How to Beat Jet Lag 

Attention travelers, it’s time to conquer our worst enemy: jet lag. While there’s no easy way to completely beat it, these steps will help ease the pain of crossing multiple time zones quickly. Scott Mayerowitz from Travel + Leisure gives us the scoop

Those items in burgandy print I highlighted as especially important or noted that I added this info.

 
Travel wasn’t always this difficult on our internal clocks. But each technological advancement in transportation also brought changes to our time management. When long-distance railroads took off, matching timetables with local times became a challenge. So in 1883, we created standardized time zones.

The advent of the jet age in 1958 brought a new problem. We suddenly could traverse several time zones faster than our bodies could adjust. Eight years later, the term "jet lag" appeared in the Los Angeles Times (the earliest recorded mention, according to Air & Space magazine).
The term caught on, of course. And, as we know, jet lag is particularly bad when flying east.
"The hardest trip for me is coming back from Asia or Australia," says Captain John M. Cox, who spent 25 years flying for US Airways and is now CEO of Safety Operating Systems. "It's not that I can't sleep. It's that I keep waking up at two in the morning."

Even domestically, jet lag can be an issue. I once traveled for a story that had me on nine domestic flights over five days. When planning out the trip, I didn't think much about my body's internal clock and made the mistake of hopping back and forth across time zones every day.

There are several things, however, that do help. Below are some of my favorites:
Hydrate
Dry and pressurized airplane cabins can quickly dehydrate you, making you feel extremely sleepy. Drinking water throughout the trip helps ease that process. It doesn't stop jet lag but it helps make sure dehydration doesn't compound your fatigue. I'm adding: treat your face kindly by taking off makeup and slathering on moisturizer.
Shift your time for long trips
A few days before I leave, I start to shift my sleep schedule one hour each day. Try to also move your mealtimes. That might mean a super-early trip to the gym in the morning and going to bed before my favorite TV shows are over. But it pays off when I arrive and also makes it easier to sleep on those red-eye flights to Europe. If I'm lucky, I can adjust my sleep a bit at the end of the trip. "As soon as I get on the airplane," Cox notes, "I get on destination time." It's good advice. Switch your watch after takeoff. I'm adding: a dual face watch is a great reference for back home time and current time.
Sleep
If you can sleep on the plane--even for a few hours--it makes a big difference. Earplugs and an eye mask will help. When taking a red-eye to Europe, having breakfast immediately after waking up on the plane or once you get into the airport--even if not hungry-- will definitely help adjust your body to the idea that yes, it is now morning, even if your friends and family back home are sound asleep.
Avoid alcohol
Again, the issue here is dehydration on long overseas flights. I can't blame you for having a glass of red wine to help fall asleep--been there, done that--but don't have too much or you'll have a nasty headache and never properly adjust to the new time zone. (That's happened to me, and I don't recommend it.) I am adding: have one extra glass of water right after the wine or champagne!
Avoid naps
Try to stay awake until your bedtime in your new time zone. It may be painful, but it really is necessary to make the rest of your trip enjoyable and productive. Go for a walk outside. The fresh air and sunshine make it much easier to stay awake than if you're stuck inside. If sightseeing, take a walking tour. If in town for work, find some time to do a bit of walking--maybe have your driver drop you off a mile short of your meeting site. If that isn't practical--and often it isn't--do a lap or two around the block before heading in to your meeting.
Stretch
It helps your body feel more normal and not as confined on a plane. This doesn't combat jet lag per se, but it does reduce some of the scars of travel.
Pills and juices
I have friends who have tried homeopathic pills and one who swears by carrot juice. I personally don't like to throw off my diet with unknowns while hopping around the globe, but I'm not going to rule out any of those tricks.  I am adding: take a Nyquil or Benadryl to help you sleep.

And a few of my own favorites:

Clothing

Wear loose-fitting clothes, bring layers as who can sleep when you are cold?
Change to comfy socks when not walking around.
Ladies, consider wearing a comfortable sports bra.

Music/Movies

Listen to soothing music if you need a distraction from jet noise, and don't be tempted to watch a marathon of movies.  Also bring a back-up set of ear buds.