I'm flying from Germany to Hong Kong to take a test (amongst other reasons, Germany doesn't have the required test center), and that means a 12 hour flight. I can decide when to fly and when to book the exam day. How many days, at minimum, should I recover from jetlag before taking the (3 hour) test?
Rona Lachat
You can begin to adjust your eating and sleeping times to that of destination before you fly.
Your body adjusts about one hour per day. Some are faster some slower.
ONLY YOU KNOW what time of day is best for you to take a test. USE THIS when deciding the best time to sleep and eat before your test.
YOUR BODY does not care what the clock on the wall says is breakfast time or sleep time.
You have a chance to adjust to the time of the test.
You can start the adjustment before you travel or after you arrive. That is up to you.
For you a FULL recovery is about 7 days. A MINIMUM of 3 days after flight for most should help with your test.
Change in meals, finding your way to test place. Good idea to take a test run day before to be sure you are going to correct place. Allow some time for things like a traffic accident. IT HAPPENS. It appears to be an important test. No need to arrive at the last possible minute.
You will be stressed out for this test. You will not be getting normal sleep.
YOU help yourself by allowing as much time as possible to adjust and get settled down (unstressed) to do your last minute preparations and study for your test.
You SHOULD KNOW IT BEFORE YOU BOARD your flight.
The last minute study should only be some review. NOT INTENSE last minute cramming.
Good luck.
You help your self beginning your adjustment a day or two before departure. Moving your meal times and sleeping time about one hour each day on the clock towards the time at destination.
Your travel day is not just time of flight. It is from time you wake up ,get to Airport depart,land get to place you sleep.
Work it out using arrival place clock . This helps you understand how tired you may feel at arrival. About a 20 hour day.
Your body counts the hours NOT WHAT THE CLOCK says.
When you board the flight change your clock to the destination time and do as the clock says as best you can. It will not be perfect. It does take some time to adjust (DAYS not hours) NO MAGIC SPEED UP thing to do. Each is different.
Anonymous
You'd usually need to allow one day to recover from every hour's time change. Hong Kong to Germany is a seven hour difference. Ideally you want to be there a week before the exam; this also gives your bowels chance to adapt to the food.