Jet lag from Los Angeles to Sydney: what to expect

How long does jet lag last from Los Angeles to Sydney?

Unaided, westward shifts settle somewhat faster than a day per time zone: about 4 days for this one. S6 S7

This plan targets 2 days.

That's what the plan aims at, not a promise — bodies vary.

For this trip that's 2 days sooner than the unaided estimate, on the effort level that fits around a working day.

On night one the plan's bedtime is 22:40, early by Sydney's clock, and it moves later night by night, reaching 23:00 by night 3.

Sleep length tends to recover within about two days. The timing of your sleep takes longer to come right S2.

What does the plan say for a typical Los Angeles to Sydney flight?

Departs

11:00 Los Angeles time

Lands

21:10 Sydney time +1 day

In the air

about 15h 10m (estimate)

Light, landing day

21:40–22:40 Seek bright light (delay shift)

Last caffeine, landing day

14:45 on the plane

Last caffeine, first full day

13:15

First night's sleep

22:40–04:10

Westbound flights often go by day, so this example leaves Los Angeles at 11:00 and lands in Sydney at 21:10 late at night, after about 15h 10m in the air.

The flight time is our estimate for a nonstop from the distance, and the trip is set in January. It's the default traveler from the calculator: usually asleep 23:00 to 07:00, no melatonin, Real Life effort.

You cross the date line, and it costs you a calendar day: leave on a Wednesday, land on Thursday, though the flight itself is under 16 hours.

In July the gap is 7 hours, not 5, because Los Angeles and Sydney change their clocks in opposite halves of the year.

On board, the plan keeps you awake apart from a short nap at 08:00 Sydney time, saving the real sleep for the night in Sydney.

The day before you fly, the plan keeps your morning dim, 07:00–09:00 Los Angeles time, and the sun is up in Los Angeles by about 06:57 in January, so plan on sunglasses for the commute.

On landing day your last coffee comes on the plane, at 14:45 Sydney time, and the plan has none between landing and your first night's sleep. From 04:10, when you wake from that first sleep, it allows it again, until 13:15.

January is summer in Sydney, with about 14 hours of daylight. In January the sun sets in Sydney at about 20:07, so the 21:40 light step on landing day comes after dark. It has to be bright indoor light.

What helps after flying west to Sydney?

Going west, you want light before your body's low point, which usually means bright light in the evening and staying up a little later S1. Bright light first thing in the morning works against you. East vs west explains why this direction is the easier one.

If you nap on arrival, keep it short, so it doesn't eat into the night S1. The plan has no nap on landing day; its first is 30 minutes at 10:10, the next day. More tested advice in jet lag hacks, tested.

And the flight home from Sydney?

Sydney to Los Angeles is the same 5 hours the other way, eastward. It's the harder direction: about 5 days unaided, and the plan targets 2. Jet lag from Sydney to Los Angeles has the details.

More routes from Los Angeles

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• Los Angeles to Paris
• Los Angeles to Tokyo
• Los Angeles to Seoul
• Los Angeles to Hong Kong