How to Beat Jet Lag: A Direction-by-Direction Plan

Why eastbound is harder

Flying east shortens your day; your body would rather stretch it. Most people can shift about an hour a day eastbound and 1.5 westbound. Europe from the US East Coast (5–6 hours) is a two- to three-day adjustment; Tokyo from London (8–9 hours) is four or five; Singapore from Los Angeles (16 hours on the clock, effectively 8 the other way) can be a week.

The eastbound playbook (Americas → Europe, Europe → Asia)

1. Three days before: go to bed and wake 30–60 minutes earlier each day.
2. On the overnight flight: eat before boarding, sleep as soon as possible, skip the alcohol, use an eye mask and earplugs.
3. On arrival morning: get outside in daylight; no sunglasses for the first hour if you can.
4. Do not nap past 30 minutes. Stay up until 21:00–22:00 local.
5. Evenings: dim screens, low light — your clock is trying to stay on home time.

The westbound playbook (Europe → Americas, Asia → Europe)

1. Stay up on arrival until local bedtime; evening light helps.
2. If you wake at 4 a.m., stay in dim light and rest rather than starting the day.
3. Bright light in the late afternoon for the first two days.

The big Pacific crossings

Los Angeles–Singapore, New York–Tokyo, London–Sydney: the shift is large enough that direction matters less than routine. Choose a flight that lands in the late afternoon or evening, stay up until bedtime, and accept two rough days. A stopover in Doha, Singapore or Tokyo with a hotel night breaks the shift into two manageable halves.

What actually helps

• Light timing (the lever), hydration, moderate caffeine before noon local, exercise on day one.
• Melatonin (0.5–3 mg) at destination bedtime, eastbound, if legal and tolerated.
• A lie-flat seat or a good layover sleep before the second leg.

What doesn’t

Alcohol, heavy meals at odd hours, napping at 4 p.m., and apps that promise to cure it in a day.

Frequently asked

How long does jet lag last?

Roughly a day per one to two time zones crossed — so two to four days for a transatlantic trip and up to a week for Asia–Americas — with eastbound travel taking longer.

Should I take melatonin for jet lag?

Low-dose melatonin at destination bedtime helps some people, especially eastbound. It is prescription-only in several countries and not for everyone — check before you travel and try it at home first.