Moving long distance is much more difficult than moving locally – there is no doubt about it. It poses a unique set of challenges that don’t exist with moves over shorter distances – such as changing time zones, for example.
The United States has nine different time zones – so after a cross-country move, you could be in a time zone 8 hours ahead or behind the area where you came from. Needless to say, when moving abroad, the difference in time zones can be even bigger.
It’s quite easy to adjust when moving a couple of time zones over but moving coast to coast – or across the ocean – could really throw your internal clock off. You will know you’re in a new time zone, but your body clock will continue to work based on the time at home, not the local time. This will affect how you function and feel and the undesirable effect may last for a few days – sometimes, even more than a week.
To prevent time zone differences from ruining the first days of your new life in your new area, you need to get your sleep/wake cycle back on track as quickly as possible.
But how to do that? How to adjust to a new time zone quickly?
Here are some tips to help you acclimatize quickly and easily when moving to a different time zone.
Why is it difficult to adjust to a different time zone?
The human body operates on a biological schedule known as circadian rhythm. Circadian rhythms are physical, mental, and behavioral changes that follow a 24-hour cycle. These processes are affected by external stimuli and respond primarily to light and darkness (strong light during the day results in alertness while fading light during the night causes the release of melatonin – the sleep hormone).
Your circadian rhythm conforms to the place where you live, based on the photoperiod in the area (the duration of natural light between sunrise and sunset). When you go to a different time zone, the photoperiod there is different, and this results in a confusion in your body’s sense of day and night – your internal clock is synced to the time zone you come from and doesn’t match up with the light cycle in the new time zone. This can lead to sleep problems and daytime fatigue, leaving you unable to focus or function at your usual level.
The body clock will eventually adjust to the new time zone, but it will take some time.
How long does it take to adjust to a new time zone?
It is generally said that it takes the body one day to adjust to every hour of time zone difference.
In fact, how difficult it will be to get used to a new time zone depends on several factors:
- The number of time zones crossed – The further away you go, the longer it will take to sync to the new time zone, as the change your body clock will have to adjust to will be more drastic;
- The travel speed – When driving to your new area, or traveling by bus or by train, your body has the opportunity to adjust to time zone changes gradually. When flying across time zones, however, the change is very sudden and your circadian rhythm has no time to adjust;
- The moving direction – Usually, it’s easier to get used to the new time zone when going west and “gaining” time than when going east and “losing” time. It’s harder to advance your internal clock (and fall asleep and wake up earlier) than it is to delay your internal clock (and stay alert until later).
So, how long after moving does it take to adjust to a new time zone? Depending on the number of time zones crossed, it can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks:
- If you’re moving from Boston to San Francisco (or from anywhere on the east coast to anywhere on the west coast), you can expect to get used to the new time zone in just a couple of days after the move (a day or two longer if you’re moving in the opposite direction – from the west coast to the east coast).
- If you’re moving from Florida to Hawaii, it may take you up to 6 days to adjust (a day or two longer when moving the other way around);
- If you’re moving from the US to Australia, your internal clock will need about two weeks to sync to the local time zone.
Either way, you need to allow your body some time to get used to the different schedule of light and dark in your new area.
That being said, there are some things you can do to help your circadian rhythm adjust faster.
How to adjust to a new time zone
When you move to a different time zone, you will inevitably experience some negative effects of circadian disorientation, such as fatigue, headache, and sleep disturbances. These effects will continue until your internal clock readjusts based on exterior signals in the new environment.
Thankfully, with proper preparation, you can speed up the adjustment process and mitigate the side effects of switching time zones.
Here is how to adjust to a different time zone in the fastest and easiest way possible:
Start getting used to the new time zone before the move
Find out what time zone you’ll be in after the move and start reorienting your sleeping schedule to match your new time zone a few weeks before the relocation:
- If you’re moving east, try to get up earlier and go to bed earlier than usual;
- If you’re going west, try to stay up later and wake up later.
Change your routine gradually – go to bed 15 minutes earlier or 15 minutes later each day – so your body doesn’t experience any drastic changes. Try to adjust your sleep schedule so it’s as close to the normal sleep schedule in your destination’s time zone as possible.
A few days before the move, set your clocks to the new time zone and try to have meals, do exercise, and perform other typical daily activities at the appropriate times for your new area.
Bonus tip: Be sure not to leave packing – and other laborious moving tasks – for the last minute. Finish as many of your moving preparations as you can ahead of time, so you don’t have too much work in the last couple of days before the move – the more fatigued you’re, the more difficult it will be for your body to deal with time zone changes and adjust after the relocation. Allow yourself as much time to rest as possible before the move, so you feel better and have more energy when you arrive in your new area.
Related: Moving timeline
Use your travel time wisely
If you’re flying to your new city, try to sleep or stay awake on the plane depending on your arrival time:
- If you’re arriving in the morning, try to sleep during the flight, so you’re fresh and rested upon arrival and have enough energy to get through the first day in your new area;
- If you’re arriving in the evening, try to stay awake during the flight, so you’re tired upon arrival and can fall asleep at the correct hour for that time zone.
Be sure to drink plenty of water before and during the flight as dehydration will make it more difficult for your body to adjust to changes.
If you’re driving to your new home, you’re unlikely to cross more than two zones in one day. The journey will be slow enough for your body clock to adjust to the changes gradually, so your circadian rhythm won’t be too much off when you arrive at your destination.
Related: Should you drive or fly when moving cross country
Help your circadian rhythm get back on track as soon as possible after the move
Once you arrive in your new home, do everything possible to facilitate the adjustment period:
Follow your normal daily routine based on the local clock
To help your body clock reset faster after the move, act like you’ve always lived in that time zone. Do everything at the appropriate local time:
- Eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the same hours you usually do based on the local clock;
- Go to bed and get up when you normally do based on the local time;
- Time exercises, walks, work, and other daily activities based on the local clock;
- Even if you’re tired, resist the temptation to nap – stay awake until your normal bedtime based on the local time.
Stay outdoors longer
As mentioned above, light is the most important factor in regulating the circadian rhythm. Therefore, spending time outdoors – in natural light – will help your body adjust to the different environment faster.
When possible, try to get 30 minutes of direct sunlight right after you wake up – sunlight will suppress the release of melatonin and you will start feeling alert and energized.
Contrariwise, going for a walk after sunset will increase the production of melatonin in your body and you will start feeling tired and sleepy.
Avoid alcohol and caffeine
Caffeine promotes wakefulness and alcohol has been proven to lower sleep quality and efficiency. Therefore, you’re strongly advised to avoid these beverages after moving to a different time zone – especially later in the afternoon and in the evening.
Bonus tip: Sugar increases energy quickly, even if the effect is only temporary – so if you start feeling sleepy in the afternoon, you can eat something sweet to get an energy boost that will help you last until normal bedtime. Be sure not to eat anything sweet in the evening though.
Use sleeping remedies
When wondering how to get used to a new time zone, remember that the key is getting back on a normal sleep schedule. If you have trouble easing yourself to sleep in your new environment, try some proven sleep remedies:
- Make sure your bed is comfortable, the temperature is moderate, the air is fresh, and your bedroom is quiet, dark, and peaceful;
- Avoid heavy meals and cut back on screen time before bedtime;
- Use lavender products to help you sleep more calmly (lavender tea, lavender sprays, lavender bath soak or body wash, lavender scented candles, etc.);
- Consider using melatonin, valerian, or other supplements that aid sleep;
- Use the things that worked for you at your old home – drink a glass of warm milk before bed, listen to gentle music, read from your favorite book, etc.
Moving to a different time zone may be a challenge but there is nothing to fret about – your body clock will reset soon enough and you will start feeling more at home in your new environment. Happy moving!
