How bad is jet lag flying to Detroit?

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 Detroit there is little or no jet lag at all.

Is jet lag worse flying east or west to Detroit?

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 Detroit?

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 Detroit

Detroit is on America/Detroit. 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 Detroit by departure city

From	Time zones	Direction	Distance	Flight (approx.)	Recovery
Sydney	14	← west	15,257 km	18½ hours	~9 days
Tokyo	13	← west	10,314 km	13 hours	~9 days
Singapore	12	← west	15,115 km	18½ hours	~8 days
Mumbai	10	← west	12,754 km	16 hours	~7 days
Dubai	8	← west	11,388 km	14 hours	~5 days
Paris	6	← west	6,327 km	8 hours	~4 days
Johannesburg	6	← west	13,612 km	17 hours	~4 days
London	5	← west	6,036 km	8 hours	~3 days
Los Angeles	3	→ east	3,185 km	4½ hours	~3 days
São Paulo	1	← west	8,224 km	10½ hours	~1 day
New York City	—	same zone	773 km	1½ hours	none

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

Beating jet lag in Detroit

Jet lag happens because your body clock stays on home time for a while after you land. The bigger the offset between Detroit 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 Detroit 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 Detroit.

Frequently asked questions

How bad is jet lag flying to Detroit?: 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 Detroit there is little or no jet lag at all.
Is jet lag worse flying east or west to Detroit?: 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 Detroit?: 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.