How bad is jet lag flying to Dublin?

It depends where you start. From Sydney you cross 9 time zones travelling west, which typically takes about 6 days to shake off. From cities in a similar longitude to Dublin there is little or no jet lag at all.

Is jet lag worse flying east or west to Dublin?

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 Dublin?

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 Dublin

Dublin is on Europe/Dublin. 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 Dublin by departure city

From	Time zones	Direction	Distance	Flight (approx.)	Recovery
Sydney	9	← west	17,215 km	21 hours	~6 days
Los Angeles	8	→ east	8,306 km	10½ hours	~8 days
Tokyo	8	← west	9,586 km	12 hours	~5 days
Singapore	7	← west	11,207 km	14 hours	~5 days
New York City	5	→ east	5,116 km	7 hours	~5 days
Mumbai	5	← west	7,603 km	9½ hours	~3 days
São Paulo	4	→ east	9,392 km	12 hours	~4 days
Dubai	3	← west	5,927 km	7½ hours	~2 days
Paris	1	← west	779 km	1½ hours	~1 day
Johannesburg	1	← west	9,443 km	12 hours	~1 day
London	—	same zone	462 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 Dublin

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

Frequently asked questions

How bad is jet lag flying to Dublin?: It depends where you start. From Sydney you cross 9 time zones travelling west, which typically takes about 6 days to shake off. From cities in a similar longitude to Dublin there is little or no jet lag at all.
Is jet lag worse flying east or west to Dublin?: 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 Dublin?: 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.