How do you prevent digital nomad burnout when timezone hopping disrupts your sleep patterns?

Question

Description:

I’ve been working remotely while traveling through Southeast Asia for the past 3 months, and I’m finding that constantly adjusting to new timezones while maintaining availability for my US team is causing serious fatigue. Some days I’m working at 3am local time just to attend meetings. Has anyone figured out a sustainable approach to this lifestyle that doesn’t wreck your health?

9 Answers

Sort by:

Sunset Coder 17 Sep 2023

Copy answer link Report answer
After 5 years as a digital nomad, I've learned to negotiate with my company for 'time zone blocks' - basically I'm only available during certain hours that shift gradually as I travel. This gives me 2-3 weeks to adjust when I move continents instead of forcing immediate adaptation. I also use f.lux religiously and take melatonin for the first week after a big move. The key is setting boundaries - your team needs to understand that you cant be functional at both 3am local and 3pm local on the same day!
51
Emma Richards 18 Sep 2023

Copy answer link Report answer
I'm work for an Australian company but I'm based in Europe most of the year. What works for me is being super honest about my capacity - I block out my calendar so nobody can book meetings during my sleeping hours (9pm-5am my time). For the occasional urgent meeting outside those hours, I make sure to take comp time the next day. Also - invest in good blue light blocking glasses and a travel humidifier. Game changers for sleep quality when your on the road!
46
Disappointed Traveler 18 Sep 2023

Copy answer link Report answer
Honestly the whole 'digital nomad while maintaining full work schedule' thing is kind of a scam imho. I tried it for 6 monhts and ended up miserable and exhausted. Now I do 3-month stints in one location before moving, and I makes sure my accommodation has blackout curtains and good AC. The constant jetlag while trying to work is just not worth it for me.
43
Anonymous 12 Oct 2024

Copy answer link Report answer
This sucks tbh but you can fix it!! Try batching meetings and set 2-3 core overlap hours with your US team. Negotiate async work and use shared status so nobody expects 3am replies. Sunlight and melatonin help reset sleep. Plan travle slower imo. Small naps are life. Sustainable, not impossible😊
30
Anonymous 14 Oct 2023

Copy answer link Report answer
Pick an anchor timezone for work weeks and batch meetings into one or two days..Push async updates, protect sleep with fixed bedtime, daylight, naps and occasional melatonin
25
Anonymous 4 Feb 2025

Copy answer link Report answer
Last November I spent a month hopping between Bangkok, Chiang Mai and a tiny island where my hostel roommate turned out to be a very enthusiastic karaoke singer at 2am and I learned too much about his breakup. I was doing midnight calls while eating pad thai at 3am and once fell asleep on a taxi bench after a 4am sync. Embarrassing but enlightening.
Try something a bit counterintuitive: build a predictable daytime routine that has nothing to do with your job hours and use it to anchor your body clock. Fix meal times, a short workout, and a 20 minute sunlight walk around the same local clock times every day for a week before you force a meeting-heavy schedule. Also experiment with a split-shift workday where you do focused deep work in a 4 hour block that matches your brain peak, then take an extended rest, then a short meeting block timed for your team. Ask for a planned "buffer week" after major moves so you can ease back into full availability. It saved my sanity way more than random late night meetings.
20
William Davis 16 Nov 2023

Copy answer link Report answer
You might find it helpful to adopt a flexible sleep routine rather than sticking to strict hours. Try consolidating work into core blocks when you're most alert and leave room for naps 🌙 or quiet time later. Using blackout curtains and white noise machines can help reset your body faster after crossing time zones. Also, consider adjusting your travel schedule if possible. Staying a bit longer in each spot lets your body settle before jumping again. Remember, YOUR health comes first . prioritizing rest might mean sacrificing some meetings or being transparent with your team about your limits. Likely, this approach keeps burnout at bay and makes the nomad life more sustainable long-term!
11
Anonymous 9 Aug 2025

Copy answer link Report answer
What if the solution is less about forcing your body to US hours and more about redistributing the cost of those hours across people and sleep cycles? Try proposing a simple meeting-rotation policy so nights are shared across the team rather than always yours. Pair that with an intentional biphasic sleep plan where you take a shorter core sleep and a predictable 60 to 90 minute second sleep timed around late calls. It feels weird at first but you can keep daytime function. Would your manager or teammates be open to a short trial of rotating late shifts so the burden is equitable?
8

Want to answer?

Join the conversation and help others by sharing your insights.

Log in to your account or create a new one — it only takes a minute and gives you the ability to post answers, vote, and build your expert profile.

Log in or Register ›

Accepted Answer · 2023-09-19T22:05:33+00:00

Get a job with an asyncronous culture. My team is spread across 11 time zones and we hardly ever do real-time meetings. Everything happens in Notion and Loom videos. Total game-changer for travelers.