The short answer
Shift your clock before you fly — 30–60 minutes per day toward the destination — then use light strategically: morning light going east, evening light going west. Stay awake until local bedtime on arrival.
Jet lag is a body-clock mismatch. Light is the strongest lever you have, and it works in both directions.
Step by step
- Three days out, shift sleep and meals 30–60 minutes per day toward destination time.
- Set your watch and phone to destination time when you board.
- Sleep on the plane only if it is night at the destination.
- Hydrate and skip alcohol; both affect how you feel more than the time change does.
- On arrival, get outdoor light in the morning if you flew east, in the late afternoon if you flew west.
- Eat at local meal times and stay up until at least 9pm local.
- Cap any nap at 20 minutes for the first two days.
Common questions
East or west — which is worse?
East, because advancing the clock is harder than delaying it.
Does melatonin help?
Low dose taken at destination bedtime can speed adjustment by a day or so.
How long does recovery take?
Roughly one day per time zone without intervention, faster with light timing.