Jet lag from London to New York
Flying from London to New York is 4 to 5 hours west on the clock, depending on the date. Jetlag Away moves your body clock later, the easier direction, starting in the nights before you fly.
A daytime flight that lands in the New York afternoon, with the evening still ahead. Westbound is the easier direction: the body clock runs a little longer than a day, so staying up later goes with it. The work is in staying awake until a sensible local bedtime and getting light late in the day, not early.
The shift through 2027
The difference between the two clocks changes when either country changes its clocks, so the same flight is not the same trip all year. This is the shift for a departure at 11:00 London time, measured at each end at the moment you are there, the way the app measures it.
| Departing | Shift | What the plan does |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January – 13 March | 5 hours west | Moves your clock later |
| 14 March – 27 March | 4 hours west | Moves your clock later |
| 28 March – 30 October | 5 hours west | Moves your clock later |
| 31 October – 6 November | 4 hours west | Moves your clock later |
| 7 November – 31 December | 5 hours west | Moves your clock later |
How long it takes
The plan moves your sleep a little each night before you fly, then sets light, sleep and caffeine on local time until the shift is made. How much it does before departure, and how many days after landing carry light instructions, depend on the intensity you choose. These are the app's figures with its default limits: never woken before 05:00, never kept up after 01:30. They are a schedule, not a promise of how you will feel.
4 hours west
| Intensity | Before you fly | After landing |
|---|---|---|
| Gentle | 1.5 hours, 3 nights | 2 days |
| Moderate | 2 hours, 4 nights | 2 days |
| Aggressive | 2 hours, 4 nights | 1 day |
5 hours west
| Intensity | Before you fly | After landing |
|---|---|---|
| Gentle | 1.5 hours, 3 nights | 3 days |
| Moderate | 2 hours, 4 nights | 2 days |
| Aggressive | 2 hours, 4 nights | 2 days |
An example plan in July
Leaving London at 11:00 on 14 July 2027 and landing in New York at 14:00 on 14 July, local time. 5 hours west, so the plan moves your clock later. Built at the moderate intensity for someone who usually sleeps 23:30 to 07:00.
The nights before you fly
London time.
- 4 nights before: bed 00:00, up 07:30 (30 minutes later)
- 3 nights before: bed 00:30, up 08:00 (1 hour later)
- 2 nights before: bed 01:00, up 08:30 (1h 30m later)
- The night before: bed 01:30, up 09:00 (2 hours later)
The day you fly
New York time: from the day you fly, the plan runs on your destination's clock.
- Stay awake, 06:00–14:00
After landing
New York time.
- Arrival, 14 July: No caffeine after 17:30; Bright light, 21:30–22:30; Sleep, 23:30–07:00
- Day 2, 15 July: No caffeine after 17:30; Bright light, 22:30–23:30; Sleep, 23:30–07:00
Read next
- Why flying east is harder, and what that changes about the plan.
- Short trips: if you fly home within 3 days, the app keeps you on home time instead of adjusting.
- How a plan is built: the rates, the steps and the sources behind every number on this page.
- Jet lag by route: every route with a page like this one.
The figures on this page are computed by the same code the app runs, for 2027, from an example flight. Jetlag Away is a scheduling tool and not medical advice. If you have a sleep or circadian disorder, or any diagnosed condition affected by sleep, talk to a healthcare professional first — see the health disclaimer in our terms.
Last reviewed 10 October 2026. Published 10 October 2026.