How long does jet lag usually last?

Jet lag symptoms usually occur within a day or two after traveling across at least two time zones. Symptoms are likely to be worse or last longer the farther you travel. This is especially true if you fly east. It usually takes about a day to recover for each time zone crossed.



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Duration of Jet Lag: How Long It Lasts
Researchers have found that, on average, it takes people about one day to adjust for each 1 to 1.5 hours of time change. So if you fly from the East Coast to the West Coast, which is a three-hour time difference, you should be over your jet lag in two to three days.

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Here are 12 tips to help you beat jet lag faster on your next trip.
  1. Be Strategic with Your Light Exposure. ...
  2. Take Melatonin Supplements. ...
  3. Time Your Exercise Right. ...
  4. Time Your Meals Right. ...
  5. Pay Down Sleep Debt and Get in Circadian Alignment Before Your Flight. ...
  6. Maintain Excellent Sleep Hygiene. ...
  7. Start Adjusting Before You Travel.


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The more time zones you cross, the more likely you are to be sleepy and sluggish -- and the longer and more intense the symptoms are likely to be. Jet lag is a temporary sleep disorder, but not temporary enough for many travelers.

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Yes, jet lag can nearly ruin a trip and totally throw you off but one can make it less terrible by following a few simple steps. All of a sudden, you're wide awake in the middle of the night but you can barely stay awake for dinner.

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If you need it, taking a short nap can help you stay awake during the day. But napping for more than 30 minutes can keep you from falling asleep at night. Try to stay awake until your normal bedtime and get up on time the next day.

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Adjustment to a new time zone is harder when traveling east than traveling west. This is because you “lose” time and you end up trying to fall asleep when your body is actually waking up.

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According to experts, not eating while you fly can actually help to reduce jet lag. (And that's not the only thing your flight attendant won't tell you.) Turns out, traveling on a plane can do a lot of bad things to your body—including shutting your digestive system down once you reach a high altitude.

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Melatonin is remarkably effective in preventing or reducing jet lag, and occasional short-term use appears to be safe. It should be recommended to adult travellers flying across five or more time zones, particularly in an easterly direction, and especially if they have experienced jet lag on previous journeys.

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Most people find that jet lag is worse when traveling east than it is when traveling west. View Source . Jet lag differs based on the direction of travel because it's generally easier to delay your internal clock than advance it. Jet lag does not occur on north-south flights that do not cross multiple time zones.

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Common ways pilots avoid jetlag is staying hydrated, good rest, avoiding caffeine and alcohol, exercising, or sleeping on the airplane. For long-haul flights airlines use multiple pilots for the flight to allow each pilot to get some rest. The more time zones that are crossed, the worse the jet lag.

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To calculate the amount of days it takes to recover from jet lag, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) developed the following formula d = u 2 + ( z - 3 ) + v + a 10 u is the number of flight hours of the trip, and is the amount of timezones passed.

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