Jet Lag Recovery Planner
Estimate how long jet lag will last and get a simple sleep-shift and light-exposure plan based on how many time zones you cross and in which direction.
Inputs explained
- Time Zones Crossed — The number of time zones between your origin and destination (1–12).
- Travel Direction — Eastward travel is harder to adjust to (about 1 day per zone) than westward (about 0.75 days per zone).
How to use it
- Fill in the fields above — each input has a hint describing exactly what to enter
- Press Calculate to get your result instantly, right on this page
- Copy the result, save the tool to favorites, or share and embed it anywhere
Understanding the result
Example: Flying east across 6 time zones takes about 6 days to adjust; the same trip westward takes about 5 days.
Frequently asked questions
Why does eastward travel take longer to recover from than westward travel? Most people's internal body clock runs slightly longer than 24 hours, making it naturally easier to delay sleep (as westward travel requires) than to advance it earlier (as eastward travel requires), so eastward trips generally take about a day longer to adjust.
Does crossing more time zones always mean a proportionally longer recovery? Roughly, yes — the estimate scales with the number of zones crossed, but individual recovery time varies with age, sleep habits, and how much light exposure you manage during the trip, so treat the plan as a general guide rather than a guarantee.
Is the Jet Lag Recovery Planner free to use? Yes — it is completely free, with no sign-up, no download and no usage limits. You can use it as often as you need.
Is my data private? Yes. The calculation runs entirely in your browser — the values you enter are never sent to our servers, stored or shared with anyone.
What information do I need? Just the following: Time Zones Crossed, Travel Direction. Each field includes a hint explaining exactly what to enter.
Can I use it on my phone? Yes — the tool is fully responsive and works on any device, and the same calculator is available in the EasyWorkCalcs mobile app.
Privacy
Everything you enter into the Jet Lag Recovery Planner is processed entirely in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, stored or shared — your data stays on your device.