Jet Lag From the US to Europe: A Day-by-Day Plan for New York to London or Paris

Flying from New York to London (5 hours ahead) or Paris (6 hours ahead) usually takes about 5 to 6 days to fully adjust. Shift your sleep an hour earlier for three days before you fly, sleep on the overnight flight, and get daylight from late morning on arrival day, and you can cut that roughly in half.

The plan below uses a typical 7:00 PM overnight departure from New York and a home routine of bed at 11:00 PM and up at 7:00 AM. Plug your own times into the jet lag calculator for a custom version.

Why this trip is harder than the flight home

Europe is east of the US, so you have to fall asleep and wake up earlier than your body wants. Your internal clock resists running early, which is why the eastbound trip usually hurts more than the return. Here's the full explanation.

The 3 days before you fly

Move bedtime and wake-up time 1 hour earlier each day. Get bright light soon after you wake (outdoors if you can) and keep the last hour of the evening dim.

A lab study of this approach found that shifting 1 hour a day with morning light moved the body clock about as much as shifting 2 hours a day, with less trouble falling asleep. If three days is too much for your work schedule, even one or two days helps.

Flight day

• Before boarding: eat dinner at the airport so you can sleep sooner on the plane.
• On board: a 7:00 PM departure is already midnight in London (1:00 AM in Paris). Treat it as bedtime. Eye mask, earplugs, skip the movie.
• Skip alcohol. It can make you drowsy, but it tends to fragment sleep, and the dry cabin air is dehydrating enough already.

You'll land around 7:00 AM in London (8:00 AM in Paris). Your body will think it's about 2:00 AM.

Arrival day

This is the hardest day. The goal is to stay up until a normal local bedtime.

• Light: your body clock still thinks it's the middle of the night for the first few hours. Very early light can push it the wrong way after a big eastward jump, so wear sunglasses on the ride in and get outside from late morning into the afternoon.
• Naps: if you can't function, take one nap of about 20 minutes, ideally before 2:00 PM. Set an alarm. Use the nap calculator if you want to time it.
• Caffeine: fine in the morning. Stop by early afternoon so it doesn't fight your first night.
• Bed: aim for 10:00 to 11:00 PM local time, even if you don't feel sleepy.

Night by night after you land

Here's what an 11:00 PM local bedtime feels like to your body, assuming the clock catches up about 1 hour a day.

New York to London (5 hours)

New York to Paris (6 hours)

Everyone adjusts at a slightly different rate, so read these as a guide rather than a promise.

Days 2 to 5: keep nudging

• Wake up at the same local time every day, even after a bad night. It anchors the new schedule faster than sleeping in.
• Move your daylight earlier. Late morning on day 2, then mid-morning, then first thing once you're waking up easily.
• Keep evenings dim in the last hour before bed.
• Don't panic about a 3 AM wake-up. It's common in the first few nights. Keep the lights off, stay in bed, and let yourself rest.

If you've had almost no sleep for a night or two, see how to recover from an all-nighter.

Short trip? Consider staying on home time

For a 2- or 3-day business trip, fully adjusting may not be worth it. Some travelers keep a later schedule, book meetings for the afternoon, and accept being a little off. It spares you jet lag on the way home, too.

About melatonin

Melatonin is often used for eastbound jet lag, but the right dose and timing depend on your trip and your health. Check with a pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially if you take other medications.