How bad is jet lag flying to Boston?

It depends where you start. From Sydney you cross 14 time zones travelling west, which typically takes about 9 days to shake off. From cities in a similar longitude to Boston there is little or no jet lag at all.

Is jet lag worse flying east or west to Boston?

Flying east — where you lose hours and have to fall asleep earlier — is generally harder than flying west, for the same number of time zones. The table above marks the direction of each route so you know which kind of adjustment to expect.

How long does it take to get over jet lag in Boston?

A common rule of thumb is one day of recovery per time zone crossed when heading east, and a little faster heading west. Bright light at the right time of day and adjusting your sleep before you fly both speed it up.

Jet lag when you fly to Boston

Boston is on America/New_York. How much jet lag you get depends entirely on where you start — how many time zones you cross, and in which direction. Travelling west is the easier direction. Stay up later than usual before you go and get evening light once you arrive.

Jet lag to Boston by departure city

From	Time zones	Direction	Distance	Flight (approx.)	Recovery
Sydney	14	← west	16,240 km	20 hours	~9 days
Tokyo	13	← west	10,791 km	13½ hours	~9 days
Singapore	12	← west	15,135 km	18½ hours	~8 days
Mumbai	10	← west	12,248 km	15 hours	~7 days
Dubai	8	← west	10,718 km	13½ hours	~5 days
Paris	6	← west	5,531 km	7½ hours	~4 days
Johannesburg	6	← west	12,646 km	15½ hours	~4 days
London	5	← west	5,264 km	7 hours	~3 days
Los Angeles	3	→ east	4,170 km	5½ hours	~3 days
São Paulo	1	← west	7,746 km	10 hours	~1 day
New York City	—	same zone	306 km	1 hour	none

Distances are great-circle; flight times are rough nonstop estimates. Recovery uses ~1 day per zone east, faster west.

Beating jet lag in Boston

Jet lag happens because your body clock stays on home time for a while after you land. The bigger the offset between Boston and where you flew from, the longer it takes to catch up — roughly a day for each time zone when you travel east, and somewhat faster when you travel west, because it is easier to stay up late than to force yourself to sleep early.

A few days before you fly, nudge your sleep schedule toward Boston time — earlier if you are heading east, later if west. On arrival, get outside: daylight is the strongest signal for resetting your clock. Morning light helps after an eastward trip; evening light helps after a westward one. To see the exact current offset, check the current time in Boston.

Frequently asked questions

How bad is jet lag flying to Boston?: It depends where you start. From Sydney you cross 14 time zones travelling west, which typically takes about 9 days to shake off. From cities in a similar longitude to Boston there is little or no jet lag at all.
Is jet lag worse flying east or west to Boston?: Flying east — where you lose hours and have to fall asleep earlier — is generally harder than flying west, for the same number of time zones. The table above marks the direction of each route so you know which kind of adjustment to expect.
How long does it take to get over jet lag in Boston?: A common rule of thumb is one day of recovery per time zone crossed when heading east, and a little faster heading west. Bright light at the right time of day and adjusting your sleep before you fly both speed it up.