How bad is jet lag flying to New York City?

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 New York City there is little or no jet lag at all.

Is jet lag worse flying east or west to New York City?

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 New York City?

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 New York City

New York City 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 New York City by departure city

From	Time zones	Direction	Distance	Flight (approx.)	Recovery
Sydney	14	← west	15,989 km	19½ hours	~9 days
Tokyo	13	← west	10,849 km	13½ hours	~9 days
Singapore	12	← west	15,339 km	19 hours	~8 days
Mumbai	10	← west	12,538 km	15½ hours	~7 days
Dubai	8	← west	11,022 km	13½ hours	~5 days
Paris	6	← west	5,837 km	7½ hours	~4 days
Johannesburg	6	← west	12,839 km	16 hours	~4 days
London	5	← west	5,570 km	7½ hours	~3 days
Los Angeles	3	→ east	3,936 km	5½ hours	~3 days
São Paulo	1	← west	7,685 km	10 hours	~1 day

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

Beating jet lag in New York City

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

Frequently asked questions

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