Jet lag from New York to Delhi: what to expect

How long does jet lag last from New York to Delhi?

Your clock will adapt the long way round: later each day, not earlier.

Unaided, eastward shifts settle at around a day per time zone: about 11 days for this one. S6 S7

This plan targets 9 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 day after you land, the plan's bedtime is 16:40, early by Delhi's clock, and it moves later night by night, reaching 23:00 by night 9.

Studies of aircrew point the same way: after large shifts, westward adaptation runs roughly 50% faster than eastward S6 S8. It's why the plan goes the long way round here.

What does the plan say for a typical New York to Delhi flight?

Departs

20:00 New York time

Lands

21:20 Delhi time +1 day

In the air

about 14h 50m (estimate)

Light, the first full day

14:25–15:25 Seek bright light (delay shift)

Caffeine, landing night

19:40–08:45 opens on board, runs into the next day

First night's sleep

16:40–00:40 the day after you land

This example leaves New York at 20:00 in the evening and lands in Delhi at 21:20 late at night, after about 14h 50m 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.

In July the gap is 9½ hours, not 10½, because New York moves its clocks for summer and Delhi doesn't.

The plan puts about 8 hours of sleep on board, from 11:40 Delhi time. You're awake again before you land.

You land at 21:20 and stay up through the local night: at 02:00 in Delhi your body thinks it's 15:30 in New York, its afternoon. The plan has no arrival nap, just a 30-minute nap at 01:40. The first full night comes the next day, at 16:40.

The day before you fly, the plan keeps your morning dim, 07:00–09:00 New York time, and the sun is up in New York by about 07:15 in January, so plan on sunglasses for the commute.

The plan opens caffeine at 19:40 Delhi time, still on board, and keeps it open through your 21:20 landing, until 08:45 the next day: at 19:40 your body thinks it's 09:10 in New York, its morning, and the plan keeps you up through the night on purpose.

In January the sun is up in Delhi from about 07:13 to 17:51, so the 14:25 light step the day after landing is daylight. Outside is the easy way to get it.

You land too late in the day for a light step on landing day, so the first one is the next day, at 14:25.

What helps after flying east to Delhi?

Because the plan moves your clock later, the light advice for westward trips applies here, even though you fly east: 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 the mechanism, and the plan's light steps above already follow it.

And the flight home from Delhi?

Delhi to New York is the same 10½ hours the other way, westward. It's the easier direction: about 7 days unaided, and a plan can't make it faster, only easier. Jet lag from Delhi to New York has the details.

More routes from New York

• New York to London
• New York to Paris
• New York to Dubai
• New York to Johannesburg
• New York to Tokyo