Surya Narayanan
Surya writes about sleep, jet lag, flying and time zones for the Flight blog.
- How to get over jet lag: a day-by-day planHow long jet lag lasts, and a day-by-day plan to beat it: shift before you go, switch to local time on board, and use light, sleep and meals when you land.Read
- Melatonin for jet lag: what the evidence saysWhat research says about melatonin for jet lag: how it works, the Cochrane review's findings on timing and dose, where it's sold, and when to ask a doctor.Read
- The International Date Line, explainedWhere the calendar day changes, why it zigzags across the Pacific, how Kiribati and Samoa moved it, and why flying from Auckland to Honolulu lands you yesterday.Read
- Time zones explained: why some are 30 minutes offWhy time zones exist, how railways created them, why India is 5½ hours ahead and Nepal 5¾, why China has one zone, and how daylight saving shifts the gaps.Read
- Red-eye flights: how to arrive restedHow to get the most sleep on an overnight flight and get through the day you land: when to book, what to skip on board, and how to handle arrival day.Read
- Sleep cycles explained: why 90 minutes mattersSleep runs in cycles of about 90 minutes through light, deep and REM sleep. What happens in each stage, why waking at a cycle's end helps, and how many you need.Read
- Caffeine half-life: when to have your last coffeeCaffeine's half-life is about five hours, so afternoon coffee is still working at bedtime. What's left of a cup over time, what changes it, and when to stop.Read
- How long should a power nap be?The best power nap is 10 to 20 minutes, or a full 90. What the research found, when to nap, how the coffee nap works, and how to nap well.Read
- The longest flights in the world, by distanceThe longest nonstop flights cover over 14,000 km and last up to 19 hours. Ten of the longest routes of recent years, ranked by distance, and what makes them possible.Read
- What to pack for a long-haul flightA long-haul carry-on checklist: sleep kit, comfort, health, entertainment and essentials, plus an arrival bag in case your suitcase is late, and liquid and battery rules.Read
- How to sleep on a plane: 12 tips that workTwelve tips for sleeping on a plane: the best seat, a sleep kit that works, timing sleep to your destination, and what to avoid, from alcohol to the seat-back screen.Read
- How long are flights? 30 popular routes timedFlight times for 30 popular routes across the Atlantic, North America, Europe, Asia and long-haul, with distances and time differences, and why schedules vary.Read
- Why flying east is faster than flying westEastbound flights ride the jet stream; westbound ones fight it. How strong it is, how much time it can save, and why it isn't the Earth's spin.Read
- How to schedule meetings across time zonesFind the overlap in everyone's working hours, check for daylight saving, share the early and late slots, and write invites that can't be misread.Read
- Why flight paths look curved on a mapPlanes fly great circles, the shortest paths on a sphere, which look curved on flat maps. Why, how much longer a 'straight' route would be, and why real tracks differ.Read
- Why pilots use knots and nautical milesA nautical mile was one minute of latitude, and a knot is one nautical mile an hour. Where the units come from, why aviation kept them, and how they convert.Read
- Why planes cruise at 35,000 feetAirliners cruise around 35,000 feet because thin air means less drag and better fuel economy, while still giving enough lift. Why not higher, and why odd and even levels.Read
- Light and jet lag: when to seek daylight, and when to hideLight moves your body clock, but timing is everything. How light shifts it earlier or later, why early sun can backfire after flying east, and a guide by trip.Read
- How airport codes work (and why Toronto is YYZ)Airport codes are three letters from IATA, but many hide old names and rules. IATA vs ICAO codes, why LAX has an X, why Newark is EWR and why Canada uses Y.Read
- The best time of day to work, by chronotypeAlertness peaks mid-morning for most people, but your chronotype moves the curve. When to do deep work, routine tasks and meetings, and how to plan around your peak.Read
- How long a layover do you need?Allow an hour for domestic connections, 90 minutes international, and three hours on separate tickets. What minimum connection times mean, and how to make tight ones.Read
- Why jet lag is worse when you fly eastFlying east usually hits harder than flying west. Why your body clock prefers to run late, how long adjusting takes, and what actually helps.Read
- What is the carbon footprint of a flight?A return flight across the Atlantic emits over a tonne of CO2e per economy passenger. How flight emissions are calculated, what non-CO2 effects add, and how to cut them.Read
- Is turbulence dangerous? What's really going onTurbulence is rarely a danger to the plane, which is built for far worse; the risk is to people not strapped in. What causes it, how strong it gets, and how to cope.Read
- Social jet lag: jet lag without leaving homeSocial jet lag is the weekly shift between work-day and free-day sleep. How to measure yours, why it matters, who gets it most, and how to reduce it.Read