East Lansing, Mich. – Combatting jetlag is a point of emphasis this week for Michigan State, which will take a lengthy flight from Lansing to Seattle on Friday morning ahead of a Big Ten Pac-12 match-up at Washington on Saturday.

“It’s a different challenge going out to the West Coast,” said linebacker Cal Haladay. “The time zone changes are the big thing that we are fighting now. They already have adjustments planned out for our sleep, and how we’ve got to adjust to the time zone because it is a difference.”

‘They’ in this instance refers to Michigan State’s sports science staff, which in consultation with experts in the field of physical performance, has developed a plan to mitigate the physiological effects of East-to-West travel.

Sleep is at the center of that plan. Michigan State players are required to turn in for the night an hour earlier than they typically would each day this week.

“The strength coaches were talking to someone about it and it’s called sleep banking,” Haladay said. “There is like a five-day window. So starting on Monday, you get in bed an hour earlier, you can start building up for the time change.”

Players don’t seem to mind getting to bed an hour earlier than typical.

“We are up early any way because we practice in the morning,” Haladay said. “Getting in bed earlier is not a bad thing. It’s nothing major, just put the phone down, turn the TV off, and close your eyes.”

Players will not be allowed to sleep for more than 30 minutes during their Friday morning flight to Seattle.

“We were told that we were not supposed to stay asleep for more than 30 minutes,” quarterback Payton Thorne said. “Most people, when you get a long plane ride, are like, ‘okay, I’m going to sleep through the whole thing,’ which is what my first thought was. We are going to be watching movies, or listening to podcasts if that’s your thing, playing cards I guess, certainly some guys are going to be doing that.”

Upon arrival in Seattle, the Spartans will engage in light cardio activity.

“Right when we get off the plane, we are going to start moving around,” Haladay said. “I don’t know exactly what we are going to do, but we are not going to just lay around because I think we are going to get there at one or two, and start jogging around a little bit. Stay loose the whole time. We just have to get into a normal routine and keep it as normal as possible.”

Players haven’t given much thought to the science behind their travel plan.

“I know it has something to do with your Circadian rhythm, and your body clock,” said Thorne, referencing the natural internal process regulating the sleep-wake cycle. “We had some specialist come and talk to us about a month ago, and that’s something he talked about.”

Players are, however, following this week’s sleep plan as they would plans for diet and exercise.

“As far as the sleep-bank schedule, I never faced anything like,” said defensive end Jacoby Windmon, a UNLV transfer. “At my previous school we didn’t have the type of science that we have here. I am just taking it in, and trusting the process. I am just going to give my all to that and trust the process.”