Eric André's Surprising Tip For Combatting Jet Lag

Eric André is a busy guy. He's the star of the TV series "The Eric Andre Show," the host of the "Bombing with Eric Andre" podcast, an author, and a stand-up comedian. As of 2024, André can also add "cruise ship performer" to his list of job titles after headlining a show on a trip dubbed the "Get Ship Faced" cruise.

The latter makes sense, given the comedian's love of travel. In an interview with Thrillist, he named Kenya, South Africa, and Papua New Guinea as just a few of his bucket list destinations. André also told the outlet stories from his trips to places all over the world, from seeing heartbreaking slavery sites in Africa to getting lost in the Rocky Mountains. After jet-setting to nearly every corner of the globe, the star has learned to cope with the physical effects, including jet lag.

When asked how the TV personality avoids turning into a zombie on vacation, André offered a surprising — and kind of genius — response, citing one non-work-related trip: "Sleep when I sleep, and stay up when I stay up. Why get on a rhythm if I'm not there for work? I threw caution to the wind, and getting rid of the anxiety about jet lag actually helped my jet lag."

There's no reason to stress yourself out trying to make your body conform to the schedule of your destination, according to Eric André. For him, that means partying all night and catching up on ZZZs during the day. While this isn't the typical antidote to jet lag, there might be some truth to the TV host's claim that overcoming anxiety about jet lag can, in the end, help travelers beat jet lag. The experts at the Sleep Foundation note that stress can exacerbate jet lag symptoms and make it harder to rest when needed. If you can come to peace with your unsynchronized body clock for a few days, you might get back on track quicker than if you'd felt anxious about the adjustment.

However, André's tip won't work so well for business trips or daytime vacation itineraries (after all, many attractions aren't open at night). In those cases, the comedian relies on sunshine to get through the fatigue. "Sunlight is everything—resetting your circadian rhythm," he shared with Thrillist, adding that his jet lag is worse when traveling east. "If you're there for work and you have to get on a schedule—sunlight, sunlight, sunlight, and don't drink too much coffee."