Sleep · Travel
Jet lag in China:
plan the first nights.
Flying to China usually means crossing six to thirteen time zones. If you already sleep badly, jet lag can make the first nights much worse. Timed light, sensible scheduling and, for many people, melatonin speed up the adjustment.
Quick answer
How do I get over jet lag when travelling to China?
Expect your body clock to shift by roughly one hour a day after flying east and about 1.5 hours a day after flying west, according to the CDC. Get daylight at the times that move your clock toward local time, keep the first days light and avoid long naps. Melatonin helps: a Cochrane review found 0.5–5 mg taken close to local bedtime reduced jet lag in 9 of 10 trials when five or more time zones were crossed. Taking it at the wrong time of day can delay adaptation.
~1 h/day
Adjustment flying east
About 1.5 h/day flying west; westward is easier
CDC Yellow Book 2026
9 of 10
Melatonin trials positive
Flights crossing ≥5 time zones
Herxheimer & Petrie, Cochrane 2002
0.5–5 mg
Effective dose range
Similar effect; 5 mg gives faster sleep; >5 mg no better
Herxheimer & Petrie, Cochrane 2002
NNT 2
Number needed to treat
Melatonin for jet lag
Herxheimer & Petrie, Cochrane 2002
10pm–midnight
When to take it
Close to target bedtime at destination
Herxheimer & Petrie, Cochrane 2002
>2,500 m
Altitude effect on sleep
Periodic breathing can disturb sleep above roughly 2,500 m
Perger & Baillieul, Sleep Med Clin 2026
Tools
What actually helps.
Timed light
Light is the body clock's main signal. Outdoor daylight at the right time of day pulls your clock toward local time; light at the wrong time pulls it the other way. Your coordinator builds the light timing into day 1–3 plans.
Free
Melatonin
0.5–5 mg close to local bedtime on arrival nights. Avoid it if you have epilepsy or take warfarin unless your doctor agrees.
Cochrane review
Schedule
No early starts or big sightseeing days in the first 48 hours. Short naps only (under about 30 minutes, before mid-afternoon).
Built into routes
Caffeine & alcohol
Caffeine (including China's excellent tea) helps alertness in the morning but can wreck the first nights if taken late. Alcohol fragments sleep.
Timing matters
Flying to China soon?
Tell us where you're flying from and your dates. We'll plan light timing and a gentle first 48 hours into your itinerary.
Arrival plan
Roughly how long to adjust
Using the CDC's rough rates, a traveller from western Europe flying east to China (6–7 hours ahead in summer) may need about a week for the body clock to fully catch up. From North America the shift is larger, but many travellers adjust by delaying their clock, which is faster. The table is a rough guide only: individuals differ, and good light timing speeds things up.
| Flying from | Time difference | Easier direction to adjust | Rough full adjustment |
|---|---|---|---|
| London (summer, BST) | China +7 h | Advance (east) | About 7 days at ~1 h/day |
| Paris / Berlin (summer) | China +6 h | Advance (east) | About 6 days |
| New York (summer, EDT) | China +12 h | Often delay (treat as west) | About 8 days at ~1.5 h/day |
| Los Angeles (summer, PDT) | China +15 h, or 9 h behind | Delay (west) | About 6 days |
| Sydney (winter, AEST) | China −2 h | Minor | 1–2 days |
| Dubai | China +4 h | Advance (east) | About 4 days |
Calculated from the CDC's approximate adaptation rates (≈1 h/day eastward, ≈1.5 h/day westward). Many people feel functional sooner than full adjustment.
Already struggling with sleep?
If poor sleep started long before the trip, a sleep assessment once you've settled in can find out why. Ask how to add one.
If you already have insomnia
Jet lag is not chronic insomnia
Jet lag passes as the body clock adjusts. Chronic insomnia lasts at least three months. Jet lag can, however, trigger a bad spell for someone prone to insomnia. That is why our sleep wellness tours schedule the sleep assessment after you've had a couple of days to adjust, and keep the CBT-I sleep window aligned with local time.
Melatonin is useful for jet lag but is not recommended for chronic insomnia by the AASM, so treat the two separately.
FAQ
Jet lag — answered.
- Is melatonin legal and available in China?
- Rules and product availability differ from those in the US. Many travellers bring their own supply for personal use. Check current customs rules for your trip and keep it in its original packaging.
- Is jet lag worse flying to China or back home?
- For Europeans, flying to China (east) is usually harder than flying home (west), because the body clock adjusts more slowly when it has to advance. The CDC estimates about 1 hour a day eastward versus about 1.5 hours a day westward.
- Should I take sleeping pills for jet lag?
- A short-acting sleeping pill may help some people sleep on arrival nights, but it doesn't shift the body clock. Discuss it with your doctor, especially if you already take medication for insomnia.
- Does altitude affect sleep on a China trip?
- Above roughly 2,500 m, many people develop periodic breathing during sleep, which fragments it. Our sleep routes stay at lower altitudes overnight (Mount Emei visitors sleep near the foot of the mountain, not at the summit).
Related guides
Insomnia treatment (hub)
What works for chronic insomnia, step by step.
Read the guideCBT-I explained
The first-line treatment: components, results, in person or digital.
Read the guideSleeping pills & new drugs
What guidelines allow, for how long — and orexin drugs now approved in China.
Read the guideAcupuncture & TCM for insomnia
What the trials show, honestly graded.
Read the guideSleep wellness tours
Six slow-travel routes with sleep care built in.
Read the guideSleep apnoea & sleep studies
Polysomnography, CPAP and surgical options.
Read the guideSources
References
- Riedy SM, Williams SG. Jet lag disorder. In: CDC Yellow Book 2026: Health Information for International Travel. CDC; 2025.
- Herxheimer A, Petrie KJ. Melatonin for the prevention and treatment of jet lag. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2002;(2):CD001520.
- Sateia MJ, Buysse DJ, Krystal AD, et al. Clinical practice guideline for the pharmacologic treatment of chronic insomnia in adults: an AASM clinical practice guideline. J Clin Sleep Med. 2017;13(2):307–349.
- Perger E, Baillieul S. Central sleep apnea at high altitude: from pathophysiology to treatment. Sleep Med Clin. 2026;21(3):343–352.
Planning a trip
and worried about sleep?
Tell us where you're flying from and how you sleep. We'll build an arrival plan with light timing, a gentle first two days and, if you want, a sleep assessment once you've settled.
This page is for general education only and is not medical advice. Insomnia can be a symptom of other conditions — sleep apnoea, depression, anxiety, pain, thyroid disease or medication side effects — that need their own treatment. Do not stop or change sleeping medication without talking to your doctor. Seek urgent help if you have thoughts of self-harm, or if sleepiness affects your driving.
Published 5 October 2026 · Figures checked against the cited sources by the PandaTouring Care editorial team · Editorial policy