Jet Lag Planner
Crossing time zones wrecks sleep, unless you prepare. Tell the free jet lag planner your route and travel date, and it builds a day by day pre flight schedule that gradually shifts your bedtime toward the destination's time zone, timed with light exposure guidance that resets your body clock faster. Start three to six days before departure and land already half adjusted, so you spend your first days exploring instead of recovering from jet lag.
Last updated: October 22, 2026
Your result
Follow the schedule each night: the bedtime and wake time move a little closer to the destination every day.
The formula
shift_days = ceil(|tz_difference_hours| ÷ shift_per_day)shift_per_day ≈ 2 h eastbound, ≈ 1.5 h westboundbedtime_target(day n) = home_bedtime ± (shift_per_day × n)rough recovery after arrival ≈ 1 day per hour eastbound, 0.5 day per hour westbound
A worked example
Karachi → New York is about 9 hours westbound. Shifting bedtime later by 1.5 hours a day for 6 days before departure pre adjusts you for most of the gap; full recovery after landing typically takes 4 to 5 more days.
More about the Jet Lag Planner
Reading your day by day schedule
Enter your departure city, destination, travel date and usual bedtime, and the planner works backwards from your flight: each pre departure day gets a target bedtime and wake time, shifting about 2 hours a day eastbound and 1.5 hours westbound, with a light exposure window matched to the direction. Follow the times literally, the schedule only works if your body actually sleeps in the new slots.
Light is the real medicine here, stronger than the sleep times themselves: get bright daylight inside your exposure window and sunglasses outside it, because light at the wrong hour fights the shift. And remember eastward is harder. You are shortening your day, so build an easy first day at the destination and skip the heavy arrival day naps.
How to use the Jet Lag Planner
- Enter your departure city and destination.
- Enter your travel date and your usual bedtime.
- Get your day by day pre flight sleep shift schedule.
- Follow the schedule (light exposure tips included) and fly adjusted.
Frequently asked questions
Is jet lag worse flying east or west?
East is worse for most people. Flying east forces your body clock to advance (shorter day), which is harder than delaying it. That's why the planner shifts you 2 hours per day eastbound but only 1.5 hours westbound.
How many days before my flight should I start?
As many as the schedule gives you, usually 3 to 6 days for long haul trips. Even 2 days of shifting beats arriving cold. The plan starts from your travel date and works backwards.
Does light exposure really matter?
Light is genuinely the strongest tool you have here, stronger than melatonin, stronger than coffee timing. Morning light nudges your body clock earlier; evening light pushes it later. That is why the plan assigns your light windows to match the direction you're shifting.
Should I take melatonin?
Low dose melatonin taken at the target bedtime can help some travelers, but it's a supplement, not a medical recommendation, check with your doctor, especially if you take other medication or are pregnant.
How long does jet lag last?
A rough rule of thumb: about one day per time zone crossed flying east, half a day per zone westbound. Pre shifting your sleep with this plan noticeably shortens that.
When should I seek light and when should I avoid it?
It depends on direction. Flying east, get bright morning light at your destination and avoid bright light in the evening for the first few days. That nudges your clock earlier. Flying west, do the opposite: seek evening light and wear sunglasses in the morning. Getting the timing backwards can actually make jet lag worse, which is why the planner sets your light windows per flight.
Should I sleep on the plane or stay awake to beat jet lag?
Sleep when it is nighttime at your destination and stay awake when it is daytime there. Plane sleep absolutely counts toward your adjustment, so treat the flight as part of the plan, not dead time. The calculator above shows you the direction of your shift and when light exposure matters, which tells you which flight hours are best spent sleeping.
Is it better to land in the morning or in the evening?
Daytime arrivals usually make adjustment easier because natural light at the right hour helps reset your body clock, and staying active keeps you awake until a local bedtime. If you land at night, go straight to bed on local time and resist the urge to nap through the next morning. Either way, the planner's schedule is built around your travel date so you land with the shift already underway.
How do I help my kids adjust to a new time zone?
The same rules work for kids, just gentler: shift their bedtime by about half an hour a day for a few days before the trip, and get them into bright daylight soon after landing. Keep naps short and on local time for the first few days, since long catch up naps slow the adjustment. Plan the big ticket activities for later in the trip, because the first day or two are usually the roughest.
For a short business trip, is it better to just stay on my home time?
For trips of two or three days, staying on your home schedule can honestly be the easier strategy, since you leave before full adjustment would finish anyway. For longer trips, shifting toward destination time pays off. If you do stay on home time, keep meals, light and sleep anchored to it as best you can, and accept that you will feel a little out of sync.