Adjust your bedtime by an hour a day a few days before your trip. This will adjust your sleep pattern to match the sleep schedule you will keep at your destination.
Reset your watch to the destination time at the beginning of your flight to help you adjust more quickly to the timezone you will be visiting.
Drink plenty of water before, during, and after your flight. Experts believe that dehydration is a predisposing cause of jet lag.
Eat lightly but strategically. What you eat can have a direct influence on your wake/sleep cycle. Remember that high protein meals are likely to keep you awake, while foods high in carbohydrates can promote sleep, and fatty foods may make you feel sluggish.
Relax on the first day at your destination. If you have the luxury of arriving at your destination a day or two before you have to engage in important activities that require a lot of energy or sharp intellectual focus, give yourself a break and let your body adjust to the time change a little more gradually.
Sleep on the plane if it is nighttime at your destination. Use earplugs, headphones, eye masks, or other sleep aids to help block out noise and light, and a travel pillow to make you more comfortable so you can sleep.
Stay awake during your flight if it is daytime at your destination. Read, talk with other passengers, watch a movie, or walk the aisles to avoid sleeping at the wrong time.