Jet Lag Planner
Tell us how far you're flying and your usual sleep times. You'll get a simple plan for the days before you go, the flight itself, and your first days there, based on CDC travel health guidance.
Based on the CDC Yellow Book chapter on jet lag and Mayo Clinic travel guidance. If you take medicines on a schedule, or are thinking about melatonin or sleep aids, ask a doctor or pharmacist before you fly.
Why east is harder than west
Your body clock finds it easier to run a little later than to run earlier. Flying west asks it to stay up later, which most people can manage. Flying east asks it to go to sleep earlier than it wants to, so it usually takes longer to adjust. That's why the planner gives eastward trips more days.
Pack for sleep
A few small things make a long flight and a strange hotel room easier: something to block light, something to block noise, and something that tells your body it's time to rest. Our Steam Eye Masks come in flat single pouches that fit in any carry-on, and the Contoured Sleep Mask keeps the light out all night. For more, read How to Sleep on a Plane.
Sources
General information, not medical advice.