Jet Lag Recovery Calculator
Estimate recovery time and severity from a time-zone shift. Plus a light-exposure schedule to reset your body clock faster.
Light strategy
Seek bright light in the MORNING (6-10 AM local time) for first 5 days. Avoid bright light evening hours. Optional: 0.5mg melatonin 12 hours before bedtime.
Pre-trip prep
Shift bedtime 1 hour earlier per night for 3 nights before flying east. Helps your clock pre-adapt.
On the plane
Stay hydrated, avoid alcohol, set watch to destination time at takeoff, and try to sleep on the plane if it's nighttime at destination.How to use
- 1
Look up the time-zone difference between your origin and destination.
- 2
Pick direction: eastward (Dubai → Asia, Europe → Dubai) or westward (Dubai → Europe, Dubai → Americas).
- 3
Enter trip length — short trips often don't justify full adaptation.
- 4
Optional: age — recovery slows after 40.
Frequently asked questions
Our internal body clock runs slightly longer than 24 hours — about 24.2 hours on average. So extending the day (westward travel) feels natural; compressing the day (eastward) fights biology. Going east, you lose hours; your body clock has to leap forward. Going west, you gain hours; your clock just stays up later.
Eastward: roughly 1 day per timezone crossed. Westward: 0.5-0.67 day per timezone. So Dubai → Tokyo (5h east) takes ~5 days; Dubai → NYC (9h west) takes ~6 days. Strategic light exposure and melatonin can speed this by 30-50%.
Yes, for eastward travel. 0.3-0.5mg taken 12 hours before your destination bedtime shifts the circadian clock earlier. Higher doses (3-5mg) work but cause grogginess. Westward travel: melatonin doesn't help much (you want to stay up later, not earlier). Check with a doctor first — interacts with some medications.
Eastward: morning sunlight (6-10 AM local). Westward: evening sunlight (4-8 PM local). Bright artificial light works if outdoor isn't possible — 10,000 lux therapy lamps for 30 min do the job. Avoid blue-light screens at the WRONG times for your direction (evening eastward, morning westward).
Yes, if your trip is under 48 hours. The adjustment burden isn't worth it. Schedule meetings in your home time zone if possible, eat at your normal home times, and sleep when your body wants to. The 'minor inconvenience' beats full circadian disruption.
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Source: Sleep Research Society / circadian rhythm research — Eastman & Burgess 2009 · Last verified 2026-06. PubMed — Eastman 2009. This tool provides estimates only and is not legal, tax or financial advice. Always verify your specific situation with the relevant UAE authority or a licensed advisor before taking action.