First 48 Hours After Landing With Kids (Jet Lag Survival Plan)
The first 48 hours decide the entire trip. Not because they have the best attractions, but because they decide sleep. If you structure the first two days well, your kids settle faster, your mornings feel stable, and your itinerary expands. If you drift through the first two days, jet lag drags on and every small problem becomes bigger than it needed to be.
How to Overcome Jet Lag With Kids
First 48 hours after landing (you are here)
Jet Lag After Long-Haul Flights With Kids
Hour 0–6: reduce stimulation, then introduce light
Travel day is sensory load. Airports, lines, announcements, cramped seats, strange smells, and constant transitions. When you land, your first job is reducing stimulation before you add more. Then, as soon as you can, bring outside light into the day. A simple walk is one of the strongest signals your child’s brain receives. It says: this is daytime here. This is the new rhythm.
Hour 6–12: set the first anchor meal
Food timing helps the body clock move. Your goal is one predictable meal in local time. It does not have to be a perfect restaurant experience. It has to be stable. When kids are dysregulated, they refuse big meals. That is normal. A smaller meal still counts as an anchor.
Day 1: gentle activities only
Day one is not for your biggest attraction. Day one is for your calmest version of the destination. Parks, easy markets, slow walks, quiet neighborhoods, and small wins that keep the nervous system steady. The more regulated your child feels, the easier the first bedtime becomes.
Naps on day 1: contain them
Kids may crash at inconvenient times. Allow rest, but contain it. The mistake is letting a late nap run long. That creates the late-night second wind and middle-of-the-night wake window. You are aiming for “enough rest to function,” not “a full replacement sleep day.”
Bedtime on day 1: earlier is often better
Your bedtime routine should start before the crash. If you wait until your child is already overtired, everything becomes harder: brushing teeth, pajamas, emotional tone, and sleep quality. Start earlier than you think. Make it calm. Keep it familiar. Protect it like the foundation of the trip.
Day 2: add one “real” activity
Day two is where you can add one stronger activity. One museum, one big attraction, one main sightseeing loop. Do not stack three. Your goal is a good day and an easier night, not maximum content. If sleep is still fragile, keep the day gentle and let the body catch up.
Your basecamp choice either shortens or extends jet lag
Jet lag makes sleep fragile. Fragile sleep needs a calm environment. If your hotel is loud, bright, or inconsistent, you get more wake-ups. More wake-ups extend the jet lag window. A calm basecamp makes the first two nights dramatically easier.
Find family-friendly stays that support early bedtimes (Booking.com)
Reserve a rental car for calmer transitions (Booking.com)
Protect your trip with flexible travel insurance (SafetyWing)
If your child is neurodivergent or sensory-sensitive
The first 48 hours can feel intense for neurodivergent kids because every transition stacks. If your child struggles with unpredictability, noise, or light changes, the arrival plan should be sensory-first: fewer transitions, a familiar bedtime kit, predictable food, and deliberate decompression time. Use the dedicated plan here: Neurodivergent Jet Lag Plan.
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Stay Here, Do That is a family-first travel reference library built for real parents, real kids, and real nervous systems.
© 2025 Stay Here, Do That. All rights reserved. Also, if your child asks “can we go home” the moment you arrive, please know this is part of the ritual.
