Sleep it off: How long the average Australian has to put up with jet lag

Aussies love to travel, but as we're so far away from other countries, our risk of suffering from jet lag is high.

A new survey from Money.com.au reveals time zone fatigue takes a serious toll on Aussies' return to routine, with more than one in four taking a week or more to recover after they get home.

The survey showed younger Australians were the most likely to struggle with jet lag for up to seven days or more, with Millennials affected the most, followed by Gen Z.

Boomers were the least likely to suffer from prolonged jet lag, followed by Gen X.

Almost three quarters of the 1000 respondents admitted they suffered from jet lag after an overseas trip, with nearly a third saying they occasionally got "mild" jet lag and a little over a quarter saying it depended on the flight length and destination.

But there were some lucky ones: 27 per cent said they never experienced jet lag at all. On the flipside, 15 per cent said they experienced it every time they travelled long distances.

Money.com.au's travel editor Jared Mullane said long-haul flights and multiple time zone shifts could take a big toll on the body and mind.

"Persistent jet lag can disrupt your work, daily routine, and overall wellbeing," he said.

"The good news is that the majority of travellers (71 per cent) only experience jet lag for a few days after returning from their international holiday, and get back into their routine relatively quickly.

"Simple strategies like adjusting sleep patterns before departure, staying hydrated, and getting plenty of natural light can help speed up recovery."

Health Direct said jet lag happens when your sleep rhythms are disturbed after you've been on a long haul flight and travelled quickly through time zones.

The Health Direct website says jet lag can become worse if you're older because you take longer to recover. It can also be worse the more time zones you travel through, and especially if you travel east.

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The main symptom is you find it hard to sleep at night and are tired during the day, however other symptoms including anxiety, headaches, constipation or diarrhoea, and irritability, according to Health Direct.

For short trips, stay on home time, but for longer trips, change your time and habits as soon as possible to fit in with your new location.

Give yourself time to recover - it doesn't happen overnight. Taking short naps can help, but don't nap for longer than 30 minutes.

Don't overdo the caffeine. It can stay in your system for four hours, so make sure you leave plenty of time between having a cup and trying to sleep.

Alcohol is not the solution, and can make you feel worse.

Exercise can help, particularly during daylight hours.