Jet Lag Adjustment Planner

1. 01Set the time zonesPick your origin and destination as UTC offsets. Flying east means the destination is ahead; flying west means it is behind.
2. 02Enter your usual sleep timesAdd the bedtime and wake time you normally keep. The plan shifts these gradually, shown in your home clock.
3. 03Say how many days you haveEnter the days you can prepare before travel. The plan uses one hour of shift per day, up to the time difference.
4. 04Read the planSee the time difference, a rough recovery estimate, and the suggested bedtime and wake time for each preparation day.
5. 05Copy and follow looselyCopy the schedule and adjust it to how you feel. Consistency matters more than hitting each time exactly.

• A long-haul holidayCrossing many time zones for a big trip, a few days of gentle shifting can take the edge off the first days away.
• A business tripArriving closer to local time helps you function for meetings. Shift ahead of an eastward trip so mornings feel less brutal.
• Flying homePlan the return too. The direction reverses, so the tool flips the shift to help you settle back into your home routine.
• Short prep windowsWith only a couple of days, the plan caps the shift to what fits, so you still make a useful start.

• Flying west across seven hoursFrom UTC+2 to UTC-5 is seven hours behind. The plan pushes bedtime later each day, and recovery is estimated at around five days.
• Flying east across three hoursA three-hour eastward shift moves bedtime from 23:00 to 22:00, then 21:00, then 20:00 across three preparation days.
• No change neededWhen the offsets match, there is no time difference, no recovery, and no shift, so you can travel on your normal routine.

• Shift in the right directionGoing east, move earlier; going west, move later. Trying to shift the wrong way makes the first days harder, not easier.
• Use light to your advantageMorning light helps you wake earlier for eastward trips, and evening light helps you stay up for westward ones. Timing light is a common, non-medical strategy.
• Adjust meals and caffeine looselyNudging meal times and easing off caffeine later in the day can support the shift, but treat it as general habit, not a prescription.
• Be kind to yourselfThe schedule is a guide. If a day is off, pick it up the next day. Sleep pressure and daylight will do a lot of the work.

The time difference is the destination offset minus the origin offset. A positive difference means the destination is ahead, so you fly east; a negative difference means it is behind, so you fly west. The recovery estimate is a common rule of thumb of roughly one day per hour of difference, a little quicker for westward travel, and it is clearly a heuristic rather than a clinical figure. The shift plan moves your bedtime and wake time by up to one hour a day toward the destination, capped by the difference and by the days you have to prepare.

Inputs are the origin and destination UTC offsets, your usual bedtime and wake time, and the days you have to prepare. Outputs are the time difference and direction, an estimated recovery period, and a day-by-day schedule of shifted sleep times shown in your home clock. It assumes a steady one-hour-per-day shift and that you keep a regular sleep pattern. It uses fixed UTC offsets and does not model daylight saving changes.

Beyond shifting sleep, the timing of daylight is one of the strongest signals for your body clock. As a general habit, seeking morning light helps an eastward adjustment and evening light helps a westward one. Keeping meals and activity aligned with the new schedule reinforces the shift. These are everyday strategies, not medical instructions.

This planner is general guidance only. It is not medical advice and is not intended for people with sleep disorders or medical conditions, for shift workers, or for anyone for whom sleep changes could be a concern. It does not recommend or dose any medication. The recovery estimate is a rule of thumb, individual responses vary widely, and the tool uses fixed offsets without accounting for daylight saving. For any health concern, speak to a qualified professional.

Everything runs in your browser. Your time zones, sleep times, and the plan are not uploaded, not saved to storage, and not sent to analytics beyond a general usage signal. Refreshing the page clears everything.

How long does jet lag last?

As a rough rule of thumb, about one day per hour of time difference, and often a little quicker heading west. Individual recovery varies, so treat the estimate as a guide.

Which way should I shift my sleep?

Earlier when flying east, since the destination is ahead, and later when flying west, since it is behind. The plan sets the direction for you.

Does it recommend melatonin or medication?

No. It never recommends or doses any medication. It only suggests gradually shifting your sleep times and general light and routine habits.

Is this medical advice?

No. It is general planning guidance only, not medical advice, and it is not intended for sleep disorders or medical conditions.

Does it handle daylight saving time?

It uses fixed UTC offsets, so it does not model daylight saving changes. Pick the offset that applies on your travel dates.

Is my data saved?

No. Nothing is stored or uploaded, and refreshing the page clears your inputs.