Jet Lag
Business travelers accept 5-8% worse terms in negotiations when suffering 6+ hour jet lag.
Jet lag occurs when external time (local time zone) mismatches internal time (circadian rhythm). The SCN requires approximately 1 day per time zone to resynchronize. Eastward travel is harder (advancing sleep is more difficult because the human clock naturally runs at 24.2 hours, preferring to lengthen). Westward travel is easier (delaying sleep aligns with natural tendency). Cognitive effects include 40% drop in working memory, 50-100ms slower reaction time (equivalent to 0.08% blood alcohol - legally impaired), tripled error rate in complex tasks. Physical effects include 10% strength reduction, 15% endurance reduction, 20% fine motor coordination loss, and 2× injury risk.
Business Application of Jet Lag
Business travelers accept 5-8% worse terms in negotiations when suffering 6+ hour jet lag. No critical meetings should be scheduled for 48 hours post-arrival; peak performance returns days 3-5. The ROI of buffer days before important negotiations can be 250:1 ($2,000 hotel cost vs. 5% better terms on a $10M deal = $500,000).