Quick answer
Reviewed · 3 min read
Beat jet lag by shifting your body clock with light, sleep timing, and meals. Start adjusting your bedtime a few days before departure, seek morning light after flying east and evening light after flying west, and avoid long naps on arrival. Your body typically adjusts by about one time zone per day, and eastbound trips are usually harder.
Researched and maintained by Empyrean Travel · How we research
- Recovery rate
- Roughly 1 time zone per day
- Harder direction
- Eastbound
- Most powerful tool
- Well-timed light exposure
- Free tool
- Empyrean jet lag planner
Why does jet lag happen?
Jet lag happens when your internal body clock, or circadian rhythm, is out of sync with local time after crossing several time zones. The result can include poor sleep, daytime fatigue, trouble concentrating, and an upset stomach.
It’s usually worse the more time zones you cross, and eastbound travel, like Los Angeles to London, tends to be harder than westbound, because it’s easier for most people to stay up later than to fall asleep earlier.
How do you prepare for jet lag before your flight?
A few days of preparation can cut recovery time noticeably. Our jet lag planner builds a day-by-day schedule for your route.
- Shift your bedtime about an hour a day for a few days: earlier for eastbound trips, later for westbound
- Shift light exposure with it: earlier morning light before going east, more evening light before going west
- Arrive at the airport well rested rather than packing until 2 a.m.
- Choose flight times that let you sleep during the destination’s night where possible
What should you do on the plane?
Switch to destination time as soon as you board. Sleep if it’s night where you’re going, and stay awake if it’s day.
- Set your watch and phone to destination time
- Use an eye mask, earplugs, or noise-canceling headphones to sleep
- Drink water steadily, and limit alcohol and caffeine
- Eat meals that match destination mealtimes when you can
- A lie-flat seat helps you rest; see how to choose a business-class seat
How do you recover quickly after you land?
Light is the strongest signal for resetting your clock. After flying east, get bright morning light and go easy on bright light late in the evening for the first days. After flying west, get outside in the afternoon and early evening.
If you arrive in the morning, resist a long sleep. A short nap, ideally no more than about 20 to 30 minutes, can take the edge off. Eat on local time, get some exercise outdoors, and keep caffeine to the morning.
Does melatonin help with jet lag?
Melatonin may help some travelers shift their body clock and fall asleep at the new bedtime, according to the CDC, but timing matters, and supplements sold in the US aren’t regulated like medications. Talk to your doctor before using melatonin or prescription sleep aids, especially if you take other medications.
For short trips of a day or two, it can make more sense to stay on home time as much as possible rather than adjusting at all.
Frequently asked questions
How long does jet lag last?
Is jet lag worse flying east or west?
Should I sleep when I arrive in Europe in the morning?
Can you avoid jet lag on short trips?
Does business class help with jet lag?
Official sources
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