How to Beat Jet Lag Going West Without Losing Day One

Picture this: you land in Los Angeles at lunchtime after an overnight flight from London, your body insists it's the middle of the night, and by mid-afternoon you're fighting to keep your eyes open in the hotel lobby. Going west is the gentler direction for jet lag, and you can make it gentler still with a few deliberate moves. The short version: live on local time from the moment you land, get your bright light in the evening instead of the morning, keep naps short, and nudge your bedtime later for a few days before you fly.

Why going west is the easier direction

Most people's internal clock runs a little longer than 24 hours. That small stretch means your body finds it easier to push its day later than to pull it earlier. The CDC puts the average adjustment at about 1.5 hours a day after westward travel, compared with about 1 hour a day going east, according to its jet lag guidance for travelers.

That's why staying up late feels doable while forcing yourself into bed at 8 p.m. feels like a fight. You're working with your biology instead of against it. The Mayo Clinic's jet lag advice builds its westward tips around light in the evening for exactly this reason.

If your trip is only two or three days, the picture changes. Sleep guidance for very short stays generally suggests keeping your home schedule, because your clock barely has time to shift. For a week or more, the steps below will pay off.

Start shifting before you fly

Three or four days before departure, move your bedtime and wake time later by 30 to 60 minutes each day. Get plenty of light in the evening and keep your mornings dim, and you'll land already partway through the adjustment. A review of jet lag interventions after westward and eastward flights lays out this plan in detail.

Small steps are the trick. If 60 minutes a day feels impossible, 30 still counts, and a few days of it adds up. Your schedule doesn't have to be perfect to help.

Melatonin comes up in almost every jet lag conversation. Timing matters a great deal with it, so it's worth asking a doctor or pharmacist to help you plan whether it makes sense for you.

Keep reading Cheap Places in Europe: 7 Affordable Spots and When to Go

Stay up until local bedtime on arrival

The first rule is to stop living on home time the second you land. Change your watch and phone, eat at local mealtimes, and plan to sleep at local bedtime, even when you feel rough. Every hour you spend on local time nudges your clock in the right direction.

Staying awake through the evening is the hard part. A walk, a shower and a real meal will keep your energy up better than scrolling on the sofa. If you're wide awake at 3 a.m., get out of bed, keep the lights low, read until you feel sleepy, and then head back to bed.

Use evening light and skip the morning sun

Light is the strongest signal your body clock responds to. After a westward trip you want that signal late in the day, because bright light in the evening pushes your clock later, which is the direction you need. The Sleep Foundation's guide to jet lag points out that light at the wrong time can make things worse.

Morning light is the one to dodge on your first couple of days. Depending on when you land, the Sleep Foundation suggests avoiding light right after arrival and then getting plenty of it the next day. If you end up outside in strong morning sun, wrap-around sunglasses with low light transmission help, as the PMC review recommends.

• In the late afternoon, get outside or sit by a bright window.
• After dinner, keep indoor lights bright, then dim them an hour or two before bed.
• If you can't get outdoor light, a light therapy lamp can help, though it's worth checking with a professional before you buy one for a health concern.

Keep naps short and early

A nap can rescue you at 2 p.m., but a long one will wreck your bedtime. Keep it to about 20 minutes, set an alarm, and finish before 3 p.m. local time. Some travelers can stretch to 30 minutes, but 20 is the safer bet for most people.

Why does length matter so much? A longer sleep burns through the sleep pressure you need to fall asleep at night. A short one takes the edge off without costing you your bedtime.

Caffeine can carry you through day one too. Have a cup in the morning or early afternoon, and cut it off by 2 p.m. so it doesn't keep you wired when you're trying to sleep.

A sample first three days

This example assumes you land at 11 a.m. local time after an overnight flight of about eight hours heading west. Shift the clock times to fit your own flight and bedtime, but keep the order of the steps.

Day 1: landing day

• 11 a.m.: Set your watch to local time as you leave the plane. Eat a light lunch at a normal local lunchtime.
• 12:30 to 2 p.m.: Walk outside, with sunglasses if it's bright. Stay busy.
• Before 2:30 p.m.: If you're fading, take one nap of about 20 minutes with an alarm set.
• 4 to 6 p.m.: Get outside in the late afternoon sun. This is your strongest westward signal.
• 7 p.m.: Have dinner at local dinner time, then keep the lights bright until about 9 p.m.
• 9 p.m. onward: Dim the lights, wind down, and go to bed around 10:30 p.m. local time.

Day 2: first full day

• Wake at a set local time, close to yesterday's. Keep the early morning dim and wear sunglasses if you head out.
• Late morning and midday: Get outdoor light, then eat meals at local times.
• Coffee before 1 p.m., and no caffeine after 2 p.m.
• Afternoon: Skip the nap if you can. If you really need one, keep it to 20 minutes before 3 p.m.
• Evening: Spend 30 to 60 minutes in bright light before dinner, like a walk around sunset.
• Bedtime: Aim for 11 p.m. local time, dimming the lights for the hour before.

Day 3: settling in

• Pick a wake time and stick to it within an hour either way.
• Keep the morning dim, then get outside around midday.
• Repeat the evening routine: bright light at dusk, dim lights before bed.
• If you wake at 4 a.m., get up, keep the lights low, read, and return to bed when sleepy.
• By day three many travelers feel noticeably better, though everyone's pace is different.

Your first move

If you only do one thing, decide now that you'll stay up until local bedtime and change your watch the minute you land. Then add a late afternoon walk in the sun and a 20-minute nap cap. Flying the other way? Our step-by-step plan for going east covers the reverse steps, and our day-by-day plan for any trip works for almost every route.