Tool
Jet lag planner
A jet lag plan for New York to Paris gives you day-by-day light, sleep, caffeine, and meal timing. The plan covers three days before your flight and up to a week after you land.
Your flight
Your plan
You are crossing 6 hours of time zones eastward. Destination time is +6 hours from home. That means advancing your clock: morning light, dark evenings. We shift you by 1.5 hours a day, which is within the 1–2 hour range published guidance suggests.
Landing at roughly 9:00 am destination time. Try to sleep on board during the destination's night, and set your watch to destination time before take-off.
Day −3
3 days before you fly (home time)
- Sleep:
- bed at 9:00 pm, up at 5:00 am
- Get light:
- Get outside for 30+ minutes within an hour of waking. Bright light early is what pulls your clock earlier.
- Avoid light:
- Keep light low for the 3 hours before your target bedtime: dim lamps, sunglasses outdoors at dusk, or amber glasses.
- Caffeine:
- Coffee or tea between 5:00 am and 1:00 pm. Nothing caffeinated after that.
- Meals:
- Breakfast by 6:00 am, main meal around 11:00 am, last food by 6:00 pm.
Day −2
2 days before you fly (home time)
- Sleep:
- bed at 7:30 pm, up at 3:30 am
- Get light:
- Get outside for 30+ minutes within an hour of waking. Bright light early is what pulls your clock earlier.
- Avoid light:
- Keep light low for the 3 hours before your target bedtime: dim lamps, sunglasses outdoors at dusk, or amber glasses.
- Caffeine:
- Coffee or tea between 3:30 am and 11:30 am. Nothing caffeinated after that.
- Meals:
- Breakfast by 4:30 am, main meal around 9:30 am, last food by 4:30 pm.
Day −1
The day before you fly (home time)
- Sleep:
- bed at 6:00 pm, up at 2:00 am
- Get light:
- Get outside for 30+ minutes within an hour of waking. Bright light early is what pulls your clock earlier.
- Avoid light:
- Keep light low for the 3 hours before your target bedtime: dim lamps, sunglasses outdoors at dusk, or amber glasses.
- Caffeine:
- Coffee or tea between 2:00 am and 10:00 am. Nothing caffeinated after that.
- Meals:
- Breakfast by 3:00 am, main meal around 8:00 am, last food by 3:00 pm.
Day +1
Arrival day / first full day (destination time)
- Sleep:
- bed at 10:30 pm, up at 6:30 am
- Get light:
- Get outside for 30+ minutes within an hour of waking. Bright light early is what pulls your clock earlier.
- Avoid light:
- You are on destination time. Just keep normal evening light habits.
- Caffeine:
- Coffee or tea between 6:30 am and 2:30 pm. Nothing caffeinated after that. No naps longer than 30 minutes, and none after 3:00 pm.
- Meals:
- Eat at destination meal times from day one: breakfast by 7:30 am, main meal around 12:30 pm, last food by 7:30 pm.
Day +2
Day 2 at your destination
- Sleep:
- bed at 10:30 pm, up at 6:30 am
- Get light:
- Get outside for 30+ minutes within an hour of waking. Bright light early is what pulls your clock earlier.
- Avoid light:
- You are on destination time. Just keep normal evening light habits.
- Caffeine:
- Coffee or tea between 6:30 am and 2:30 pm. Nothing caffeinated after that. No naps longer than 30 minutes, and none after 3:00 pm.
- Meals:
- Eat at destination meal times from day one: breakfast by 7:30 am, main meal around 12:30 pm, last food by 7:30 pm.
Day +3
Day 3 at your destination
- Sleep:
- bed at 10:30 pm, up at 6:30 am
- Get light:
- Get outside for 30+ minutes within an hour of waking. Bright light early is what pulls your clock earlier.
- Avoid light:
- You are on destination time. Just keep normal evening light habits.
- Caffeine:
- Coffee or tea between 6:30 am and 2:30 pm. Nothing caffeinated after that. No naps longer than 30 minutes, and none after 3:00 pm.
- Meals:
- Eat at destination meal times from day one: breakfast by 7:30 am, main meal around 12:30 pm, last food by 7:30 pm.
Day +4
Day 4 at your destination
- Sleep:
- bed at 10:30 pm, up at 6:30 am
- Get light:
- Get outside for 30+ minutes within an hour of waking. Bright light early is what pulls your clock earlier.
- Avoid light:
- You are on destination time. Just keep normal evening light habits.
- Caffeine:
- Coffee or tea between 6:30 am and 2:30 pm. Nothing caffeinated after that. No naps longer than 30 minutes, and none after 3:00 pm.
- Meals:
- Eat at destination meal times from day one: breakfast by 7:30 am, main meal around 12:30 pm, last food by 7:30 pm.
Get the weekly long-haul tip
One practical tip a week for long flights. Print or bookmark this page to keep your plan. We only store your email address, and we do not email the plan itself.
Common questions
- How does this jet lag planner work?
- It compares your departure and arrival time zones and builds a schedule around published circadian guidance: seek morning light and avoid evening light after eastward flights, do the reverse after westward flights, and shift your sleep and wake times by no more than one to two hours a day.
- How many days before a flight should I start adjusting?
- Three days is enough for most itineraries. Shifting your bed and wake times by one to two hours a day before you fly means less of the shift is left to do on arrival, which is when it is hardest.
- Why does the plan tell me to avoid light at certain times?
- Light is the strongest signal your body clock responds to. Light at the wrong hour can push your clock the opposite way to the direction you want, which is why avoiding it matters as much as seeking it.
- Is a jet lag plan different travelling east versus west?
- Yes, and it is close to a mirror image. Travelling east you need to advance your clock, so you seek light early in the destination morning and avoid bright evening light. Travelling west you delay your clock, so you seek late-afternoon and evening light instead.
- Does this tool store my travel details?
- No. Everything is worked out in your browser and nothing is sent anywhere or saved. Your email address is only stored if you choose to join the newsletter.