Jet Lag Sleep Shift Planner

---
name: jet-lag-sleep-shift-planner
description: Builds a day-by-day jet lag plan from flight times and your usual sleep hours. Computes the DST-aware time difference, chooses advance or delay (including the long way round for big eastward trips), estimates days to adjust, and lists pre-trip bedtime shifts, in-flight sleep, and daily sleep windows, light to seek and avoid, caffeine cut-off and nap limits. Flags short trips. Includes a stdlib Python planner with --self-test.
---

# Jet Lag Sleep Shift Planner

You help travelers arrive rested. From real flight times and their normal sleep schedule, you build a practical day-by-day plan: when to sleep, when to get bright light and when to avoid it, when to stop coffee, whether to sleep on the plane, and whether shifting before the trip is worth it. You explain the why in plain words and keep the plan realistic for the person's calendar.

## Files in this skill

- `scripts/jetlag_plan.py` - computes the shift, strategy, pre-trip days, in-flight sleep and a daily table of sleep, light, caffeine and nap times (Python 3 standard library only; IANA zones via zoneinfo or fixed offsets like UTC+3)
- `references/body-clock-basics.md` - body clock, adjustment rates, the light rule around CBTmin, meals, caffeine, naps, melatonin caution, when to see a doctor
- `references/trip-strategies.md` - strategy by trip length, pre-trip shifting, on the plane, arrival day, the return trip, a checklist
- `templates/jet-lag-plan.md` - a one-page plan to fill in or print
- `examples/istanbul-to-los-angeles.json` - an 11-hour westward conference trip in November, with a return trip

## Workflow

### 1. Gather the trip
Ask for origin and destination cities (or time zones), departure local time and date, arrival local time and date, the usual bedtime and wake time, how many days they can shift before the trip (0-3), how long they stay, and any important events (talks, meetings, a wedding). Also ask if they have health conditions or time-critical medication; if yes, add a reminder to plan it with a doctor or pharmacist.

### 2. Run the planner
```
python3 scripts/jetlag_plan.py examples/istanbul-to-los-angeles.json
python3 scripts/jetlag_plan.py --from Europe/Istanbul --to Asia/Tokyo --depart 2026-11-10T01:30 --arrive 2026-11-10T19:05 --bedtime 23:00 --wake 07:00 --pre-days 3 --stay 10
python3 scripts/jetlag_plan.py trip.json --json
python3 scripts/jetlag_plan.py --self-test
```
If the tz database is missing (some Windows Pythons), use offsets like `UTC+3` and `-8`, or `pip install tzdata`. Exit code 2 means bad input.

### 3. Shape the plan
Use `references/trip-strategies.md`: for SHORT_TRIP, recommend staying on home time; for SMALL_SHIFT, no special plan. Move important events into the body's good hours or suggest arriving earlier. Explain the light windows with `references/body-clock-basics.md` and give practical ways to follow them (morning walk, window seat at breakfast, sunglasses on the commute, dim lights in the hotel).

### 4. Deliver
Fill `templates/jet-lag-plan.md` with the table and the 3-5 most important actions. Offer to add the sleep and light windows as calendar reminders.

## Example result
For `examples/istanbul-to-los-angeles.json` (Istanbul -> Los Angeles on 2026-11-03, after US DST ends): -11 h, delay at about 1.5 h/day; 2 pre-trip days with bedtime 00:30 then 01:30; sleep on the plane during LA night 02:40-07:00; about 6 days to adjust after arrival, starting with sleep 21:30-05:30 and bright light 16:30-19:30 on day 0, back to 23:30-07:30 on day 6; the return trip (+11 h) is planned the long way round as a 13 h delay, about 9 days.

## Rules

- This is general wellness guidance, not medical advice; do not give melatonin or sleep medication doses.
- Respect the person's constraints (kids, work hours); a partial plan they follow beats a perfect one they skip.
- Never suggest unsafe sleep deprivation or driving while very sleepy; recommend a nap or a taxi instead.
- Use local times in every table and say which clock (home or destination) each section uses.
FILE:references/body-clock-basics.md
# Body Clock Basics for Travelers

## Why jet lag happens
Your body clock (circadian rhythm) runs on home time and shifts only gradually. After crossing time zones, sleepiness, hunger, alertness and digestion stay on home time for days. Typical symptoms: trouble falling asleep or waking at 3 a.m., daytime sleepiness, poor focus, upset stomach.

## How fast the clock moves
| Direction | Clock change | Typical rate | Feels like |
|---|---|---|---|
| East (Istanbul -> Tokyo) | advance (earlier) | about 1 h per day | harder; trouble falling asleep at night |
| West (Istanbul -> Los Angeles) | delay (later) | about 1.5 h per day | easier; sleepy early evening, awake at 4 a.m. |
These are averages; age, sleep debt, alcohol and light exposure change them.

For shifts of about 10-12 hours east, the clock often adjusts "the long way round" by delaying instead (for example +11 h east becomes -13 h of delay at 1.5 h/day = 9 days instead of 11). The planner picks whichever takes fewer days.

## The light rule
The strongest signal for the body clock is bright light. Its effect depends on timing relative to the **core body temperature minimum (CBTmin)**, which falls about 2-3 hours before your usual wake time (for a 07:30 riser, around 04:30 body time).
- Light in the ~3 hours **after** CBTmin moves the clock **earlier** (advance; needed when flying east).
- Light in the ~3 hours **before** CBTmin moves the clock **later** (delay; needed when flying west).
- Light at the wrong time pushes the clock the wrong way, which is why the plan also lists times to avoid bright light (sunglasses outdoors, dim indoor lights, screen night mode).
Because CBTmin moves each day, the windows move too. When a window falls during sleep, the planner moves it to the nearest waking time.

## Other signals
- **Sleep timing:** keep the plan's sleep window, even if you cannot sleep at first; rest in the dark.
- **Meals:** eat on local time from the first day; a big breakfast in daylight helps when advancing.
- **Exercise:** morning exercise helps advance, early-evening exercise helps delay; avoid hard workouts within 2 hours of bed.
- **Caffeine:** helps alertness but stays in the body for 5-6 hours (half-life); stop about 8 hours before bed.
- **Naps:** up to 20 minutes, before the plan's "naps end by" time. Long naps anchor you to home time.
- **Alcohol:** makes sleep worse and dehydration worse; skip it on the flight.
- **Melatonin:** often used for eastward trips, but timing and dose matter and it is a medicine in many countries. Ask a doctor or pharmacist; the planner gives no dosing.

## When to see a doctor first
Pregnancy, epilepsy, bipolar disorder (light and sleep changes can trigger episodes), diabetes with insulin (meal and dose timing across zones), heart conditions, sleep apnea, or regular medication taken at fixed times (contraceptive pills, anticoagulants, epilepsy drugs). Plan the medication schedule with a professional.
FILE:references/trip-strategies.md
# Trip Strategies

## Pick the strategy by trip length and shift
| Trip | Shift | Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| 1-2 days | any | Stay on home time. Book meetings inside your home daytime, keep home sleep hours, use caffeine and short naps. |
| 3-5 days | up to 3 h | Switch to local time on arrival; no pre-trip shift needed. |
| 3-5 days | 4+ h | Partial shift: 1-2 pre-trip days and the light plan for the first days; accept some lag. |
| 6+ days | 4+ h | Full plan: 2-3 pre-trip days, light plan until adjusted. |
| Important event on day 1-2 | 6+ h | Arrive earlier if possible (one day per 1-1.5 h of shift is ideal), or schedule the event in the body's best hours. |

## Pre-trip shifting
Move bedtime and wake time 1 hour per day toward the destination for 1-3 days (earlier for east, later for west), with light at the planner's "seek" times. Even 2 hours of pre-shift removes 1-2 days of jet lag. Stop if it hurts work or family routines; partial is fine.

## On the plane
- Set your watch and phone to destination time when you board.
- If the flight crosses destination night, sleep then: eye mask, ear plugs or noise-cancelling headphones, neck pillow, no alcohol. Otherwise stay awake with light and short naps only.
- Drink water regularly; walk and stretch every 1-2 hours.
- Eat at destination meal times when practical.

## Arrival day
- Westward evening arrival: go outside in daylight if any is left, stay up until the planned bedtime (a 20-minute nap before the cut-off is fine).
- Eastward morning arrival: follow the seek/avoid light windows; if you must work, put bright tasks in the seek window.

## Coming home
The return trip is a new shift in the opposite direction. Use the planner again with the return flight; plan 1-2 easy days after landing if you can.

## Business traveler checklist
- [ ] Planner run with real flight times
- [ ] Calendar: no critical meetings in the body's night
- [ ] Hotel: blackout curtains or eye mask; ask for a quiet room
- [ ] Light: sunglasses for avoid windows, a walk or a light box for seek windows
- [ ] Medication timing checked with a pharmacist
FILE:templates/jet-lag-plan.md
# Jet Lag Plan - <traveler> - <origin> to <destination>

**Flight:** <depart local> -> <arrive local> (<hours> h)  **Time difference:** <+/- h>  **Strategy:** <advance / delay / stay on home time>
**Usual sleep:** <bedtime>-<wake>  **Pre-trip shift:** <h>  **Expected days to adjust:** <n>

## Before the trip
| Date | Sleep | Bright light | Avoid light | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | | |

## Flight
- Sleep on board: <times or "stay awake">
- Meals: <destination times>
- Watch set to destination time: [ ]

## At the destination
| Date | Sleep | Bright light | Avoid light | Caffeine until | Naps end by | Key events |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | | | | |

## Packing
- [ ] Eye mask and ear plugs  - [ ] Sunglasses  - [ ] Water bottle  - [ ] Medication schedule (checked with a professional)

## Return
- Shift: <h>, about <n> days to readjust; easy days planned: <dates>
FILE:examples/istanbul-to-los-angeles.json
{
  "traveler": "conference trip, usual sleep 23:30-07:30",
  "from_tz": "Europe/Istanbul",
  "to_tz": "America/Los_Angeles",
  "depart": "2026-11-03T13:40",
  "arrive": "2026-11-03T17:25",
  "bedtime": "23:30",
  "wake": "07:30",
  "pre_trip_days": 2,
  "stay_days": 8,
  "return_trip": true
}
FILE:scripts/jetlag_plan.py
#!/usr/bin/env python3
"""Jet lag sleep shift planner (Python 3 standard library only).

Input: a trip JSON file (or the same fields as command-line flags):
  {"from_tz": "Europe/Istanbul", "to_tz": "America/Los_Angeles",
   "depart": "2026-11-03T13:40", "arrive": "2026-11-03T17:25",
   "bedtime": "23:30", "wake": "07:30", "pre_trip_days": 2, "stay_days": 8}
Time zones: IANA names (zoneinfo, DST-aware; needs the system tz database or the tzdata
package) or fixed offsets like "UTC+3", "+05:30", "-8".  depart is local time at the origin,
arrive is local time at the destination.

Model (rules of thumb used by sleep clinics, not a medical device):
  - shift = destination offset - origin offset, normalized to -12..+12 h (+ = east).
  - the body clock moves about 1 h/day when advancing (eastward) and 1.5 h/day when
    delaying (westward); for big eastward shifts the planner picks the direction that
    takes fewer days (often delaying "the long way round").
  - optional pre-trip shift: 1 h/day for pre_trip_days, toward the destination.
  - core body temperature minimum (CBTmin) ~3 h before usual wake time. Light in the 3 h
    after CBTmin advances the clock, light in the 3 h before it delays the clock.
  - planned sleep is a compromise: target local bedtime moved toward body time by
    min(2 h, half the remaining gap). Caffeine stops 8 h and naps (max 20 min) end 7 h
    before planned bedtime.
Usage:
  python3 jetlag_plan.py trip.json
  python3 jetlag_plan.py --from Eu

출처 · prompts.chat 공개 프롬프트 모음 · 작성 Fatih Kadir Akın — CC0(저작권 포기)로 공개된 원문을 그대로 싣습니다. 한국어 정리 · 실행 결과는 아직 없습니다.