Travel season is approaching, and those flying to Europe or heading to the West Coast can expect to experience jet lag. The fatigue, stomach upset and disorientation that occurs is normal, says Dr. Andrea Meredith, assistant professor of physiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. She offers some suggestions on how to deal with the discomfort.
Why do people feel so crummy when they move across time zones?
Jet lag, which is what you are referring to, is a disruption of the circadian rhythms. It happens when the body's clock and the destination's clock are out of sync.
Then jet lag is more than a lack of sleep?
It's definitely more than a lack of sleep. You can take a flight across the time zones, and even if you sleep you can still experience symptoms of jet lag.
What causes these disruptions in the body's rhythms?
Light primarily drives the brain clock. Because the brain's clock receives light information about the new time zone directly from your eyes, it actually shifts faster than the clocks in the rest of the body. Bodily tissues have their own clocks - liver, kidney, stomach, intestines, etc. Part of jet lag may be a misalignment of the brain's clock and these peripheral clocks.
What are the symptoms of jet lag?
The symptoms are fatigue, insomnia, gastrointestinal upset, headache, trouble focusing and generally feeling "out of whack."
How long do the symptoms last?
It really varies by individual, but there is a general rule of thumb that you can figure on about a day to shift per every time zone you travel through.
Does it make a difference how fast you travel - whether you fly, drive or take a boat?
The slower you move through time zones, the more time your body has to catch up and the fewer symptoms you'll feel.
How do people who travel regularly cope with this?
Really, the people who are successful are those who try to stay in their own time zones behaviorally. If you fly to the West Coast and try to get up early like you're still on East Coast time, you'll experience fewer symptoms. The worst is when you are flying to China, which is 13 hours off.
Is jet lag worse going west to east or east to west?
Most people say going to the east is harder. The reason for that is most people find it harder to get up earlier.
Is there anything you can do to reduce the symptoms of jet lag?
