time travel lag

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Jet lag, also called jet lag disorder, is a temporary sleep problem that can affect anyone who quickly travels across several time zones.

Your body has its own internal clock, called circadian rhythms. They signal to your body when to stay awake and when to sleep.

Jet lag occurs because your body's internal clock is synced to your original time zone. It hasn't changed to the time zone of where you've traveled. The more time zones crossed, the more likely you are to experience jet lag.

Jet lag can cause daytime fatigue, an unwell feeling, trouble staying alert and stomach problems. Although symptoms are temporary, they can affect your comfort while on vacation or during a business trip. But you can take steps to help prevent or lessen the effects of jet lag.

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Symptoms of jet lag can vary. You may experience only one symptom or you may have many. Jet lag symptoms may include:

• Sleep problems such as not being able to fall asleep or waking up early.
• Daytime fatigue.
• Not being able to focus or function at your usual level.
• Stomach problems such as constipation or diarrhea.
• A general feeling of not being well.
• Mood changes.

Symptoms are worse the farther you travel

Jet lag symptoms usually occur within a day or two after traveling across at least two time zones. Symptoms are likely to be worse or last longer the farther you travel. This is especially true if you fly east. It usually takes about a day to recover for each time zone crossed.

When to see a doctor

Jet lag is temporary. But if you travel often and experience jet lag, you may benefit from seeing a sleep specialist.

A disruption to your circadian rhythms

Jet lag can occur anytime you cross two or more time zones. Crossing multiple time zones puts your internal clock out of sync with the time in your new locale. Your internal clock, also called circadian rhythms, regulates your sleep-wake cycle.

For example, if you leave New York on a flight at 4 p.m. on Tuesday and arrive in Paris at 7 a.m. Wednesday, your internal clock still thinks it's 1 a.m. That means you're ready for bed just as Parisians are waking up.

It takes a few days for your body to adjust. In the meantime, your sleep-wake cycle and other body functions such as hunger and bowel habits remain out of step with the rest of Paris.

The effect of sunlight

A key influence on circadian rhythms is sunlight. Light affects the regulation of melatonin, a hormone that helps cells throughout the body work together.

Cells in the tissue at the back of the eye transmit light signals to an area of the brain called the hypothalamus. When the light is low at night, the hypothalamus signals to a small organ in the brain called the pineal gland to release melatonin. During daylight hours, the opposite occurs. The pineal gland releases very little melatonin.

Because light is so crucial to your internal clock, you may be able to ease your adjustment to a new time zone by exposing yourself to daylight. However, the timing of light needs to be done properly.

Airline cabin pressure and atmosphere

Some research shows that changes in cabin pressure and high altitudes associated with air travel may contribute to some symptoms of jet lag, regardless of travel across time zones.

In addition, humidity levels are low in planes. If you don't drink enough water during your flight, you can get slightly dehydrated. Dehydration also may contribute to some symptoms of jet lag.

Risk factors

Factors that increase the likelihood you'll experience jet lag include:

• Number of time zones crossed. The more time zones you cross, the more likely you are to feel jet lag.
• Flying east. You may find it harder to fly east, when you "lose" time, than to fly west, when you "gain" time.
• Being a frequent flyer. Pilots, flight attendants and business travelers are most likely to experience jet lag.
• Being an older adult. Older adults may need more time to recover from jet lag.

Complications

Auto accidents caused by drowsy driving may be more likely in people who are jet-lagged.

A few basic steps may help prevent jet lag or reduce its effects:

• Arrive early. If you have an important meeting or other event that requires you to be in top form, try to arrive a few days early to give your body a chance to adjust.
• Get plenty of rest before your trip. Starting out sleep deprived makes jet lag worse.
• Gradually adjust your schedule before you leave. If you're traveling east, try going to bed one hour earlier each night for a few days before your trip. If you're flying west, go to bed one hour later for several nights before you fly. If possible, eat meals closer to the time you'll be eating them during your trip.

Properly time bright light exposure. Light exposure is a prime influence on your body's circadian rhythms. After traveling west, expose yourself to light in the evening to help you adjust to a later than usual time zone. After traveling east, expose yourself to morning light to adapt to an earlier time zone.

The one exception is if you've traveled across more than eight time zones. Your body might mistake early-morning light for evening dusk. It also might mistake evening light for early-morning light.

So if you've traveled more than eight time zones to the east, wear sunglasses and avoid bright light in the morning. Then allow as much sunlight as possible in the late afternoon for the first few days in your new location.

If you've traveled west by more than eight time zones, avoid sunlight a few hours before dark for the first few days to adjust to the local time.

• Stay on your new schedule. Set your watch or phone to the new time before you leave. Once you reach your destination, try not to sleep until the local nighttime, no matter how tired you are. Try to time your meals with local mealtimes too.
• Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water before, during and after your flight to counteract the effects of dry cabin air. Dehydration can make jet lag symptoms worse. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, as these can dehydrate you and affect your sleep.
• Try to sleep on the plane if it's nighttime at your destination. Earplugs, headphones and eye masks can help block noise and light. If it's daytime where you're going, resist the urge to sleep.
• Lee Y, et al. Circadian rhythms, disease and chronotherapy. Journal of Biological Rhythms. 2021; doi:10.1177/07487304211044301.
• Janse van Rensburg DC, et al. Managing travel fatigue and jet lag in athletes: A review and consensus statement. Sports Medicine. 2021; doi:10.1007/s40279-021-01502-0.
• Kryger M, et al., eds. Shift work, shift-work disorder, jet lag and jet lag disorder. In: Principles and Practice of Sleep Medicine. 7th ed. Elsevier; 2022. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Oct. 26, 2022.
• Loscalzo J, et al., eds. Sleep disorders. In: Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. 21st ed. McGraw Hill; 2022. https://accessmedicine.mhmedical.com. Accessed Oct. 26, 2022.
• Kellerman RD, et al. Sleep disorders. In: Conn's Current Therapy 2022. Elsevier; 2022. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Oct. 31, 2022.
• Jet lag. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/jet-lag. Accessed Oct. 26, 2022.
• During EH, et al. Irregular sleep-wake, non-24h sleep-wake, jet lag and shift work disorders. In: Clinical Sleep Medicine: A Comprehensive Guide for Mental Health and Other Medical Professionals. American Psychiatric Association Publishing. https://ebooks.appi.org. Accessed Oct. 28, 2023.
• Steele TA, et al. Circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders: A contemporary review of neurobiology, treatment and dysregulation in neurodegenerative disease. Neurotherapeutics. 2021; doi:10.1007/s13311-021-01031-8.
• Moroni I, et al. Pharmacokinetics of exogenous melatonin in relation to formulation, and effects on sleep: A systematic review. Sleep Medicine Reviews. 2021; doi:10.1016/j.smrv. 2021.101431 .
• Melatonin. Facts & Comparisons eAnswers. https://fco.factsandcomparisons.com. Accessed Nov. 1, 2022.
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Jet lag is caused by a mismatch between a person’s normal daily rhythms and a new time zone. It is a temporary sleep problem that usually occurs when you travel across more than three time zones but can affect anyone who travels across multiple time zones. Jet lag can affect your mood, your ability to concentrate, and your physical and mental performance. Fortunately, you can take steps to minimize the effects of jet lag.

Before Travel

A few days before you travel, you can begin adjusting your body’s natural clock to the time zone at your destination. Depending on where you are traveling you may want to adjust your sleep patterns to get used to the time change:

• If traveling west, go to bed an hour or two later than usual
• If traveling east, go to bed an hour or two earlier than usual.

Consider scheduling travel to arrive at your destination at least 2 days before any important events, to give your body time to adjust.

Stomach aches and other stomach problems are a symptom of jet lag; eating smaller meals just before travel may help. If you struggle with jet lag, talk to your doctor about taking medicine or other sleep aids to help you sleep.

During Travel

If you are traveling to a time zone that is more than 3 hours different than your normal time zone you should follow the sleep and waking routines of your destination when you arrive. It might help to stay in well-lit areas at your destination during the day. Take any medicine or sleep aids as directed by your healthcare provider to help you sleep at night.

Other steps you can take to help you adjust to the new time and avoid jet lag symptoms:

• Eat small meals to avoid stomach aches or other problems.
• Avoid alcohol as it disrupts sleep.
• Use caffeine and exercise strategically, these may help you stay alert throughout the day, but you should avoid these in the evening.
• Drink plenty of water.
• If you are sleepy during the day, take short naps, no more than 15-20 minutes, to help you feel better during the day, yet still sleep at night.

A combination of these steps will help you overcome jet lag more quickly.

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• Yellow Book: Jet Lag
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Jet Lag: Get Back in the Rhythm

By Julie Weed

You finally made it to Paris, but instead of running up the Eiffel Tower, you’re passing out in your soufflé. Blame jet lag, when your body’s circadian rhythm — its expected sleep and wake times — is out of sync with your new location, leaving you with brain fog at midday or insomnia in the wee hours. Not everyone has the same body clock, of course, and no two trips are exactly the same, but there are some tricks that could help you get your zip back quicker.

Shift before you go

The time differential and the direction you are traveling each contribute to jet lag, said Jay Olson, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Toronto Mississauga who has studied the phenomenon. Dr. Olson said that traveling westward, when you need to stay up and wake up later to match the new time zone, is easier for most people than traveling eastward, when you are expected to do the opposite.

For shorter trips, make a gradual one-hour shift per day for the number of time zones you’ll cross, said Dr. Vishesh Kapur, founder of the University of Washington Sleep Medicine Center .

For example, if you are flying from California to Massachusetts — crossing three time zones — try progressively going to bed and waking up an hour earlier each day for three days before the trip. It’s usually not necessary to shift your bedtime before traveling less than three time zones west, he said.

Harness the power of light

Bright light helps keep our internal clock in sync with the outside world, traveling through specialized cells in the retina and signaling the part of the brain that sets the body’s master schedule. So, for longer trips, seek out or avoid bright light at specific times, said Dr. Olson. Starting a few days before your trip, gradually shift the light and dark times of your origin toward that of your destination, using dark glasses, sunlight or other light sources.

In the first few days of your trip, figuring out the best times to get light can be tricky. Let’s say you take an overnight flight from New York to London, arriving at 7 a.m. Your brain may still feel as if it’s 2 a.m., and getting bright light right away could confuse your internal clock. In this case, you may want to put on dark glasses for a few hours, then go out in the sun when it is closer to your waking time at home, extending your London day.

On long trips to Asia — when day and night are reversed — it is often easier to shift your cycle backward, said Mickey Beyer-Clausen, chief executive of Timeshifter , which makes a jet lag app of the same name. For example, when flying nonstop from New York to Tokyo, which is 13 hours ahead, think of it as being 11 hours behind (jet lag does not consider the international date line). That means if you land at, say, 2 p.m. in Japan — 1 a.m. in New York — you need to counter the fact that your New York brain is winding down for sleep. This means seeking out bright light all afternoon, especially in the evening, until bedtime in Japan. You can also get a head start on adapting to Japanese time if you go to bed and seek out light later than normal for two nights before you leave New York.

Online tools like Jet Lag Rooster and Timeshifter help create a customized schedule based on variables like time zone differences, departure and arrival times, and other factors.

Consider melatonin

If you are having trouble getting to sleep earlier in anticipation of traveling east, Dr. Kapur suggests taking one milligram of over-the-counter melatonin about four hours before bed, up to three days before the trip. (Melatonin is a substance that is produced naturally in the body as night falls, signaling that it is time to go to sleep.) This small dose is best for reducing jet lag, Dr. Olson said, because studies show a larger dose doesn’t necessarily work better and is more likely to produce side effects. Travelers should be aware that as a dietary supplement, melatonin is not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration .

Grab a quick nap

If you’re feeling drained as your body adjusts to the new time zone, curl up for a 20-minute snooze, said Dr. Kapur. If you nap longer than that, he cautions, the brain fog may worsen or you may have trouble falling asleep at night.

Refresh with a layover shower

A spritz at the airport between long flights can work wonders for a tired body. Airports with public pay showers include Tokyo Narita International Airport , Munich Airport and San Francisco International Airport . At some airports, only specific lounges — like the Delta Sky Club at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport — offer showers. If you’re not a member, don’t have access through a credit card and really need a boost, consider a day pass. The IGA Lounge in Istanbul International Airport, for example, costs $65. All offer towels, soap and shampoo.

Make the most of the lag

If you expect to be up super late or early as your body adjusts, plan ahead. Early in the trip, you may have the most energy for a visit to the Patpong Night Market in Bangkok , the early-morning tuna auction at the Toyosu Fish Market in Tokyo or a predawn excursion to see the sunrise at Haleakala volcano in Maui.

Open Up Your World

Considering a trip, or just some armchair traveling here are some ideas..

52 Places:  Why do we travel? For food, culture, adventure, natural beauty? Our 2024 list has all those elements, and more .

Mumbai:  Spend 36 hours in this fast-changing Indian city  by exploring ancient caves, catching a concert in a former textile mill and feasting on mangoes.

Kyoto:  The Japanese city’s dry gardens offer spots for quiet contemplation  in an increasingly overtouristed destination.

Iceland:  The country markets itself as a destination to see the northern lights. But they can be elusive, as one writer recently found .

Texas:  Canoeing the Rio Grande near Big Bend National Park can be magical. But as the river dries, it’s getting harder to find where a boat will actually float .

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How to Adjust to a New Time Zone

Steer clear of jet lag with these easy tips

Traveling to a different time zone can be exciting—but the time change can take some getting used to. Depending on how far you travel, it may be necessary to take specific steps to adapt to a new time zone and avoid the symptoms of jet lag, which can make your journey less enjoyable.

Jet lag can cause you to feel ill as well as tired, and it can ruin a trip. Fortunately, there are ways to prepare for time zone transitions.

This article explains the signs of jet lag and strategies to help you avoid it or manage the symptoms.

Symptoms of Jet Lag

The most common symptoms of jet lag include:

• Mental confusion
• Slowing down of mental and physical abilities
• Irritability
• Muscle soreness

Being unable to move around during a long flight, dehydration, and disrupted eating schedules can contribute to these problems.

Light and Jet Lag

Light, whether from the sun or a lamp , has a strong effect on the body's circadian rhythms . That's one of the factors determining when you're alert and awake and when you're tired and need to sleep.

When you travel to another time zone, there's a dramatic shift in your exposure to light and a misalignment of your body’s sense of day and night. Until the circadian rhythm is reset, jet lag symptoms persist.

The sudden disruption of your circadian rhythms that occurs with jet lag can be distressing, especially the further you travel. If you fly from, say, the east coast of the United States to the west coast, you'll be crossing only a few time zones, and adjusting will be relatively easy. But if you cross oceans and continents it will be more challenging.

In general, it can take one day per time zone changed for circadian rhythms and sleep to get in sync. 

How quickly you switch time zones matters as well. Since driving or traveling by bus or even train takes longer than flying, your body has an opportunity to adjust to time zone changes gradually. For example, if it takes 10 hours to pass through a time zone while driving, then you essentially have a half-day to accommodate for the shift.

Finally, the direction of travel impacts circadian rhythms. You may have heard a frequent traveler say, "East is a beast, west is best." What he means is that traveling in a westward direction is often easier to tolerate because it is easier to shift the circadian rhythm to a later time. To think about it another way, consider how easy it is to stay up a few hours later in the night and how challenging it can be to wake up that much earlier in the morning.

Adjusting to a New Time Zone

If you're planning travel that will land you in a different time zone, severe jet lag isn't inevitable. There are ways to help you prepare your body for the change so that you can enjoy your trip with as little disruption to your sleep as possible.

Before your trip, figure out how much you'll need to shift your sleep and wake times to be in sync after you arrive. Allowing enough time to do it gradually, begin to go to bed earlier and get up earlier, or vice-versa depending on the direction you'll be traveling in, to get your body used to the new time zone before you have to live in it.

Make Yourself Stay Awake 

Delaying sleep generates a very robust sleep drive and may counteract some of the issues related to a misaligned circadian rhythm. Much like pulling an all-nighter, your desire for sleep will be exceptionally strong if you stay awake for a prolonged period , no matter what time zone you're in.

To reset yourself, try to stay awake on the plane and when you arrive. Once you're settled in, fight the urge to take a nap, and try to stay awake until your normal bedtime based on local time.

See the Light

The most important factor in resetting your body clock is light. If you can, get 15 to 30 minutes of direct sunlight as soon as you wake up. Go for a walk, eat breakfast outside, or just sit in the sun and read.

Keeping a regular bedtime and wake time with morning light exposure will help a great deal.

Deflect Drowsiness

When dealing with jet-lag-related daytime sleepiness, the same go-to remedies you use at home can help:

• Drink a cup of coffee or tea, but don't overdo your caffeine intake.
• Take a short nap when needed, sleeping for 20 minutes or less; longer naps may make you feel groggier when you wake up.
• Consider taking melatonin . A 5 mg dose can realign your circadian rhythm to the new time zone. Take it in the morning to set your internal clock to a later time and in the evening to set it to an earlier time.
• Don't drive when you're drowsy.

Returning Home

As your trip comes to an end, ease yourself into the change to come by gradually adjusting your bedtime and wake time in 30- to 60-minute increments towards the new clock setting. If this isn't possible, follow the same advice above to adjust to the new time zone at home.

Ambesh P, Shetty V, Ambesh S, Gupta SS, Kamholz S, Wolf L. Jet lag: Heuristics and therapeutics .  J Family Med Prim Care . 2018;7(3):507-510. doi:10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_220_17

Fowler PM, Knez W, Crowcroft S, et al. Greater effect of east versus west travel on jet lag, sleep, and team sport performance . Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise . 2017;49(12):2548-2561. doi:10.1249/mss.0000000000001374

• Kryger, MH et al.  Principles  and Practice of Sleep Medicine.  Elsevier, 5th edition, 2011.

By Brandon Peters, MD Dr. Peters is a board-certified neurologist and sleep medicine specialist and is a fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

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Planning a long-haul flight? Here's how to outsmart jet lag

Andrea Muraskin

If you're trying to squeeze some travel into the last few weeks of summer, you'll want to get the most out of your vacation. And nothing ruins a trip to the Louvre or a scuba-diving excursion like your body telling you it's time for bed NOW. So can you "hack" jet lag, so to speak? Or at least mitigate it?

We posed the question to NPR's International Desk and got an array of helpful answers from our globetrotting staff.

This story comes from NPR Health, a newsletter covering the science of healthy living. To get more stories like this, click here to subscribe .

For instance, NPR producer Greg Dixon is enthusiastic about an app for jet lag called Time Shifter . "You input your travel schedule and it spits out a plan for a couple days before and a couple days after your flights, advising you when to get/avoid natural light, drink coffee, take melatonin, etc.," Greg writes. "It has worked really, really well."

Research on jet lag is limited, and most of it is on athletes, who — much like NPR's journalists — are expected to jet across time zones and perform at their best. A recent consensus statement to help athletes manage jet lag and travel fatigue in the journal Sports Medicine , offers few guiding principles.

David Stevens, a physiologist from Adelaide, Australia, who co-authored the statement while working at a sleep research center at Flinders University, breaks it down. First off, you'll want to understand the workings of your body's circadian rhythms, that is, our internal clock that tells us when it's time to fall asleep and when to wake up.

Then you can take advantage of what sleep researchers call zeitgebers or time-givers, external factors that set the pace of these rhythms. Light is the most important one but exercise, meals and even social cues can also trigger sleepiness or wakefulness.

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I usually wake up just ahead of my alarm. what's up with that, get a head start.

Whether you use an app or not, Stevens suggests starting your time zone adjustment a few days before your trip begins. "One of your best strategies to prepare for any westward travel is you just go to sleep, for example, an hour later each night," Stevens says. And go ahead and allow yourself to stay in bed an hour later each morning as well.

Managing jet lag involves paying attention to your light intake and other cues to synch your internal clock to a new time zone. Jenny Kane/AP hide caption

Managing jet lag involves paying attention to your light intake and other cues to synch your internal clock to a new time zone.

Things get tougher when you're heading eastward. "It's brutal from west to east. It usually takes me 10 days to adjust, say from Washington to Tokyo," writes NPR's Asia editor Vincent Ni.

Stevens says there's a simple explanation for this. Going to bed later than normal – as you do when traveling westward – is relatively easy for our body clocks to understand, because you get more tired in the evening. "My body's going, hang on, you're meant to be asleep now, why aren't you asleep?" he says.

But when you travel eastward, you have to try to go to sleep when you're not yet tired, and that's just... confusing to your circadian clock, Stevens says. "The body's going, hang on, you're not meant to be asleep yet. What are you doing?" And to make matters worse, one of the body's peak performance times, when we're naturally most alert, is around 7 p.m., he adds.

So in these cases, Stevens says, prep a few days before your trip by going to sleep earlier than normal and getting up early to take in lots of morning light.

Onboard sleep tricks and aids

Stevens says it's a good idea to sleep on the flight if you can, though the consensus statement notes it's best to align your sleep with what would be night in your city of departure, so dozing off comes more naturally. That can mean a nighttime flight is a good choice.

Of course falling asleep in a tight plane seat (short of upgrading to business class) can be nearly impossible for some of us. NPR's Vincent Ni, however, has onboard shuteye down to a science: "I fill my rucksack with solid but soft material, put it on the tray (in economy class) and lay my forehead on it. Key for me is the eyeshade and ear plugs."

Now as you might expect for a group of travel-hardened foreign correspondents, several International Desk members reported using substances not naturally found in the body.

"If I need to try to sleep on the flight (and it's not super early in the morning – I'm not that bad) then I find a glass of wine or two is my sleep aid!" writes Beirut-based correspondent Ruth Sherlock. Others mentioned taking prescription sedatives like zolpidem (Ambien) to nod off.

6 tips to help you overcome your fear of flying

Stevens recommends against prescription sedatives because "it's not really a physiological sleep," and you can develop a dependency.

As for alcohol, Stevens says the short answer is "no." – it can disrupt sleep. Although he confesses on a recent trip to London that he "may have had a pint as soon as I landed, but that was at about 4 o'clock in the afternoon," In other words, a good 6 hours before bedtime.

Once you land: Manage your light intake

If willing yourself into slumber before the sun goes down isn't working out for you, that's no surprise, says Stevens. That's because light is the most important of the zeitgebers or time-givers. "When light hits your retina, the signals travel through the brain, it goes to the hypothalamus," which controls melatonin secretion, Stevens says. Melatonin is what makes you feel sleepy, and secretion doesn't start until daylight starts to dim at the end of the day.

Conversely, exposing yourself to daylight early in the day can be a great way to help sync your circadian clock to the new schedule. "In order to let my body adjust more quickly, I typically spend a lot of time outside in the full sunlight if I can (in warmer months) or in the sunlight inside (in colder months) to remind my body of the new surroundings and to let the melatonin flow," writes Central Europe correspondent Rob Schmitz.

Stevens says taking a melatonin tablet before bed, coupled with daylight exposure, can also be a great way to adapt to a new time zone. And don't forget to shut off that blue light on your phone, too.

Perceiving without seeing: How light resets your internal clock

Naps, meals and exercise.

NPR's deputy international editor Nishant Dahiya and China correspondent John Ruwitch both swear by staying awake until 9 p.m. at your destination – no matter how cruddy you feel – and Stevens says that's a good rule of thumb.

In answer to my anxious plea "Are naps allowed?!" Stevens says they can be beneficial. "Naps can give you the little perk of energy that you need to then last an extra couple of hours." The catch? He recommends capping your snooze at 20 minutes.

Dahiya also relies on "more than three espresso shots the next morning" to help power through sleeplessness. Stevens warns if you do make use of caffeine, to make sure you drink it at least 6 hours before you plan to hit the hay.

Rather than chemical help, Stevens recommends tapping into other zeitgebers – including food intake, exercise, and temperature changes to adjust to a different time zone. "Every cell in our body also seems to follow a circadian pattern," he says. So for example "If you exercise at a particular time of day, and then you shift when you exercise," in your new time zone that can be a circadian cue, he says. So can shifting your meal times.

"My favorite sleep aid is to go for a walk," Stevens says. "Even if it's just for an hour, even if it's at night, I find going for a walk, getting a bit of fresh air, that just sort of clears your head," he says.

Happy travels, and do let us know if any of these tips work for you. Write to us at [email protected] .

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Jet Lag Calculator

Switching time zones the jet lag calculator.

It isn’t always easy to recover when you’re switching time zones - the inability to sleep, fatigue and disorientation that comes with jet lag can put a serious dampener on your time away. Using your flight itinerary, you can now manage jet lag with this interactive calculator.

Enter your travel details below and find out how to get the most out of your trip.

Below is your personalized travel sleep plan. Follow the suggested sleep pattern and light exposure times to minimize the effects of jet lag.

• Flight / travel
• Sleep or dark conditions ideal (during/after flight)
• Aim to be in lighter environments

Scroll across to explore your sleep plan

In order to beat jet lag and establish a new sleep routine you first need to determine your phase change in hours, eg the difference in hours forward or back. Ideally, you should start shifting your sleep schedule two days before departure, moving your sleep period one or two steps towards your new sleep time each day.

When moving forward, after waking, try to stay in light conditions for at least three hours, and when moving back, before sleep, try to stay in light conditions for three hours.

From the day of the flight (including during the flight), try to adjust your meal times to those of your new destination. If convenient, starting to do this a few days beforehand too can help ease jet lag by adjusting your body clock.

Doing exercise during the period that your schedule recommends staying in light conditions can enhance circadian rhythm shift, reducing the symptoms of jet lag.

Frequently asked questions

Sleep shifting is where you stagger your sleeping patterns ahead of visiting a country with a different time zone.

For example, if you’re visiting New York to Dubai, it has a nine hour time difference, so in order to not suffer from jet lag it’s recommended you start shifting your sleep two days before your flight. By shifting your sleep an hour back from your regular sleep time each day, over a nine day adjustment period, you should avoid jet lag.

It’s important to drink plenty of water prior to landing in a new time zone. When bodies are low on fluids they begin to feel fatigued and weaker than usual, therefore, water helps pump oxygen into bodily organs and makes you more energized.

If water doesn’t do the trick, try doing some exercise - a light jog, HIIT workout or a yoga session will wake up all of your muscles. It’s important you have a good balance between being active and getting plenty of rest though. Too much exercise could make you feel even more fatigued .

Try to get into the same routine as the natives of the country you have just arrived in - if they are having breakfast, but your body clock wants you to go to sleep, try and power through and eat some breakfast too. It’s important to get your body used to the new time zone as soon as possible.

It's recommended that adults get an average of seven to nine hours of sleep every night - it is possible to get by on fewer hours sleep, but in order to function optimally, you should aim to get as close to these hours as possible.

Many people with busy and hectic lifestyles may be getting by on six hours of sleep a night, and although they may feel like a productive and functioning human being, chronic sleep deprivation can easily sneak up on them. As time goes by, a consistent amount of sleep loss can result in health problems, such as, insomnia, narcolepsy or severe mood swings, therefore, it’s important to aim for a minimum of seven hours of sleep per night.

If you’re on a flight for a long period of time, you’ll want to try and get some sleep. Some key tips include cutting down, or completely cutting out caffeine ahead of your flight - caffeine is renowned for keeping people awake, so aim to remove it from your diet 24-hours ahead of your flight time.

Airplanes are also quite typically cold :

The heat given off by passengers in a fully occupied cabin is considerable, therefore, incoming air needs to be at or below the required cabin temperature if that temperature is to be maintained.

With that said, a blanket and flight socks to keep you warm should help you fall asleep on a flight.

Above everything, if you have the chance to pick your seat for your flight, be sure to pick wisely. If you’re situated near the toilets, you’ll be constantly woken up, so try and find a prime window seat.

If you have a long haul flight booked, you may be worrying about eating times and if it will affect your jet lag.

Usually, many flights will get you onto a new time zone and wake you up - or keep you awake - to provide food. For example, if you’re departing at 9 am but the destination you are traveling to is 10 hours ahead, they will look to give you your dinner swiftly after departure.

The more time zones you cross, the worse your jet lag may be. Jet lag symptoms usually occur within a day or two of travel if you’ve crossed two time zones. Jet lag can be worse if you travel in an easterly direction and for every time zone crossed, it can take about a day to recover.

Crossing multiple time zones puts your internal clock or circadian rhythms out of sync - they regulate your sleep-wake cycle and if they are out of sync with your new time, you’ll struggle to sleep - or stay awake!

If you were to travel from New York on a flight at 4 pm on Tuesday and arrive in Paris at 7 am on Wednesday your internal sleep pattern and clock would think it is 1 am - this would mean that you’re ready for bed just as Paris is waking up for the day. So, if you then travel across another two time zones, your body clock will struggle to catch up even more so. You can find some more top tips below:

Split up your trip

If you’re planning on taking a long journey, for example, from the United States, over to Bali, think about splitting your flights up and look at having a stopover in Dubai or Singapore. Not only does this give your body the time to catch up and adapt to a new routine, but it can almost half the price of your airfare.

Set your watch to your new time zone

You need to get yourself psychologically aligned with the time at your new destination, so, as soon as you get onto your flight, set your watch backward or forwards.

Seek some sun

If you’re due to be awake once you’ve landed, but feel sleepy, it’s a good idea to seek out some sun - daylight makes you feel better.

Use an eye mask and earplugs during your flight

If you want to get into a new time zone but struggle to sleep on flights, why not invest in an eye mask and earplugs? They will help convince your body that it’s nighttime and you’re due some sleep.

The interactive jet lag calculator allows users to input their travel details and find out how to get the most of their trip by keeping jet lag at bay. It then generates a personalized sleep plan that - if followed correctly - should minimize the effects of jet lag.

Jet lag is a physiological condition that results from shifts in the circadian rhythms - it’s physically a result of crossing time zones, therefore it is inevitable that your body will be affected in some way - that is why this tool will help many people travelling across countries and time zones.

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Peer reviewed by Dr Colin Tidy, MRCGP Last updated by Dr Hayley Willacy, FRCGP Last updated 19 Jul 2023

Meets Patient’s editorial guidelines

In this series: Health advice for travel abroad Travelling to remote locations Ears and flying Motion sickness Altitude sickness

Jet lag occurs after travelling rapidly across several time zones, because the body's internal clock has not adjusted to the required sleep-wake cycle in the new time zone.

Jet lag causes physical and psychological symptoms, the severity of which increases with the number of time zones crossed and direction of travel. Eastward travel, when hours are 'gained' is associated with worse jet lag than westward travel, when hours are 'lost.'

In this article :

What causes jet lag, what are the symptoms of jet lag, when to see a doctor about jet lag, who gets jet lag, do some people get worse jet lag than others, how long does jet lag last, why does travelling east cause worse jet lag than travelling west, how can i prevent jet lag, how do i get over jet lag when i arrive, do commercial light devices help with jet lag, do jet lag calculators help with jet lag, do coloured spectacles help with jet lag, do sleeping tablets help with jet lag, what is the circadian rhythm, does taking melatonin help with jet lag, how do i prevent jet lag in my baby or toddler, how do i treat jet lag in my baby or toddler.

Continue reading below

Jet lag is a group of symptoms caused by disruption to the natural rhythms of the body, called circadian rhythm, by moving quickly across the world's time zones. It results from a temporary mismatch between the body's internal clock and the destination sleep/wake schedule.

This can either make it hard to fall asleep, or make you sleepy when you're trying to stay awake. It can also cause dizziness , indigestion , nausea , constipation , altered appetite and mild anxiety .

Before the advent of fast air travel, long journeys were slow enough for us to adjust gradually to different time zones as we travelled. Jet lag occurs when we travel so fast that we 'gain' or 'lose' extra hours more quickly than our body's capacity to adjust allows.

You don't need to travel to get jet lag. Shift work or a series of late nights can have the same effect. This also puts your melatonin and cortisol clocks out of synch with the daylight hours that you need to work to.

If you are travelling over only one or two, or possibly three, time zones, jet lag is not usually a problem. It usually affects people travelling across more than three time zones. So if the time at your destination is more than three hours different to that at the start of your journey, you are likely to experience jet lag. The more the time difference, the greater the problem jet lag is likely to be.

Jet lag only affects people travelling quickly. If you are travelling more slowly, by boat or car, your body clock will be able to adjust gradually.

The most common symptoms of jet lag are related to sleep. You may have difficulty getting to sleep at bedtime and struggle to wake up in the morning, or you may be tired long before bedtime and wake up while it is still night and too early to get up.

The effect of this difficulty with sleeping is feeling tired and not being able to function as well as usual. Common symptoms include:

Tiredness, which can be severe.

Sleepiness.

Disturbed and wakeful nights.

Feeling light-headed or 'spaced out.'

Feeling jittery, anxious or shaky.

Having a fine tremor.

Poor concentration and memory.

Being less co-ordinated than usual.

Irritability.

Low mood and weepiness.

Homesickness.

Not wanting to join in normal activities.

Poorer performance in sports than usual (particularly a problem for athletes).

Constipation .

Poor appetite.

Nausea and indigestion.

Other aspects of travel, such as cabin pressure, can also have an effect on your digestion. Changes in cabin pressure can cause both lack of fluid in the body (dehydration) and bloating, which may contribute to your symptoms.

Complications

Some of the symptoms of jet lag (such as poor concentration, or feeling 'spaced out') may cause problems performing complex (potentially dangerous) tasks, such as driving or operating machinery. You should not drive if you feel you are not functioning normally.

If you are not recovering from jet lag and your symptoms are causing problems (such as sleep disturbance, disrupted appetite or altered mood - anxiety and depression), you should see your doctor. They can assess your symptoms and suggest how to manage them.

Risk factors

People who travel frequently, particularly airline pilots and crew, are most likely to have problems with jet lag. Most people who fly very long distances will be affected, particularly if they fly coach class and can't easily manage to sleep on the flight even when they are sleepy.

Jet lag can be a problem for athletes competing in different parts of the world, as it is likely to affect physical performance. It is also a concern for business travellers as it may cloud their thinking for several days.

People vary in their ability to adjust to travel across time zones. Whilst people will take on average one day to correct for each hour, once they have crossed more than three time zones, some people take longer than this.

There is a small subgroup of people whose adjustment is very slow to begin, so that their circadian clock does not initially shift. You may know if you are one of these people, as you may experience worse jet lag than others. If this is the case then consider starting the jet lag preparations detailed here 4-5 days prior to travel, rather than only 2-3 days beforehand.

The circadian 'clock' is capable of adjusting by 1-2 hours each day without too much difficulty, so that we can accommodate variety in bedtime and getting up times - but adjusting to more than three hours or more can take time - roughly a day for each hour's adjustment. Three hours is borderline - some people will notice it, others will not.

The principle behind jet lag is that we need a similar amount of quality sleep, in one stretch. It's not easy to make ourselves sleep for extra hours when we travel, so we mainly need to move the sleep time, increasing or reducing our awake time.

Travelling to the west is easier as the brain finds it easier to move its clock back (by delaying release of melatonin and cortisol and sleeping later), than to move it forward (releasing it earlier).

Travelling to the east is harder, because you have to try to go to sleep when you are not tired, and without your body having produced the melatonin that usually helps this happen.

It is possible to avoid jet lag but it needs commitment and advance planning. The main key to these strategies is getting enough quality sleep in the few days before your trip, whilst trying to move your sleep period forwards or backwards.

If you try these strategies for 2-3 days before travel (4-5 days if you are a slow adjuster) then you can 'advance adjust' your circadian rhythm and reduce or even eliminate jet lag.

How do I reduce jet lag when travelling west?

If you are travelling west then you will gain time, so the principle of preventing jet lag is to prepare in advance by convincing your body it is earlier than it is, whilst continuing to get the right amount of quality sleep.

You won't be able to sleep for longer than usual, so you need to move your sleep period to later.

Try to stay in bright light in the evening, so that you delay release of melatonin until the new bedtime, and avoid bright lights in the morning, so your brain will think the sun hasn't risen yet.

Exercising at night will increase your body temperature, which will also shift your clock backwards. Staying up and sleeping in late will help even more.

How do I reduce jet lag when travelling east?

If you are travelling east, then you will lose time, so the principle of preventing jet lag is to convince your body it is later than it is, whilst continuing to get enough quality sleep.

You won't be able to sleep for longer than usual, and your challenge is to move your sleep period backwards and convince your body it is later than it really is. Long-haul flights east from the UK usually dim the lights early to assist you with this.

Avoid light as much as possible in the evening.

Go to sleep early, and get plenty of bright light when you wake up.

It also helps to exercise soon after rising, to increase your body temperature.

It is possible that taking melatonin may help (see below).

What should I do to ward off jet lag once I reach my destination?

Once you get to your destination use light to assist your body's adjustment to the new time zone - plenty of light (and exercise) in the morning and during the day, and darkness at night.

Avoid power napping when you're trying to adjust your clock.

Don't think about the old time zone at all - reset your watch and eat, stay well-hydrated, exercise and sleep in the new zone.

Avoid alcohol until you feel you have fully adjusted.

The most effective treatments for jet lag rely on shifting the circadian clock to the new time zone as fast as possible.

If you don't have time to prepare and experience jet lag, it will gradually subside on its own after a few days, as your body clock adapts to the new time zone. There are a number of strategies to help you get over it more quickly:

Ensure good-quality sleep in the darkness

After arrival at your destination, try to change your schedule to the new time zone as quickly as possible.

Avoid going to sleep until it is a reasonable bedtime for the new time zone. Then turn all the lights out, and use ear plugs if others have not settled to sleep.

Set alarms to stop you oversleeping in the morning. When you get up, turn the lights on.

Avoid caffeine, nicotine and alcohol in the six hours before you plan to sleep as they may interfere with your sleep cycle.

Prior to going to bed, try to relax. Avoid large meals, heavy exercise and exciting books or films before sleeping.

Shortwave or 'blue' light is thought to be most important in stopping melatonin being released. Therefore, glasses which block out blue light may help you release melatonin earlier than usual. It may therefore be helpful to wear them for a couple of hours before bed, although more research is needed. This would only be helpful if you are trying to bring forward the time you go to sleep - for example, after travelling east.

Ensure wakefulness when it's daylight

Warm up in the morning with light exercise and a hot shower.

If you normally exercise at night, consider switching your routine and exercising in the morning.

Caffeine-containing drinks such as coffee may help keep you awake until it is a reasonable time to go to sleep.

Expose yourself to outside natural light as much as possible. This will help your internal clock adjust.

If you are only in the new time zone for two to three days it may be easier to stay on your original timings. Eat and go to sleep at times that would be normal for you, even if they aren't the right times for the place you are now in. This may not be practical for everybody, as it depends on what you want or need to do while you are away.

Some people use light boxes or commercial light devices to increase their light exposure. This may be helpful.

Various commercial light boxes and light devices are marketed for jet lag - many of them are also marketed for seasonal affective disorder (SAD) .

Large boxes are easier to sit in front of, and usually more tolerable.

Small light boxes and worn devices are more portable.

Light boxes that can produce blue light, and which use LEDs, may be more effective because the circadian system is most sensitive to blue light.

Several online calculators, apps and devices are available to tell the traveller how and when to use the light, when to seek darkness and to seek normal daylight in the days after travelling.

Jet lag calculators are online tools that give you an 'adjustment programme' to try to prepare for international travel. The idea is that you put your travel details into the calculator and it tells you how to adjust your sleeping patterns prior to, and during, travel.

Many of them are based around the use of light devices, some of which are marketed by the makers of the app or calculator.

Some calculators may be based on expecting a faster adjustment than the one hour per day recovery which most researchers agree is typical for most of us. This means that the timetables offered over several days are not always helpful - they may, in other words, give you too much light too soon. Using the light devices before travel, to prepare for the new time zone, is thought to help reduce this problem.

The idea of wearing coloured specs on the plane relates to the fact that melatonin production is reduced by the presence of blue light. Coloured specs - they usually look red - filter out the blue light. The idea is that these are worn for a couple of hours before you want to sleep, particularly when travelling east, to try to stimulate your natural melatonin production in order to start to shift your circadian rhythm.

There are currently no treatments specifically licensed for jet lag. This is partly because adjusting the sleep-wake cycle is complicated, and affected by travel itself.

We all adjust differently, and the time at which medicines need to be taken in order to make things better rather than worse, differs between individuals and journeys.

Sleeping tablets are often considered by those trying to get back into a sleeping pattern. However, most doctors will advise against this. Sleeping tablets do not treat jet lag; they only mask it because they don't reset your circadian rhythm, they just sedate you.

They are highly addictive and can affect your ability to fall asleep by yourself even after only a couple of days of use. You also may be more irritable, and perform less well, when you wake.

We all have an internal clock, managing our body through day and night. Many of the systems in our bodies are affected by it, including appetite and energy levels, and sleepiness. The normal cycle, of sleeping at night and being alert and active in daytime, is called the circadian rhythm.

All living beings, even plants, have an internal clock. The rhythm is a response to the cycle of daylight and darkness.

There are two main components to our internal clock. These are melatonin (produced by a gland in our brain called the pineal gland) and cortisol, (produced by the adrenal gland, on top of the kidney).

Both affect arousal (alertness), sleepiness, mood, energy level, and body temperature, and both are mainly regulated by an area of the brain called the hypothalamus, a kind of central control zone located at the base of the brain, behind your eyes.

What is melatonin?

Melatonin is one of the main hormones involved in helping you sleep. Melatonin production occurs mainly when it is dark. Bright artificial light, blue light and natural light, can reduce melatonin levels.

Higher melatonin levels are associated with better sleep quality, reduction in depression, and better cognitive performance (this means performance in tasks like attention, reaction time, visual memory and mental maths).

The brain releases melatonin an hour or two before you normally sleep. At the same time body temperature begins to fall, reaching its lowest temperature in the early hours of the morning.

What is cortisol?

An hour or two before expected waking, your body releases cortisol, and then adrenaline (epinephrine). These hormones increase arousal and wakefulness. If levels are high they can make you anxious or uneasy.

Once you have crossed more than three time zones it typically takes the cortisol production pattern one full day to adjust for every time zone crossed. It takes four days to adjust to a four-hour change (even though a two-hour or even a three-hour change can usually be managed without jet lag).

Melatonin is often suggested and discussed as a remedy for jet lag. It is not a licensed treatment, although it is a tablet form of the natural melatonin hormone which your brain produces. You might imagine, from reading this leaflet, that melatonin would help jet lag. However, the truth is more complicated.

A wide body of research suggests that melatonin pills do effectively shift the circadian clock and can be a useful tool for reducing jet lag, particularly when travelling east.

Melatonin is available from health food shops as a dietary supplement.

However, it is also not yet known what dose should be used, or exactly when melatonin should be taken.

Some evidence suggests that melatonin can prevent jet lag if taken as part of the advance preparation for jet lag detailed above.

One possible downside of taking melatonin is that adjusting to a new time zone means adjusting your OWN circadian clock, which means producing your OWN melatonin. Until you do that you won't have adjusted, so even though taking large doses of melatonin can make you sleepy, it's not adjusting your body, and it may actually interfere with your body's own efforts to adjust, simply delaying the jet lag without preventing it.

At the best of times, it can be difficult to get your baby or toddler to sleep at the right time, and when you are travelling and everything is strange, worrying, tense or exciting then trying to get them to sleep when you want them to can be an impossible task.

Should I sedate my baby or toddler to avoid jet lag?

Some people try to sedate their children with antihistamine-type sedatives. Unfortunately, this is not a great solution. Only a really high dose of a sedative will make a child sleep when they don't want to - a higher dose than you would want to give for travel.

Lower doses risk making them irritable and drowsy without being sleepy, potentially making them tired and fractious. Worse than this, once the medication wears off they tend to suffer from a 'rebound' agitation which may make them irritable, upset and shaky.

Do what your baby does

The preparations above for jet lag only work if you are free to do them. If you are working around a baby or toddler when you are travelling you will need to try to rest when they rest, and accept the need to be awake when they are awake.

You can help yourself by preparing, as much as you can, before you travel, using others to help you get the sleep you need to try to adjust in advance to the new time zone.

Helping your baby adjust to a new time zone

When you reach your destination and your child is wide awake, give them breakfast. Their jet lag is telling them it is time for breakfast and you won't be able to convince them otherwise.

Accept that you can't sleep and, if you are tired, just try to be as restful as possible. Read favourite books, give them a warm bath, try not to overstimulate them, but to relax them. Eventually they will need to sleep, but they may hold out longer than you thought possible.

After an interval of 2-3 hours, if they are calm, fed and happy, try a bedtime routine again - pyjamas, quiet and darkness may all signal to your baby or toddler than it's time to sleep. If they sleep then sleep yourself, and try to make sure nobody disturbs them until they've slept it off.

See also the separate leaflet called Travelling to Remote Locations for further advice on travelling with young children .

Dr Mary Lowth is an author or the original author of this leaflet.

Further reading and references

• Doane LD, Kremen WS, Eaves LJ, et al ; Associations between jet lag and cortisol diurnal rhythms after domestic travel. Health Psychol. 2010 Mar;29(2):117-23. doi: 10.1037/a0017865.
• Eastman CI, Burgess HJ ; How To Travel the World Without Jet lag. Sleep Med Clin. 2009 Jun 1;4(2):241-255. doi: 10.1016/j.jsmc.2009.02.006.
• Sleep disorders - shift work and jet lag ; NICE CKS, November 2019 (UK access only)
• Janse van Rensburg DC, Jansen van Rensburg A, Fowler PM, et al ; Managing Travel Fatigue and Jet Lag in Athletes: A Review and Consensus Statement. Sports Med. 2021 Oct;51(10):2029-2050. doi: 10.1007/s40279-021-01502-0. Epub 2021 Jul 14.

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Next review due: 17 Jul 2028

19 jul 2023 | latest version.

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How Long Does Jet Lag Last? It Depends on a Lot

How long does jet lag last?

• The general rule of thumb is that it takes almost a day for every time zone you cross to overcome jet lag, but age, direction of travel, chronotype, the season, and sleep debt can change this.
• Reduce how long you feel jet lag for by getting light at the right times, taking melatonin supplements, and getting enough sleep before and your travel.
• The RISE app can tell you when to get and avoid light, when to take melatonin, and help you lower your sleep debt before, during, and after your travel.

Whether you’re planning a vacation with a long flight or gearing up for a business trip far away, jet lag may be on your mind. You know you’ll probably be hit with daytime grogginess, poor sleep, digestive issues, and low mood for the first part of your trip — and when you first get home, too. But how long exactly should you plan to feel off for? 

The answer is a complicated one. Not only does it depend on how far you travel, which direction you fly in, your individual biology, age, chronotype, and sleep debt all play a part, too. Even the season you fly in can make a difference. 

Below, we’ll explain how long you can expect jet lag to last for, and — more importantly — how you can make it last for as short a time as possible. 

What is Jet Lag?

Jet lag, also called jet lag disorder, is a sleep disorder that happens when you fly across different time zones and your body takes time to catch up. 

For example, if you fly from New York to London, you’re “jumping forward” five hours. It may be midnight in London, but it’s only 7 p.m. in your body, so you’re not tired yet. But then at 8 a.m. it feels like 3 a.m. for you, so you struggle to drag yourself out of bed, or you sleep in late. And the opposite happens when you fly back home. 

You can learn more about what jet lag is here, but here’s a quick explainer to get you up to speed. 

Jet lag is classed as a circadian rhythm sleep disorder as it‘s caused by your body‘s circadian rhythm. This is your internal body clock that runs on a roughly 24 hour cycle and dictates things like when you feel awake and sleepy, when your body temperature fluctuates, and when you produce certain hormones. 

You have one master clock called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), which is found in the hypothalamus region of your brain. The SCN communicates with your body’s internal clocks, which can be found everywhere from your gut to your liver to your adrenal glands. These are called peripheral clocks. 

When you cross time zones, your circadian rhythms take time to catch up and they adjust at different rates. While you adjust, you’ll be hit with the symptoms of jet lag. 

While jet lag is mainly caused by being out of sync with your circadian rhythm, travel fatigue adds to the symptoms too as you easily rack up sleep debt while traveling. Sleep debt is how much sleep you owe your body over the last 14 nights . It’s compared to your sleep need, the individual and genetically determined amount of sleep you need each night. 

You can use the RISE app to find your sleep need, as we don’t all need eight hours , and see how much sleep debt you’re carrying. (More on what to do about that later.)

What Are the Symptoms of Jet Lag?

The symptoms of jet lag include:  

• Sleep problems — such as struggling to fall asleep at night or waking up too early and struggling to get back to sleep. You may also wake up frequently during the night, too. 
• Daytime sleepiness 
• Lowered alertness 
• Loss of concentration
• Appetite loss and feeling hungry at odd times 
• Digestive issues — such as indigestion and constipation  
• Low mood and irritability 
• Poor performance — mentally and physically 

You can learn more about jet lag symptoms here. 

How Long Does Jet Lag Last?

How long jet lag lasts depends on the number of time zones you‘ve crossed. The general rule of thumb is that it takes almost a day for every time zone you cross to overcome jet lag. So, for that New York to London flight we mentioned earlier, you’d be crossing five time zones, so it could take you about five days to adjust. 

However, research in rodents suggests the liver, lungs, and muscles can take nearly six times as long as the SCN to adjust to jet lag. 

Plus, how fast you adjust depends on: 

• Direction of travel 

Chronotype 

• Sleep debt 
• Whether you try any interventions to shorten it  

Let’s dive into what can affect your jet lag recovery time.  

Direction of Travel

In general, it’s easier to adjust after traveling west than traveling east. When traveling west, you’re pushing your sleep-wake cycle backwards. This fits with how most of us are wired. 

The human circadian rhythm isn’t 24 hours long exactly. The average length is slightly longer at 24.2 hours . So, for most of us, it’s easier to adjust to a longer day, by pushing our circadian rhythm back, than a shorter day. 

In fact, your circadian rhythm can move back faster than it can be brought forward. It’s thought the fastest rate of adaption is about half a day per hour of time difference westwards, and a day per hour of time difference eastward. Other research suggests you can adjust 30% to 50% quicker after flying west than flying east. 

It takes older adults longer to adjust to time zone changes and the symptoms of jet lag can feel worse. 

One study compared young men with middle-aged men in a laboratory-created jet lag scenario where their schedules were brought forward six hours. The middle-aged participants reported more trouble sleeping, less alertness, and more weariness and effort needed to do daily tasks than the younger adults. However, the rate of adjustment wasn’t different between the two groups. 

But research into age and jet lag is conflicting. A different study found older participants took longer to get over the sleep disruption and daytime sleepiness caused by jet lag compared to younger people. 

Research also suggests adults over 60 find it harder to recover from jet lag, especially after eastbound flights, because of decreased and irregular melatonin rhythms. (Melatonin is the hormone responsible for priming your body for sleep.) 

Older adults are also thought to be less “phase tolerant,” or their circadian rhythms are less able to handle being out of sync with their sleep-wake times. 

Jet lag treatments might be less effective with age, too. A further study found light exposure in middle-aged participants was less effective at moving their circadian rhythm than it was in younger participants. 

Your chronotype is whether you naturally tend to wake up and go to bed earlier or later, or in other words, whether you’re an early bird or a night owl. 

Morning people have a slightly shorter than 24-hour circadian rhythm and night owls have a longer one. So, extreme morning people may find it easier to adjust to flying east, or bringing their sleep-wake cycle forward. Night owls, on the other hand, may find it easier to adjust after flying west, or pushing their sleep-wake cycle back. 

Most of us sit somewhere in the middle, however, so how quickly we adjust to different travel directions can vary. 

Believe it or not even the season you travel in can impact how long you take to recover from jet lag. That’s because you may land in darkness or in daylight in a destination depending on the season. And light — and getting and avoiding it at the right times — has the power to speed up how quickly you adjust (more on this soon).

One study found day length affected how quickly melatonin cycles adjusted after both westward and eastward flights. After flying west, you’ll get sunlight for longer in the evening in summer compared to winter. And when flying east, you’ll get more sunlight in the morning in summer compared to winter. Therefore, the study found participants’ melatonin rhythms resynchronized faster in summer than in winter for both westward and eastward flights. 

You may find traveling in one direction harder in winter, while traveling in the opposite direction harder in summer. It all depends on when you land and how easy it is to get or avoid light when you need to do so. 

Sleep Debt 

If you’re starting your trip with high sleep debt, you’re more likely to feel the effects of jet lag. Plus, the sleep debt you build up while traveling can add to the symptoms of jet lag, especially low mood . You’ll probably rack up sleep debt when you arrive in your new location, too, as your circadian rhythm keeps you up past a reasonable bedtime, wakes you up too early, or frequently wakes you up in the night. 

If you’re sleep deprived, you’re going to have reduced attention, grogginess, and lower cognitive function — and that’s just to name a few things. These symptoms will linger all the time your sleep debt is high.

Interventions 

You can speed up how long it takes to adjust to your new schedule with the help of zeitgebers. Zeitgebers, which is German for time-givers, are external cues that can synchronize your circadian rhythms to the outside world. These include things like light (the most powerful one), exercise, and meal timing. 

You need to get the timing of these zeitgebers right, however. When done at certain times, they can push back or bring forward your circadian rhythms. 

For example, researchers estimate if you get the timing of light exposure right after landing, you can bring your circadian rhythm forward by 1.5 hours a day and push it back by 2 hours a day. But not only are these numbers estimates, they depend on the person and the timing and intensity of light, too. 

Further research shows those who stayed inside their hotel rooms after their flight, therefore not getting social interaction or sunlight, took four to six days longer to adjust than those who went outside. And a 2017 study in rats showed meal timings can speed up adjustment times.

How Do You Get Over Jet Lag?

Even without interventions, jet lag is usually a short-term problem. But there are some things you can do to reduce jet lag and how long you feel it for. 

You can learn more about how to get over jet lag here, but here are three strategies to start with.

Time Your Light Exposure 

Light is the most powerful zeitgeber and getting the timing of your light exposure right can make or break your jet lag recovery. Aim for natural light whenever possible, but you can also turn to a light box if needed, it’s just not as powerful. 

Here’s what one study recommends when it comes to light exposure and jet lag: 

If flying east: 

• Get light exposure in the second half of the night and early morning according to your old time zone. 
• Avoid light in the early evening and first half half of the night according to your old time zone.  

If flying west: 

• Get light exposure in the early evening and first half half of the night according to your old time zone. 
• Avoid light in the second half of the night and early morning according to your old time zone.  

Getting the timing of light exposure right can be hard while traveling, though. Consider wearing sunglasses if you land during the day and need to avoid light at that time. And an eye mask can block out light while on the plane. 

Bonus tip: Bring the power of light back home with you. Get at least 10 minutes of morning light as soon as possible after waking up to reset your circadian rhythm for the day. Then dim the lights and put on blue-light blocking glasses 90 minutes before bed to help your body produce enough melatonin to sleep soundly. 

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Take Melatonin Supplements

Melatonin is made in your brain and it tells your body bedtime is coming up, so it starts winding down and feeling drowsy. However, when you’re out of sync with your circadian clock, melatonin isn’t secreted at the right time for your new sleep schedule. That’s where melatonin supplements can help. 

Studies show melatonin has the power to bring forward or delay your circadian rhythm, so it can help you set up a new sleep pattern. You can learn more about what melatonin does here.  

Here’s what one study recommends: 

For eastbound flights up to 9 hours long: 

• Prepare before the flight: Take 5 mg of melatonin, wake up earlier, and get bright light exposure.
• Day of the flight: take 5 mg of melatonin at 6 p.m.
• After the flight: take 5 mg at bedtime until adapted, and get 30 minutes of outdoor exercise to help speed up the process. 

For westbound flights up to 9 hours long: 

• Prepare before the flight: Take 1 mg of melatonin after waking up and gradually start waking up later. 
• Day of the flight: 1 mg after waking up. 
• After the flight: Stay up until your new target bedtime and get natural light exposure. Take 1 mg after waking up. 

For flights in either direction that are 10 to 14 hours long: 

• Prepare before the flight: Stay up later and get light exposure. Take 1 mg after waking up.
• Day of the flight: 1 mg after waking up.
• After the flight: 30 mins of outdoor exercise in the morning and afternoon. Take 5 mg at bedtime.

People with health conditions should speak to a health care professional before taking melatonin. Learn more about how much melatonin to take for jet lag here.

Heads-up: Avoid the temptation to reach for over-the-counter sleep aids . While sleeping pills can help you sleep in the moment, they come with side effects, long-term health risks, and they don’t help to move your circadian rhythm like melatonin does. 

Lower Sleep Debt Before Your Trip 

You’ll feel the effects of jet lag more if you’re sleep deprived, and sleep deprivation itself will add to the symptoms. What’s more, strategies to reduce how long jet lag lasts work best in well rested individuals. 

However, it can be hard to meet your sleep need when traveling long distances and catching middle-of-the-night flights. Plus, as jet lag causes difficulty sleeping at appropriate local times, it can cause more sleep debt to build up when you’re in your destination. 

To start from the best place, make a special effort to lower your sleep debt before your flight. RISE can work out how much sleep debt you have and keep track of it as you pay it back. We recommend keeping sleep debt below five hours to improve how you feel and function each day. 

Got more sleep debt than that? You can pay it back by:

• Taking naps: Just be sure to avoid napping too close to bedtime or you risk disturbing your nighttime sleep. RISE can show you the best time to nap for you.
• Going to bed a little earlier
• Sleeping in a little later: Keep this to one or two hours so you don’t mess up your circadian rhythm . 
• Improve sleep hygiene: Sleep hygiene is the set of behaviors you can do throughout the day to help you fall asleep faster and wake up less often in the night, meaning you get more sleep overall. RISE can remind you when to do 20+ sleep hygiene habits. 

Keep track of your sleep debt in your destination, too, and lower it when possible to help you feel better while battling jet lag. When all the traveling is done, you can keep sleep debt low to improve everything from your productivity to your mood back home.

Win the Fight Against Jet Lag 

If you travel far enough, jet lag is an almost inevitable part of air travel. But how long you feel it for depends on everything from your age to your chronotype, your direction of travel to the season. However, there are a few things you can do to speed up your recovery time.

Use RISE to pay down sleep debt to start from a solid foundation. Then get well-timed light exposure and consider taking melatonin supplements. All this should help cut down the time it takes for your circadian rhythms to adjust to the new time zone.  

Get all of your jet lag questions answered:

• What is jet lag? Symptoms, causes, and treatments
• How to get over jet lag: 12 science-based tips
• Jet lag symptoms: what they are and why they happen
• Is social jet lag dragging you down? Here's how to combat it
• The extra hour from the Fall time change may mean less sleep
• Spring daylight savings time: it's worse for you than you think
• Are your sleep problems due to a circadian rhythm disorder?

Summary FAQs

How do i get rid of jet lag.

You can’t cure jet lag, but you can reduce how long it takes to get over it with well-timed light exposure, exercise, and meals, as well as taking melatonin supplements and starting with low sleep debt. 

How do you feel when you have jet lag?

When you have jet lag, you may feel daytime tiredness and have low mood, loss of appetite, stomach problems, and reduced performance, mentally and physically.

Can jet lag last 3 weeks?

Depending on things like how far you’ve flown, the direction of travel, your age, and your chronotype, jet lag can last from a few days to a few weeks. High sleep debt may be causing feelings of jet lag three weeks after your flight, though. 

Jet Lag Calculator

Working out how long jet lag lasts depends on things like how many time zones you’ve crossed, your direction of travel, your age, your chronotype, and whether you try any interventions. While jet lag calculators do exist, they tend to only look at how many time zones you’re crossing, so they’re not always accurate. However, they can be helpful as a starting point. You can check out jet lag calculators from Sleepopolis, British Airways, and Timeshifter.

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The Scientific Secrets to Preventing Jet Lag

T raveling abroad can be exhilarating. But sometimes it’s easy to discount the crippling jet leg that can set in after traversing multiple time zones—leaving you exhausted, disoriented and possibly causing you to miss out on your vacation.

Jet lag is “something that can ruin a vacation or plague athletes and musicians or have a businessman or woman not perform at their peak,” explains Charmane Eastman, a professor in the Department of Behavioral Sciences and the founding director of the Biological Rhythms Research Laboratory at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

The number of passengers flying internationally in 2017 reached an all-time annual high, with 107.7 million people—up 3.5% from the previous high reached in 2016, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation . That means, more people are likely suffering from jet lag .

But whether you’re flying cross country or halfway across the globe, there are ways to protect yourself. Here, experts reveal the science behind that all-too pesky jet lag—and the secrets to outsmarting it.

The science behind jet lag

Jet lag occurs when the brain cells that regulate our circadian rhythms—which serve as our bodies’ master clock telling us when to wake up, eat or sleep—are out of sync with the time zone we are in, says Jamie Zeitzer, an assistant professor at Stanford University’s Center for Sleep Sciences and Medicine.

Jet lag sets in when you ask your body “to sleep, eat, and be awake at the wrong times according to your internal circadian body clock, times when your body is not ready to handle these activities,” Eastman says. This results in a conflict between the mind and body. And the discord between what your body thinks it should be doing—like sleeping—and what you want it to be doing—like touring a foreign city—can result in a number of physical ailments.

Jet lag can lead to “difficulty sleeping, indigestion, daytime fatigue, reduced mental and physical performance, and impaired immune function,” says Zeitzer. It tends to be worse when you travel across time zones—and the more time zones you cross, the worse it gets. Jet lag may also be more severe when you’re flying east, than when you’re flying west, according to a 2016 study conducted by researchers at the University of Maryland. That’s because our internal clock doesn’t appear to operate on a 24-hour schedule. Instead, researchers believe it’s around 24.5 hours—meaning it’s easier to extend the length of people’s day by flying west across time zones, than shorten it when they fly east.

While jet lag can feel like a nuisance, the impact on the human body is real and frequent flyers can experience long-term health risks, too—like an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, and even cancer, according to a 2009 study co-conducted by Eastman and published in Sleep Medicine Clinics. And it tends to get worse as you get older, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine .

How to overcome jet lag

Jet lag does eventually dissipate as your internal clock resets to the new time zone you’re in, but sometimes it can take your body too long to adjust. Luckily, there are ways to mitigate jet lag —and even prevent it entirely. But it does take some work.

“The best way to alleviate jet lag is to obtain proper light exposure, which will realign your internal circadian clock to your new time zone,” says Zeitzer. “In general, you want to get morning light exposure, and avoid evening light exposure when travelling eastward, and the opposite when travelling westward.”

Another trick, according to Eastman, is to gradually shift your circadian clock to the new time zone a few days before flying . This is done by changing when your body is exposed to light and when it is exposed to darkness “to trick your circadian clock into thinking that day and night have changed,” she says. She suggests changing the time of light and dark gradually by one to two hours each day depending on the direction you are flying in.

If you are flying from Dallas to London, for example, you’ll be facing a six-hour time difference. To get ahead of the jet lag, Eastman suggests gradually shifting your body to London time while you are still in Dallas. That means going to bed an hour earlier each night and waking up an hour earlier each morning for six days before your trip. To help your body transition to the new time zone, she suggests using bright lights, like the special light boxes they sell to treat winter depression (also known as Seasonal Affected Disorder or SAD), to keep you awake and alert, and sleeping in a dark room to help you doze off more easily.

But Eastman admits it can be difficult for people to implement this into their life. “People with full-time jobs with fixed hours or with young children have more difficulty changing their schedules before flying,” she notes.

If drastically shifting your schedule isn’t an option, there are other ways to alleviate the symptoms of jet lag. Zeitzer suggests staying well-hydrated because dehydration can exacerbate symptoms of jet lag. She also advises on skipping alcohol on the flight and before bedtime as it can disrupt sleep . Once on the ground, exercise can help travelers stay awake. Zeitzer says it’s also a good idea to avoid foods that might otherwise cause indigestion, because jet lag can cause stomach upset .

Changing your meals to eat on a local schedule can alleviate some of the symptoms, too, researchers from the University of Surrey found in a 2018 study . For instance, if you are flying from the East Coast of the U.S. to Portugal, try and eat closer to the time you would in Portugal so your body can begin to shift the circadian rhythm that indicates when it thinks it needs to eat, the study says.

Melatonin—a naturally occurring hormone that works with circadian rhythms—can also help combat jet lag, but in smaller doses and when taken earlier than most people consume the over-the-counter supplement, according to Eastman. In her academic paper, “ How To Travel the World Without Jet Lag,” Eastman suggests taking one to three milligrams of melatonin two hours before your desired bedtime, rather than in large doses right as you crawl into bed. Because melatonin isn’t technically a sleep aid, but rather, a hormone that scientists think signals darkness, Eastman says taking it earlier and in smaller doses will be more effective. And of course, as with any medication or supplement, she says, consult your doctor before taking it.

And while jet lag is an exhausting byproduct of flying around the world , experts says they are living proof that it is possible to outsmart it. “What kind of an expert on jet lag would I be if I arrived at a scientific meeting with jet lag?,” Eastman says.

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Is jet lag worse when flying east or west?

Feb 23, 2020 • 6 min read

Jet lag can be a major impediment when travelling long distances – but is it worse in different parts of the world, or moving to and from particular time zones?

Jet lag is the bane of longhaul travel: waking up in the middle of the night, needing to be asleep when it’s time to go do things (or go to work), and just feeling altogether exhausted, whether you’re at your destination or back at home.

So, it’s no surprise that one of the questions I’m asked as an aviation journalist and someone who travels regularly is ‘which kind of jet lag is worse: flying east or west?’

The answer can be pretty complicated and depends on several different — and often conflicting — factors, but understanding them and how they work together can help you minimise the effects of the dreaded jet lag. 

Read more:  What are the scientifically proven ways to combat jet lag?

Overall, based on my own experience and talking to a lot of other frequent flyers, it seems like about three quarters of people find eastbound jet lag, when you can’t fall asleep at the normal time and find waking up really hard, worse than westbound jet lag, when you’re falling asleep in the early evening but waking up correspondingly early in the mornings.

However, there’s a minority of folks — that tend, it seems, towards being early birds rather than the night owls among my acquaintance — who find westbound jet lag worse than eastbound. Why? Well, it really depends on a range of factors. Let’s take a look. 

The number of time zones and length of the flight are crucial

The first factor might be obvious: the number of time zones you’ll cross. I always say that the worst is 5-7 time zones eastbound. Any less and my body clock usually adjusts because it thinks I’ve had a late night or early morning. Any more than that and everything’s so upended that my body clock does a full reboot.

The first is how many hours you’ll spend in the air (and how many hours there are on the longest flight if you’re connecting). As a rule, I find anything less than five hours is just fine, unless it’s a red eye: the kind of flight that leaves very late at night and arrives very early in the morning, giving you just a few hours of sleep. 

Read more:  Fight jet lag with this incredible app developed alongside NASA scientists

Between five and nine hours is where it gets a bit gross, because it’s hard to squeeze in enough sleep at a time when your body is ready for it. Anything between about nine and 14 hours is definitely long enough for a proper sleep as well as the relevant meals, while more than fourteen is up into ultra-longhaul territory where I end up so exhausted that my body ends up in full reset mode.

There’s also how much north-south versus east-west your route is going. For example, I often find flights going from, say, Hong Kong to New Zealand is less jet lag-inducing than a similar length of flight from Europe to Japan because more of the flight time is taken up by going north-south and thus you’re crossing fewer time zones. 

Connections, the north-south factor and the overnight factors are also key

Jet lag can also be affected by where and when you plan any connections in your journey.

As a rule, I find that I’m less jet lagged (and all around less exhausted) when I make a connection early in the trip rather than later, to give myself a short flight and then a longer one. I reckon it’s because if I’m tired out before I get on my last flight then I’ll conk out and get deeper — and hopefully better — sleep.

Fortunately, while you can’t control what time zone a country is in, you can often control where and when your connection is, especially with the growth of the large airline alliances, and choose different options in each direction.

Jet lag also depends on whether you’re flying overnight. There are a couple of schools of thought here, and if you’re on holiday you might not want to lose a day to travel and prefer to travel overnight, but myself and a lot of my friends in aviation prefer to take those rare morning flights from the US east coast to Europe, for example, if we don’t have to connect the same day. It’s a short day, but that’s less jet lag-inducing than a short night, I find. 

Read more:  Ask Lonely Planet: 'How can I beat jet lag when I travel frequently for work?'

If you do have to take an overnight flight, make sure you check what time it departs. There are a range of flights from New York to London departing between around 6pm and 11pm, which arrive at between 6am and 11am the next morning, taking about six hours and adding five hours of time difference.

I find that if I’m on a 6pm departure I never sleep: on the ground I tend to hit the hay around 11pm if I’m being good, which is about the time in the flight that the crew are waking everyone up for a delicious breakfast of orange juice and a croissant.

If I’m on the 11pm departure, then it’s straight to Bedfordshire after takeoff and it feels like I’m just having a very early morning the next day. And, top tip: bring a sandwich and eat it in the terminal, or buy something there, so you can go directly to sleep without waiting for your airplane food on departure.

So which are the worst flights for jet lag?

There are a few popular contenders for the world’s worst jet lag routes, and they’re pretty much all red eyes.

One contender is the high-volume set of routes from the close end of the US east coast to the western end of Europe, which really comprises anything in an arc like Washington to London, New York to Paris , Boston to Frankfurt , or even Chicago to Dublin . (Aer Lingus is great in terms of efficiency and often price, but my goodness those short overnights to Dublin are especially brutal on the jet lag, particularly if winter tailwinds speed you on your way.)  

Read more:  How I survived 30 hours of travel (without losing my mind)

Another contender are overnight flights within the US , whether that’s some of the growing number of very late departures travelling across half the country or the diagonally-drawn flights known as 'diagcon', like 'transcon' from 'transcontinental', but from (say) the Pacific Northwest to Florida .

The overnight routes from Perth to Australia ’s east coast, especially Sydney and Brisbane at just about four hours, are also pretty brutal. That’s not enough time for sleep in anyone’s book. 

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Expert tips for surviving a long flight in economy class and avoiding jet lag

S itting in a pressurized aluminum tube for hours at a time takes a heavy toll on your body. So how do the pros survive a long flight in economy class? And how do they avoid jet lag?

Here’s how Akshay Nanavati does it: First, he drinks water — lots of water — to stay hydrated. Second, he stays up the night before his flight and brings an eye mask so that he can sleep on the plane. That helps him adjust to new time zones faster.

His lesson came at a price. Nanavati recently flew from New York to Bangalore — an 18-hour trip — and when he got there, he was wiped out. He hadn’t prepared and ordered a few Bloody Marys, which severely dehydrated him.

“I arrived in India groggy,” recalls Nanavati, a consultant based in Basking Ridge, N.J. “I couldn’t work or spend quality time with my family for two full days.”

Taking a long flight in economy class? Here’s what you’re up against

Surviving a long-haul flight in economy class isn’t easy. Potential side effects include dehydration, feeling sick from high altitude , fatigue and an increased risk of deep vein thrombosis, a potentially fatal condition. And we are all spending more time on planes. Numerous surveys suggest that post-pandemic, Americans are traveling farther than ever. There’s one main thing you can do to ensure your survival — I’ll get to that in a minute.

New research conducted by the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Center has taken an interdisciplinary approach to preventing the fatigue associated with marathon flights. Scientists are reviewing issues including nutrition, physical activity and sleep, hoping to help travelers avoid reactions like Nanavati’s.

Preliminary results suggest that a combination of exercise and eating comfort foods at the right time can prevent the most serious jet lag.

The project is a collaboration with Qantas, which is using the results to develop a new approach to long-haul travel ahead of its ultra-long-haul flights between Sydney and New York and London.

“We’re developing a suite of interventions and services that support health and wellness in the air and assist in shifting body clocks to ease the effects of jet lag,” says Perkins Center Academic Director Stephen Simpson. 

Passengers need more room to survive a long-haul flight in economy class

Of course, one of the easiest ways to avoid jet lag — and lessen the risk of deep vein thrombosis — is to offer passengers a reasonable amount of personal space. In an effort to squeeze more people onto planes, airlines have reduced the amount of legroom, a step that passenger advocates say can increase the likelihood of blood clots.

Philip Capps, the head of customer product and service development at Qantas, says the carrier’s long-haul aircraft have been designed to maximize comfort. 

“In business class, for example, the seats are laid out in a 1-2-1 configuration so that every passenger has direct aisle access,” he says. And economy class passengers will get 32 inches of seat pitch — a rough measure of legroom — compared with the Airbus A380’s 31 inches.

That’s a little better, but let’s be honest: 32 inches of seat pitch is still four inches shy of the old economy class. It’s a blood clot waiting to happen .

But how do you get through a whole day in economy class?

Spending more than 12 hours on a plane is a mind game, says LaVonne Markus, a travel agent with Travel Leaders in Stillwater, Minn. 

“You have to accept that it will be a long flight,” she says

I interviewed dozens of frequent fliers to find out how they managed to get through long flights and avoid jet lag. Here’s what they told me.

Choose the right airline

If you’re taking a long flight, don’t cut corners. On a recent trip from Madrid to Buenos Aires on a discount European airline that shall remain nameless, they tried to sell us bottled water and breakfast at the end of a 13-hour flight. I’m surprised the passengers didn’t mutiny. 

Your best bet is a seat on one of the Gulf carriers (Emirates, Etihad or Qatar Airways) or an airline specializing in long-haul flights, like Air New Zealand or Qantas. 

For example, Air New Zealand researched long-haul flying for five years, which led it to update its cabin with dynamic lighting to help reset your circadian rhythm. It also added a special cooling pillow for business class passengers developed by NASA. 

The airport in Doha, Qatar, has shopping, restaurants and an indoor green space that’s in a class by itself. Ian Bradley, a spokesman for Qatar Airways , says even economy class is a premium product. 

“For us, it comes down to common sense — giving passengers enough legroom, in-flight entertainment and amenity kits,” he says. 

Avoid all connections when you travel long distances

That’s the advice of Scott Jordan, a frequent traveler who runs a clothing company in Sun Valley, Idaho. He had just one connection on his recent flight from Salt Lake City to Johannesburg. 

“I slept most of the way,” he says. But on his return, he had multiple connections and delays, which left him exhausted. “The fewer connections,” he adds, “the better.” 

Dress the part

Wear loose clothing and bring a neck pillow, eye mask and noise-canceling headphones for a long flight. I prefer in-ear headphones (I use Sony’s WF-1000XM4, which also has excellent sound quality). 

Experienced air travelers say you should choose what you wear carefully to avoid jet lag. Take eye masks, for example. 

“Regular eye masks are not satisfactory,” says Nick H. Kamboj, CEO of a college admissions consulting company based in Chicago. “Choose an eye mask that leaves enough room for the eye and cushions your eye socket.”

Don’t stop drinking

You know the advice to stay hydrated on a plane? Make that a double on a long-haul flight, say experts. 

“Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate,” says Bob Bacheler, managing director of Flying Angels , a medical transport service. “And when you are done with that, hydrate more.” 

To avoid jet lag, Kylie Loyd, a travel advisor with Drift Destinations and a frequent traveler to Asia, doesn’t stop drinking on a plane. 

“I always bring a large water bottle with me to stay hydrated,” she says. “If you need more, never hesitate to ask a flight attendant. I bring my own tea bags — chamomile for when I’m trying to sleep or green tea for when I’m trying to stay awake.” Oh, and never, ever drink alcohol. On a long flight, it’s poison. 

Remember the compression socks

Your risk of developing deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is significantly higher on long-haul flights. Not moving for more than 10 hours can cause a deadly blood clot. 

Camille Yeager, a travel advisor with Travel Leaders Network , recalls it happening to one of her young clients recently. She spent the next few months on medication. 

“Today, I won’t fly anywhere without compression socks,” she says. 

Pro tip: Take a blood thinner before your flight. Ed Horenburger, who frequently flies from the United States to China, says his doctor recommended aspirin.

“Thinning the blood a little will go a long way in preventing a blood clot,” he says.

Treat your jet lag before it becomes a problem

Transmeridian travel really wipes you out. On an ultra long-haul flight from Houston to Perth — a 14-hour time difference — I tried a new method for handling jet lag called FlyKitt, developed by a company called Fount. It uses an iPhone app, patented supplements and light-filtering glasses to adjust you to the new time zone quickly. Andrew Herr, Fount’s CEO, says the technology came from his work with Navy SEALs, where he discovered that the pressure change in flight causes inflammation.

 “If you stop that, you can rapidly shift your circadian rhythm,” he explained. 

I have to admit, I was a little skeptical. The app tells you when to sleep and when to take the pills, and I didn’t always follow the directions exactly, especially on the last leg of my flight from Doha to Perth, when I wasn’t supposed to sleep but did. Sure enough, I woke up early the next morning and had no jet lag.

Staying up late is only half the solution, says Topher Morrison, an education consultant in Tampa who travels frequently. 

“Don’t follow the flight feeding schedule,” he says. “Follow the landing’s feeding schedule.” In other words, if you’re flying to Sydney, have lunch when it’s lunchtime in Sydney — even if it means getting up in the middle of the night to eat.

And whatever you do on a long flight, move!

If you’re in economy class, you’ll be sitting in an upright position for hours at a time. 

“Get up and move,” advises Jeremy Smith, a spine surgeon at Hoag Orthopedic Institute in Irvine, Calif. Smith says you should give your body a break by standing up every 30 to 45 minutes. And don’t forget to bring a comfortable travel pillow for neck support.

In fact, if you do only one thing on your next long-haul flight, make sure you move, survivors like Kelly Merritt say. I use the term “survivor” literally. After a series of lengthy flights, she developed a pulmonary embolism that nearly killed her. She says her physician told her that flying was a contributing factor.

“It’s critical for travelers on long-haul flights to stay active during all aspects of the flight,” says Merritt, an author who lives in Pilot Mountain, N.C. “This can mean wiggling your feet and toes, getting up to walk around, anything that keeps the blood from pooling in your feet.”

Until science comes through with a workaround, this may be the best advice of all. If you want to survive, move.

I visited Aspen, the most expensive vacation destination in America, for the first time. Here are 13 things that surprised me.

• At the start of the 2021 ski season, I visited one of the US' most expensive ski towns: Aspen, Colorado.
• Aspen is a luxury playground for the rich and famous where property sells for $8,000 a square foot.
•  After spending a few days here, I thought it lived up to its wealthy reputation.

Nestled in Colorado's Rocky Mountains, Aspen is a small ski town known for vacationers with big budgets.

In April 2024, Travel and Leisure published the findings from an OptimosTravel study , which analyzed the cost of vacationing in more than 100 US vacation spots. At the top of the list was Aspen, with vacationers spending an average of $761.39 per person per day in the town. 

And it's not the first time Aspen has made its mark as an expensive place to live and vacation. In 2022, Aspen was the world's most expensive ski town based on the listing price for prime ski property, according to Engel & Völkers , a global real-estate company. In 2023, the ski outlet SnowBrains named Aspen the most expensive ski town in the US. 

Each winter, celebrities flock to the town to show off designer ski gear on the town's snowy slopes. I joined them in December 2021 and gained a taste of the town's lavish lifestyle. 

At the start of the 2021 ski season, I headed to Aspen, where I discovered coffee shops selling prosecco and dog food on room-service menus. It added to the luxury and charm of Aspen, but I also found some surprisingly affordable things, too.

By the end of my trip, I learned that luxury is all in the details . It's when your hotel room has real plants instead of fake ones and when restaurants opt for cloth napkins over paper.

Those tiny elements cast a surprising spotlight on how Aspen had become such an expensive place to live and vacation. Here are the things that shocked me the most.

I grew up in Florida, so it may just be my roots showing, but I didn't expect people to be walking around the town in designer ski boots with skis perched on their shoulders.

As I booked my trip, I noticed that many hotels advertised themselves as ski-in, ski-out. I'd never skied before the trip, so I hadn't realized how literal that term was until I visited Aspen.

From my hotel room, I could walk just a few hundred feet and be at the base of Aspen Mountain, where I'd have access to 87 ski trails.

But even if people weren't staying in a ski-in, ski-out accommodation, they still seemed to be trekking across the town in their ski gear. Everywhere I looked in Aspen, people were heading to the lifts in their ski boots or were just off the slopes and biking home with their snowboards in tow.

Most of my waiters and waitresses could casually list off celebrities they said they'd met.

Celebrities flock to Aspen each winter, but I was surprised at how willing and eager restaurant servers were to share their celebrity sightings.

At the White House Tavern , one waitress told me she sent the musician Leon Bridges to the bar and mentioned Dua Lipa had recently stopped by for a meal.

At Ajax Tavern , our waiter said he'd seen A-listers, including Neil Patrick Harris, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Katy Perry.

"In the winter, you're going to see celebrities every day," my waitress at the sushi restaurant Matsuhisa casually mentioned.

I knew to expect mansions, but touring Aspen's real estate gave me an entirely new look into how billionaires live.

During my trip, I met up with three real-estate agents who took me inside mansions listed between $27 million and $51 million. 

I quickly learned that seeing an online listing for $44.5 million is entirely different than stepping inside a house priced that high.

In Aspen Park , I toured a sprawling 15,000-square-foot home listed by agent Carrie Wells. Inside the primary bedroom was an oxygen system that pumps air into the room to mimic different sea levels and reduce the effects of altitude sickness — a luxury that I didn't even know existed. 

At The Peak House , Compass real-estate agent Heidi Houston walked me through a mansion listed for $45 million. One unique feature of the home was a secret bedroom and passageway that was built for the original owner's mistress .

These were amenities I couldn't dream of having in my own home. 

I was shocked to find a coffee shop's fridge stocked with prosecco.

I was surprised to see miniature bottles of the bubbly next to cold-brew cans and coconut water in a coffee shop.

The shop also stocked orange juice, so, in theory, customers could make their own mimosas before the café closed at 2 p.m.

Other stores with luxe offerings also surprised me. For example, I popped into a store that sold cannabis next to $92,000 jewelry.

I knew designer stores would fill Aspen's streets. I expected to stumble into Gucci, Prada, and Louis Vuitton, but I didn't expect to find such ritzy dispensaries .

Then, I went to Dalwhinnie Farms. The dispensary calls itself a "boutique," and alongside rows of cannabis flower and pre-rolled joints are crystal glassware, cashmere, leather, and jewelry. 

The dispensary was far from what I'm familiar with in my current home in Denver. There weren't any barred windows, weed-themed puns, or neon lights. Instead, it was elegant and seamlessly fit in with the designer brands that sandwiched the storefront.

Overall, it seemed as if Aspen took special care with its outdoor amenities. Water fountains and bicycle stations were covered for the winter season, which I'd never seen before.

I'd never seen a town protect its water fountains and bicycle stations the way Aspen does in the winter.

I'm more familiar with winter in New York City , where you can rent Citi Bikes year-round and Central Park's water fountains end up covered in snow.

In Aspen, the bicycle rideshares close, the bikes are stored away, and plastic covers are placed on the docking stations.

The same goes for the water fountains. Each water station I saw in Aspen had a snug cover protecting it from the colder temps.

Even the tiny, free libraries dotting the town felt like an upgrade, with hard-to-find New York Times bestsellers there for the taking.

I'm used to seeing Free Little Libraries, which are like mailboxes filled with free books, across my neighborhood in Denver. But I'm not used to them being filled with books that have sat on my Goodreads wish list for months.

After peeking inside the free library, I saw a copy of "The Vanishing Half," a book that's topped The New York Times bestseller list .

Any book that popular would be gone in a free library in Denver in minutes, I thought. 

Art galleries filled nearly every street in the town.

A few Aspen locals gushed to me about how their town was known for so much more than skiing.

They bragged about the Aspen Art Museum's exhibit on Andy Warhol and listed off the small galleries filling practically every town block.

While Aspen is known for its nature, I was surprised to discover an equally strong emphasis on the arts.

I didn't expect there to be so much focus on food in Aspen, but my list of restaurant recommendations was long enough to last a season.

No matter who I spoke with as I explored Aspen, everyone seemed to know every restaurant in town, whether it was a luxury real-estate agent or a bellhop. 

And almost every local I spoke with had a favorite.

I was urged to go to Clark's for seafood and told Steak House No. 316 served the best steak. A trip to Aspen wouldn't be complete without tasting sushi from Matsuhisa or having the wagyu burger at Ajax Tavern , I was told.

Food was clearly a significant part of the Aspen experience , I quickly learned.

While I wasn't surprised to see dogs in designer outfits walking the brick streets of Aspen, I was shocked to find dog food on a hotel menu.

As my stomach growled on my first night in Aspen, I eyed the room-service menu at my hotel, the five-star Little Nell .

A $21 French toast and a $25 Cobb salad were available and priced as expected, but there was also food available for four-legged friends. The menu advertised "Canine Delights Daily, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m."

The meals, which were served in dog-friendly bowls, included carrots, brown rice, scrambled eggs, and the owner's choice of protein and cost $19.

Though I expected pricey meals, I also discovered some affordable eats.

Within minutes after I arrived in Aspen, a sign advertising $8 burgers lured me into Aspen Pie Shop, a restaurant selling pizza, burgers, and sandwiches. 

I enjoyed a $6 slice of pizza knowing that Aspen isn't just home to $25 entreés and $20 cocktails was a relief.

While the Aspen Pie Shop has since closed, later during my trip and on future trips, I've continued to find affordable eats such as a $9 sub or an $8 shot-and-beer drink deal.

Groceries also seemed to be reasonably priced.

My friend tagged along for the trip, and on our first night, we walked over to City Market, a part of the Kroger grocery chain, to grab a few snacks and breakfast items for the week. 

We expected Aspen's groceries to be pricier than we were used to in Denver, but the prices were surprisingly comparable to what I buy back home at King Soopers, another Kroger chain.

For example, I often spend more than $1.25 per avocado and a $1 onion didn't catch me off guard. Other snacks, like chips and pretzels, felt similarly priced as well.

After a day in Aspen, I realized why the town felt so quaint. No building was higher than six stories, making way for stunning views.

I spent my first day in Aspen debating whether it was the snowy slopes or brick sidewalks that gave the town its charming appeal. 

Then I realized it was the lack of skyscrapers — or really any tall building for that matter. I noticed that the vast majority of buildings in Aspen were just two or three stories high, and as a result, I always had unobstructed views of the sky and mountains.

I left the ski town with a new sense of how the rich and famous vacation and live. But even after stepping into a luxe dispensary and touring a $45 million mansion, I left confident that the everyday traveler can visit Aspen, too.

From food to real estate, my trip to Aspen was filled with luxury surprises around every corner. 

I left the ritzy ski town aware that it isn't a cheap place to vacation but that it's also surprisingly not unattainable for the everyday traveler like me.

Between affordable beer-and-shot combos, meal planning, and cheap pizza slices, I'd happily plan a trip back — although I likely won't be able to afford a hotel that offers canine delights on its room-service menu.

• Main content

No cuts: Proposed bill could change skipping the security line at the airport

CA SB 1372 is aimed at third-party vendors like CLEAR.

California lawmakers have pushed forward a new piece of legislation aimed at changing the way third-party security screening companies like CLEAR help expedite customers through security at the airport .

An annual CLEAR membership that costs $189 allows travelers to skip the onerous security lines and instead verify their identity with biometric data at a kiosk, then get escorted by an agent to the front of the line bypassing TSA and TSA PreCheck.

But California Senate Bill 1372, which passed 8-4 in the Senate Transportation Committee on Tuesday, would ban CLEAR from expanding at California airports unless the security company utilizes its own dedicated security lines.

"This bill would prohibit a public airport that provides commercial services, beginning January 1, 2025, from entering into a new agreement that authorizes a private third-party vendor that provides expedited security screening to use the standard security lane or the Transportation Security Administration PreCheck security lane," a summary of the bill states .

CLEAR currently operates at nine airports in the Golden State.

The first-of-its-kind bill in the U.S. was introduced by Democratic state Sen. Josh Newman. It now moves to the Senate Appropriations Committee, after which the bill could be brought for a vote before the full California Senate and state assembly before potentially making it to Gov. Gavin Newsom's desk.

In a press release on his official website, Newman described the proposed bill as offering "a more equitable experience at airport security checkpoints."

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"Despite what some have said, SB 1372 doesn't seek to terminate the CLEAR concierge service at California airports. Instead, it seeks to have CLEAR and other third-party screening services operate separate lines for subscribers, eliminating the friction and frustration created by the current system," Newman clarified in a written statement.

The bill has several opponents including the California Chamber Of Commerce and California Travel Association, and major airline carriers including Alaska Airlines, Delta Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue and Southwest Airlines.

The publicly traded expedited screening service provider, which was founded in 2010, is in use at more than 55 airports across the U.S., as well as sports stadiums and other large venues.

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Saguaro National Park offers travelers an iconic slice of the Southwest

Get your camera ready for Saguaro National Park .

The park is home to the tallest cactus species in the country and a symbol of the Southwest, the saguaro, They’re particularly concentrated in the west district of the park, just outside Tuscon, Arizona.

“We like to call that one the Instagram side because you can literally go anywhere in the park, and there will be at least two or three dozen saguaros in the background of your photo,” said Cam Juárez, Community Engagement and Outreach coordinator and public information officer at the park.   

Here’s what else travelers will find at Saguaro, the latest national park in USA TODAY’s yearlong series .

Why is Saguaro National Park worth seeing?

“Saguaros are super special because they only exist in this part of the world the way they do,” said Juárez. “You can visit certain parts of Mexico, you can visit certain parts of central Arizona, but you’re never going to see them the way you see them here.”

They’re not the only scenic beauties in the biodiverse park. 

“Our peaks are in the neighborhood of around 9,000 feet,” Juárez said. Visitors can find aspen, pine and fir trees in its sky islands. “As you climb every few 100 feet down in elevation, you're experiencing different biomes all the way down to grasslands, to desert shrub, to basically just what you would imagine a desert to look like.”

Which side is better for Saguaro National Park?

The park is divided into east and west districts, which bookend Tucson. Tucson International is the closest airport.

“My favorite is the west district, just because I love seeing the saguaro. You're going to have 2 million, versus maybe a quarter million saguaros on the east side,” Juárez said. “But if you're a backcountry hiker and you want to hike long distances, the east district, Rincon Mountain District, is definitely better.” 

He noted the Arizona Trail , from the U.S.-Mexico border up to the Grand Canyon, goes right through the east district. 

Can I drive in Saguaro National Park?

Yes. There is a $25 vehicle entry fee for the park, which is cashless. 

Visitors can purchase passes online at Recreation.gov or at a park kiosk using a debit or credit card.

How long does it take to go through Saguaro National Park?

You could visit both sides of the park in one day but may be better off with two.

“If you only have one day, definitely take the Cactus Forest loop ,” Juárez recommended. Cactus Forest Drive is a scenic 8-mile roadway in the east district. The west district has a 5-mile Bajada Loop Drive.

What is the best time to visit Saguaro National Park?

Juárez called October and mid-November magical. That’s just before the park’s busiest time of year, which he said runs from after Thanksgiving through April.

“Two times a year, we see a lot of rainstorms,” he added. “We have our traditional summer monsoons, and we have our winter rains. As a bimodal desert, you're going to see different blossoms at different times of the year.”

He said monsoons amplify the park’s already magnificent sunsets.

“The different colors of red and yellows and golds, coupled with purple skies, it's just everything that you see on postcards,” he said. “It just comes alive.”

What does the saguaro mean to Native Americans?

“The Tohono O’odham have a very special relationship with the park. Their whole culture revolves around the saguaro cactus, or as they call it, the Ha:san ,” Juárez said. Tribal members may harvest the fruit for traditional uses with a special permit through the Interior Department and National Park Service. “The fruit is harvested as part of their traditional medicine, their traditional foods. A lot of ceremonial wines come from that.”

He said other tribes tied to the land include Pascua Yaqui Tribe and Gila River Indian Community .

What else should visitors know about Saguaro?

“I would love for people to know that Saguaro National Park is making a concerted effort to be conscientious of the fact that the representation matters,” Juárez said. “ Friends of Saguaro National Park , in conjunction with our team here, developed what's called the Next Generation Ranger program, and it's not just a paid internship. It's an opportunity for (interns) to gain experience and gain what's called the Public Land Corps credit opportunity, which will help us diversify not just race and ethnicity but also ability and gender …  so when you walk into Saguaro National Park, you're going to run into very knowledgeable, very experienced, diverse young people that are matching our country's identity.”

Nearly 45% of the Tucson population is of Hispanic or Latino heritage, according to the U.S. Census . Several park staffers speak Spanish, including Juárez. 

“It comes in handy because we're not just talking our friends to the south. We're talking all the way down to Central America and South America that are visiting national parks,” he said, adding that sometimes they’ll welcome visitors in Spanish. “You should see the look on people's faces. They're like, ‘Wow, you speak my language.’ I encourage all of my coworkers and staff people to make it a point to try to at least learn how to say welcome and hello in different languages.”

National parks for every body: How to make the outdoors more accessible

The park is also making a concerted effort to welcome guests of all abilities. Both districts offer a variety of accommodations, including accessible trails , braille and large-text versions of the park brochure, touchable exhibits, captioned programs and more.

“I definitely am an active voice, as a person with a physical disability, that says we can't just give folks a smidgen of what able-bodied individuals can get,” Juárez said. “We should make a very concerted effort to expand on everything we've done so far.”

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• Transport planning

National Travel Survey mid-year estimates

The survey collects information on how, why, when and where people travel. The mid-year estimates provide faster indicators for key tables.

National Travel Survey mid-year data tables

The mid-year estimates provide faster indicators for key tables and include data for 12-month periods from July to June.

NTSMY0101: Trips, distance travelled and time taken: England, year ending June 2023 ( ODS , 7.24 KB )

NTSMY0303: Average number of trips, stages, miles and time spent travelling by mode: England, year ending June 2023 ( ODS , 12.4 KB )

NTSMY0403: Average number of trips, miles and time spent travelling by trip purpose: England, year ending June 2023 ( ODS , 11.7 KB )

NTSMY0409: Average number of trips and distance travelled by purpose and main mode: England, year ending June 2023 ( ODS , 13.4 KB )

NTSMY0601: Average number of trips, stages and distance travelled by sex, age and mode: England, year ending June 2023 ( ODS , 33 KB )

NTSMY0611: Average number of trips and distance travelled by sex, age and purpose: England, year ending June 2023 ( ODS , 24 KB )

NTSMY9903: Average number of trips by main mode, region and rural-urban classification of residence: England, year ending June 2023 ( ODS , 14.4 KB )

NTSMY9904: Average distance travelled by mode, region and rural-urban classification of residence: England, year ending June 2023 ( ODS , 15.8 KB )

NTSMY0001: Sample numbers ( ODS , 7.65 KB )

National Travel Survey statistics

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