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The free jet lag recovery calculator that builds a personalized day-by-day plan with light exposure schedules, sleep timing, and meal plans. Based on circadian science. No signup required.
Jet lag occurs when rapid travel across time zones desynchronizes your circadian rhythm — the internal 24-hour clock governed by the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in your brain. This master clock regulates sleep-wake cycles, hormone release, body temperature, and digestion. When your SCN receives light signals that conflict with its current phase, the result is the fatigue, insomnia, and cognitive fog known as jet lag. Our calculator models this desynchronization using published circadian research to predict your severity and generate a recovery timeline.
The direction of travel fundamentally changes how your body adapts. Westbound flights require you to delay your body clock, which aligns with the natural tendency of human circadian rhythms to run slightly longer than 24 hours. Eastbound flights force the opposite — advancing your clock — which explains why eastbound jet lag is roughly twice as severe. The calculator factors in this asymmetry when estimating your recovery days and generating light exposure windows.
Light is the most powerful signal for resetting your circadian clock. Bright light in the morning advances your clock (helpful after eastbound travel), while evening light delays it (helpful after westbound travel). The calculator uses your route's timezone shift and direction to determine the optimal light exposure windows for your specific flight, so you know exactly when to seek or avoid sunlight at your destination.
Jet lag duration depends on the number of time zones crossed, the direction of travel, and your individual circadian flexibility. As a general rule, your body adjusts at a rate of about 1 timezone per day when flying west, and 1 timezone per 1.5 days when flying east. Without any intervention, a 6-hour eastbound shift (e.g., New York to London) can take 7–9 days for full circadian realignment.
With strategic light exposure, sleep scheduling, and melatonin timing, recovery can be accelerated by 40–60%. Our calculator generates these optimized schedules based on your specific flight, so you can return to normal faster.
| Timezone Shift | Eastbound Recovery | Westbound Recovery | With Light Therapy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–3 hours | 2–4 days | 1–3 days | 1–2 days |
| 4–6 hours | 6–9 days | 4–6 days | 3–4 days |
| 7–9 hours | 9–14 days | 7–9 days | 5–7 days |
| 10+ hours | 14–18 days | 10–12 days | 7–10 days |
Recovery estimates based on circadian research by Czeisler et al. and Waterhouse et al. Individual results vary based on age, sleep quality, and chronotype. “With Light Therapy” assumes timed bright-light exposure and optional melatonin supplementation.
The routes with the longest recovery times. Large timezone shifts, unfavorable directions, and multi-factor difficulty.
| Route | Shift | Recovery | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| EWR→BKK | +12h | ~18 days | 6 |
| SEA→DXB | +12h | ~18 days | extreme |
| YVR→DXB | +12h | ~18 days | extreme |
| LAX→DXB | +12h | ~18 days | extreme |
| SFO→DXB | +12h | ~18 days | extreme |
| HDO→NDC | +11h | ~17 days | hard |
| HDO→BOM | +11h | ~17 days | hard |
| HDO→BLR | +11h | ~17 days | hard |
| HDO→CCU | +11h | ~17 days | hard |
| ORD→DEL | +11h | ~17 days | extreme |
| HDO→GOI | +11h | ~17 days | extreme |
| CWB→GGJ | +11h | ~16 days | hard |
| CNF→PYT | +11h | ~16 days | hard |
| CNF→SMT | +11h | ~16 days | extreme |
| CRK→SWL | +11h | ~16 days | extreme |
| CSX→RIZ | +11h | ~16 days | extreme |
| HNL→LBG | +11h | ~16 days | extreme |
| BOM→SFO | +11h | ~16 days | extreme |
| CGQ→RIZ | +11h | ~16 days | extreme |
| CEB→SWL | +11h | ~16 days | extreme |
Long-haul routes (3+ hours shift) with the shortest recovery times. Favorable directions and manageable timezone adjustments.
| Route | Shift | Recovery | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| AKL→ADL | -3h | ~2 days | easy |
| BWN→MAA | -3h | ~2 days | extreme |
| CAN→CCU | -3h | ~2 days | extreme |
| CAN→CMB | -3h | ~2 days | extreme |
| CGO→DEL | -3h | ~2 days | extreme |
| CGO→MAA | -3h | ~2 days | extreme |
| CKG→CMB | -3h | ~2 days | moderate |
| CKG→DEL | -3h | ~2 days | hard |
| CKG→KTM | -3h | ~2 days | moderate |
| CTU→BLR | -3h | ~2 days | extreme |
| CTU→BOM | -3h | ~2 days | extreme |
| CTU→DDR | -3h | ~2 days | easy |
| CTU→DEL | -3h | ~2 days | extreme |
| CTU→MAA | -3h | ~2 days | extreme |
| DPS→BLR | -3h | ~2 days | hard |
| DPS→DEL | -3h | ~2 days | hard |
| EHU→CCU | -3h | ~2 days | hard |
| EHU→DEL | -3h | ~2 days | extreme |
| EHU→MAA | -3h | ~2 days | hard |
| GOX→DOH | -3h | ~2 days | hard |
Major hub airports with jetlag analysis for long-haul routes.