.
How long does it take to recover from Florida jet lag?
Scientists says it’s one day per hour of time difference, so to recover from Florida jet lag you’re looking at about 5 days scientifically. Jet lag can last longer and it depends on how you manage jet lag symptoms. Keep in mind that everyone’s body clock adjusts differently, but 5 days is a good ball-park figure.
