How to manage jet lag better
A few simple principles, based on how the body clock works, to reduce jet lag after a long flight.
Jet lag happens when your internal body clock stays set to departure time while your environment (light, meals, activity) already follows arrival time.
Before you fly: gradually shifting bedtime and mealtimes by 30–60 minutes a day, in the direction of travel, can reduce how far off you feel on arrival.
During the flight: setting your watch to destination time as soon as you board helps you start thinking in the new time zone.
Light is the strongest signal for resetting your internal clock: getting daylight at the destination's morning hours, and avoiding it in the evening, speeds up adjustment.
Rule of thumb: expect roughly one day of adjustment per hour of time difference flying east (the harder direction), and a bit less flying west.
Before you go, check the exact time difference with our city comparison tool or the time converter.
During the flight, drinking plenty of water and limiting caffeine and alcohol helps the body adjust — dry cabin air worsens dehydration, which makes jet lag fatigue worse.
For a short trip (under 3 days), it can be better to stay on your home schedule rather than force an adjustment, especially if the time difference is under 3 hours.
Handy tools
Find the time slots that work across several time zones at once.
Convert a time from one city to several others at a glance.
The exact dates for the switch to and from daylight saving time in Europe, the United States, Canada and Australia, calculated automatically every year.