Time Traveler Jet Lag Adjuster
Divide the jump into daily adjustments
We treat circadian change as a pacing problem: distribute the total time shift evenly across the days available before and after travel. The daily shift magnitude is . Forward jumps produce positive shifts (go to bed later), while negative shifts mean advancing wake times. The schedule doubles this value on travel day to account for the instant temporal leap.
Physiologists recommend limiting circadian adjustments to two hours per day when possible. The feedback message highlights when your chosen plan exceeds that guideline so you can add buffer days or combine the calculator with light-therapy strategies.
Example temporal itineraries
Use these sample scenarios to benchmark your own plan. The table assumes symmetric prep and recovery windows and summarizes the resulting daily shifts.
| Adventure | Jump (hours) | Prep days | Recovery days | Daily shift | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visit Renaissance Florence | -12 | 3 | 3 | 2 hours | Advance bedtime |
| Leap to a lunar colony in 2124 | 18 | 4 | 2 | 3 hours | Delay bedtime |
| Weekend jaunt to Jurassic dawn | -6 | 1 | 2 | 2 hours | Advance wake time |
Optimize recovery like a chrononaut
Stack bright-light exposure, hydration, and meal timing alongside the calculated shifts to strengthen the adjustment. If your itinerary shows more than two hours of daily change, consider increasing total days or splitting the jump with a layover era. For conventional travel, pair this tool with the Jet Lag Recovery Time Calculator to estimate how long your body needs to stabilize.
Writers and tabletop game masters can translate the schedule into narrative beats: describe how characters nap in the Daylight Saving Time Sleep Adjustment Calculator fashion, or experiment with experimental sleep routines using the Polyphasic Sleep Schedule Calculator.