Jet lag from New York to Tokyo: what to expect

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

Unaided, westward shifts settle somewhat faster than a day per time zone: about 7 days for this one. S6 S7

This plan targets 6 days.

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

For this trip that's 1 day sooner than the unaided estimate, on the effort level that fits around a working day.

On night one, the afternoon you land, the plan's bedtime is 16:10, early by Tokyo's clock, and it moves later night by night, reaching 23:00 by night 7.

Studies of aircrew point the same way: after large shifts, westward adaptation runs roughly 50% faster than eastward S6 S8. This trip is on the quick side of that.

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

Departs

11:00 New York time

Lands

14:40 Tokyo time +1 day

In the air

about 13h 40m (estimate)

Light, landing day

15:10–16:10 Seek bright light (delay shift)

Keep it dim, landing day

23:10–01:10 Avoid bright light (sunglasses / dim room)

Last caffeine, landing day

08:15 on the plane

Caffeine after landing

23:10–12:15 landing night into the next day

First night's sleep

16:10–23:10 the afternoon you land

Westbound flights often go by day, so this example leaves New York at 11:00 and lands in Tokyo at 14:40 in the afternoon, after about 13h 40m 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 14 hours.

In July the gap is 11 hours, not 10, because New York moves its clocks for summer and Tokyo doesn't.

On board, the plan keeps you awake apart from a short nap at 03:00 Tokyo time, saving the real sleep for the night in Tokyo.

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.

Your last coffee on the plane is at 08:15 Tokyo time. After you land the plan opens caffeine again at 23:10, until 12:15 the next day: at 23:10 your body thinks it's 09:10 in New York, its morning, and the plan keeps you up through the night on purpose.

January days are short in Tokyo: about 10 hours of daylight. In January the sun is up in Tokyo from about 06:45 to 16:52, so the 15:10 light step on landing day is daylight. Outside is the easy way to get it.

What helps after flying west to Tokyo?

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.

On a shift this size, starting before you fly pays off. The Frontiers review describes moving bedtime 30 to 60 minutes later each day for 3 to 4 days before a westward trip S1. The plan's version is one night: bed at 00:00 the night before you fly, an hour later than usual.

And the flight home from Tokyo?

Tokyo to New York is the same 10 hours the other way, eastward. It's the harder direction: about 10 days unaided, and the plan targets 9. Jet lag from Tokyo 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 Seoul