Why is eastbound jet lag so much worse?
Flying east shortens the day and forces your internal clock to advance, which is much harder for the body to adjust to than westbound travel. This leaves travelers wrecked and fatigued for up to two weeks, ruining the first days of a trip or a return home.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
Why is eastbound jet lag so much worse?
- 1Waiting for time to pass naturallyDid this help you?
- 2Flying in a lay-flat or business class seatDid this help you?
- 3Selecting departure times to align with a late schedule or midnight flightsDid this help you?
- 4Forcing oneself to stay awake all day upon landing, walking around, eating, and going to sleep early at the destination's local time.Did this help you?
- 5using an over-the-counter sleep aid on the first night backDid this help you?
- 6avoiding alcohol and relaxing during the last few days of the tripDid this help you?
- 7watching videos on tips to adjust from jet lag fasterDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“This trip absolutely wrecked me.”source ↗
“Flying east from Manila, the jet lag seemed to get down into my bones. I lost days I wanted to spend enjoying my family, and for the first time in my life I even ended up with vertigo.”source ↗
“I’ve flown from Canada to the UK 6 in a 10 year span, definitely harder as I’ve gotten older. Eastbound is definitely worse!”source ↗
“I always have problem coming back from Asia to east coast Canada. I’m absolutely wrecked!”source ↗
“Going home I'm trashed for two weeks.”source ↗
“I’m heading to Sydney Australia soon. How bad will jet lag be, flying from east coast USA to Sydney?”source ↗
“Will this sort of method work for Australia? Land, stay awake, bed early, then you’ll feel on Aussie time?”source ↗
“My main concern is the jet lag. I’m worried I might still feel out of sync, struggle to concentrate, or, especially, be unable to sleep the night before and end up completely exhausted on my first day.”source ↗
“Has anyone come back from a long holiday and started a new job just a few days later? How did the return and first few days go?”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 20How to recover from severe travel burnout and flight dread
- 9How to catch up on work after extended leave
- 3Why can't I sleep on Sunday night after resting all weekend?
- 4How to deal with separation anxiety going back to work
- 30Puppy regression and behavior changes after an injury
- 8Toddler waking up an hour early after the time change