Jet-Lag Recovery Planner
A multi-day plan of light exposure, meal timing, and caffeine to help your circadian clock catch up faster. Eastward travel is harder than westward — the plan accounts for that.
6-day recovery plan · Eastward · 6h shift
Adjusting earlier (going east) takes about 1 hour per day. Push your circadian clock forward with morning light, dim evenings, and earlier meals.
Day 1
1h shifted · 5h to go
- Light: Bright light in the early morning (first 2 hours after wake)
- Avoid: Avoid bright light after sunset (or for 2h before target bedtime)
- Caffeine: Limited caffeine; finish all by noon local time
- Meals: Eat meals at local-time anchors (breakfast, lunch, dinner) — even if not hungry
Day 2
2h shifted · 4h to go
- Light: Bright light in the early morning (first 2 hours after wake)
- Avoid: Avoid bright light after sunset (or for 2h before target bedtime)
- Caffeine: Limited caffeine; finish all by noon local time
- Meals: Eat meals at local-time anchors (breakfast, lunch, dinner) — even if not hungry
Day 3
3h shifted · 3h to go
- Light: Bright light in the early morning (first 2 hours after wake)
- Avoid: Avoid bright light after sunset (or for 2h before target bedtime)
- Caffeine: Limited caffeine; finish all by noon local time
- Meals: Eat meals at local-time anchors (breakfast, lunch, dinner) — even if not hungry
Day 4
4h shifted · 2h to go
- Light: Bright light in the early morning (first 2 hours after wake)
- Avoid: Avoid bright light after sunset (or for 2h before target bedtime)
- Caffeine: Limited caffeine; finish all by noon local time
- Meals: Eat meals at local-time anchors (breakfast, lunch, dinner) — even if not hungry
Day 5
5h shifted · 1h to go
- Light: Bright light in the early morning (first 2 hours after wake)
- Avoid: Avoid bright light after sunset (or for 2h before target bedtime)
- Caffeine: Limited caffeine; finish all by noon local time
- Meals: Eat meals at local-time anchors (breakfast, lunch, dinner) — even if not hungry
Day 6
6h shifted · 0h to go
- Light: Bright light in the early morning (first 2 hours after wake)
- Avoid: Avoid bright light after sunset (or for 2h before target bedtime)
- Caffeine: Limited caffeine; finish all by noon local time
- Meals: Eat meals at local-time anchors (breakfast, lunch, dinner) — even if not hungry
Why eastward is harder
The human circadian clock has a natural period slightly longer than 24 hours, so shifting later (westward) is closer to the body's grain. Shifting earlier (eastward) fights the body, which is why the rule of thumb is "1 hour per day east, 1.5 hours per day west."
Light is the strongest zeitgeber (time-giver) — far more powerful than caffeine or meals. Get the light timing right, and the rest follows. Get it wrong, and no amount of melatonin will save you.