Jet Lag: What Actually Helps

Jet lag is circadian misalignment, and knowing which direction you are shifting determines the strategy.

Why direction matters

The human circadian period runs slightly longer than twenty-four hours for most people, which makes delaying the clock easier than advancing it. Westward travel requires a delay - staying up later - which aligns with that natural tendency. Eastward travel requires an advance, which is harder. This is why the same number of time zones produces worse symptoms eastbound, and why recovery estimates differ by direction.

Shifting before you go

For trips of several days or more, pre-shifting helps. Moving your sleep and wake times by thirty to sixty minutes per day in the target direction for a few days before departure reduces the gap on arrival. Combine with light timing: for eastward travel, seek morning light and avoid evening light; for westward travel, the reverse. Meal timing has some influence as a secondary signal, though light dominates.

On arrival

Adopt local meal and sleep times immediately. Get outdoor light at the times that push your clock in the needed direction, which requires knowing your target - poorly timed light can shift you the wrong way. Avoid long naps on arrival day beyond about twenty minutes. Melatonin has reasonable evidence for jet lag specifically, taken in the evening at the destination for eastward travel, at doses lower than commonly sold. Caffeine helps acutely but should be kept early in the destination day.

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