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Optimal Time

How to Determine the Optimal Time to Shift

How your personal profile and exact flight times are used to choose the optimal time for you (and the traveler's above) to begin functioning on your destination time zone and create your StopJetLag Plan

We spent many years with Dr. Charles Ehret refining the StopJetLag program to deliver the optimal timing for recommendations for avoiding jet lag whatever combination of flight times and connections you have.

StopJetLag analyzes all of the following factors before formulating its Plan for your trip. Don't settle for anything less.

Your Wake Up Time at Your Destination Relative to Your Flights

Your Wake Up Time at Your Destination Relative to Your Flights

Is it already close to or past the time you would normally wake-up at your destination by the time you get on your flight or change planes?

When your answer is yes, this indicates that you will not be able to sleep on your upcoming destination time during your flight.

Checks if Destination Time Core Sleep is Available on Your Flight

Checks if Destination Time Core Sleep is Available on Your Flight

Can you receive at least an uninterrupted stretch of destination time core sleep on your flight (for the average person this is 4-1/2 hours of sleep)?

When your answer is yes and you are going east, this also indicates that you will not be able to get enough sleep on your destination time during your flight.

Checks Your Sleep Patterns Relative to Connecting Flights You Have

Checks Your Sleep Patterns Relative to Connecting Flights You Have

When and where are your connecting flights?

Generally speaking a connection that entails changing planes will force you to stay awake and therefore it is not a possible time to sleep on either departure or destination time. Possible sleep times are therefore evaluated for other sections of your trip.

How Early You Can Change to the Time at Your Destination

How Early You Can Change to the Time at Your Destination

Do you have the option of changing to your destination's time schedule while still at your departure city, or do you have meetings scheduled that will require your being active with clients and unable to change to destination time any sooner than departure?

For most trips (especially afternoon and evening flights) the answer to this question is that it is not possible (and/or desirable) to change to destination time before departure. Your StopJetLag Plan does allow this choice to be made.

How Your Flight Schedules Affect Jet Lag

Other methods give you a recommendation based only on the flight day, without considering the flight times. In contrast, StopJetLag considers flight times and the point at which they occur during your daily cycle. This can make a profound difference in the proper handling of your body clock adjustment.

Two Trip Scenarios - Same Destination, Different Flights.

Two Trip Scenarios - Same Destination, Different Flights.

Let's take two different flights you could take from San Francisco to Paris (one leaving early in the morning and the other in the evening) to help explain the importance of flight times to the proper recommendations for shifting to a new time zone.

Personal Preferences Used:

  • Sleep Patterns
    • Normal Bedtime: 10:30pm
    • Wakeup at 6:30am
  • Meals:
    • Breakfast: 7:00am
    • Lunch: 12 noon
    • Supper: 7:00pm

San Francisco to Paris (morning vs. evening flights)

Scenario #1 (Morning Flight):
   Tuesday Morning Departure - Wednesday Morning Arrival
Depart   Arrive  
San Francisco 8:10am New York 4:40pm
New York 6:15pm Paris 6:30am

Scenario #2 (Evening Flight):
   Tuesday Evening Departure - Wednesday Afternoon Arrival
Depart   Arrive  
San Francisco 9:00pm Paris 3:30pm

Discussion of the differences between the two scenarios.

Discussion of the differences between the two scenarios.

The first scenario entails leaving San Francisco early in the morning and changing planes in New York City. Since the connecting flight leaves New York at 6:15pm Eastern Time (3:15pm Pacific Time, 11:15pm in Paris), at that point you can begin behaving on Paris time by setting your watch to 11:15pm and sleeping as much as possible until 6:30am when you arrive in Paris. This will allow you up to 7 hours and 45 minutes of sleep during your flight to prepare you for a full day in Paris upon your arrival.

However, the second scenario, which involved meetings in San Francisco all day on Tuesday, must be handled differently. By the time you leave San Francisco at 9:00pm it is already 5:00am in Paris. Attempting to reset your body clock to Paris time on this flight would force you to wake up in 2 to 3 hours to have breakfast on Paris time and subsequently suffer severe sleep deprivation. It is much better to sleep on San Francisco time on this flight and after your arrival in Paris (7:30am San Francisco time) switch to Paris time (3:30pm).

As you can see the different flights result in completely different recommendations even though the end goal is the same: to adjust to Paris time as quickly and efficiently as possible... and StopJetLag's system makes the difference. For every flight you take, these types of issues should be considered in order to arrive at the best measures to take to eliminate jet lag.


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