What is jet lag?
Jet lag is the fatigue you may feel after flying across
several time zones. The rapid travel disturbs your normal
body rhythms.
How does it occur?
Each person has an internal body clock that determines when
sleeping, waking, and hunger occur in a 24-hour period.
When you travel across several time zones, your "day" is
longer or shorter than 24 hours. Your body is out of sync
with the local time zone. Your normal body rhythms cannot
adjust quickly to this shorter or longer day, which results
in jet lag.
Not all jet lags are the same. Traveling eastward, which
shortens your day, is more difficult than flying westward,
which lengthens it.
What are the symptoms?
The symptoms of jet lag may include:
- tiredness
- drowsiness during the day
- trouble sleeping at night
- dulling of mental ability and memory
- irritability
- headaches
- stomachaches
- minor coordination problems and reduced physical
activity.
How long will the effects of jet lag last?
West-to-east trips may require 1 day of recovery for each
time zone crossed. East-to-west journeys may require 1 day
of recovery for each one and a half time zones crossed. For
example, when you cross 3 time zones flying east, it might
take 3 days to recover, but when you fly west, it may take
no more than 2 days for your body to catch up.
The adjustment can be eased by breaking up a long journey
with a stopover. If you have an important event or meeting
to attend at your destination, try to get there 2 or 3 days
early.
What can be done to help prevent jet lag?
The following can help reduce the symptoms of jet lag:
- Drink lots of beverages during the flight, but avoid
those containing caffeine or alcohol.
- Eat high-protein, low-calorie meals just before, during,
and just after your flight.
- If you fly east, you should go to bed earlier than usual
for a few days before the trip. If you fly west, go to
bed later than usual.
- Schedule your arrival at about your usual bedtime,
according to the time at your destination, or sleep on
the plane and plan to arrive at your usual waking time.
- Set your watch to the destination time when you are
halfway through your flight, so you can start thinking
in terms of the new time.
- Spend more time outside at your destination. This
exposure to bright outdoor light will help you to adjust
faster than if you stay in your hotel room.
How do I adjust medicines prescribed for a certain hour?
If you are diabetic and use long-acting insulin, you may
have to change to regular insulin until you have adjusted to
the time, food, and activity of your destination.
You may have to adjust other medicine schedules according to
the actual hours between doses rather than the local time at
your destination.
This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to
change as new health information becomes available. The
information is intended to inform and educate and is not a
replacement for medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or
treatment by a healthcare professional.
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