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Coping with Jet Lag
Jet lag is nature’s
way of making you look like
your passport photo.
~ Linda Perret
Millions of travelers
worldwide struggle against one of the most common sleep disorders – jet
lag. As many as 94 percent of long haul fliers and flight attendants alike
suffer some form of it.
Jet lag actually
occurs from an imbalance in our body's natural 24-hour inner clock known
as "circadian rhythms" caused by traveling to different time zones. These
rhythms are influenced by our exposure to sunlight and help determine when
we sleep and when we wake up.
For example, when
traveling to a new time zone, our circadian rhythms are slow to adjust and
remain on their original biological schedule for several days. This
results in our bodies telling us it is time to sleep, when it's actually
the middle of the afternoon, or staying awake when it is late at night.
Jet lag often includes
such physical symptoms such as fatigue, insomnia, disorientation, swelling
limbs, ear/nose/eye irritation, headaches, dehydration, bowel irregularity
and lightheadedness. The symptoms of jet lag often persist for days while
the internal body clock slowly adjusts to the new time zone impeding both
your physical and mental performance.
The length of flight
you take does not determine how much jet lag you can suffer, rather the
number of time zones you might have skipped. The most notorious jet lags
are felt when flying eastward. Traveling within the same time zone, from
north to south or vice versa, produces mild or no jet lags at all.
Here are a few helpful
tips to cope up with jet lag:
- Before departing
make sure you have all your business and
personal affairs in order. And don’t forget to get a good night’s sleep
prior to your travel day.
- Avoid alcohol or
caffeine (contained in coffee, tea, soda, or chocolate drinks) for they
only act as stimulants and prevent sleep. Instead drink plenty of water
and other non-alcoholic fluids like fruit juices.
- Bring earplugs and
blindfolds to help dampen noise and block out unwanted light while
sleeping.
- Try to get as much
exercise as you can. Walk up and down the aisle, stand for sometime, do
twisting and stretching exercises in your seat.
- Try to get outside
in the sunlight whenever possible. Daylight is a powerful stimulant for
regulating the biological clock.
Don’t let jet lag ruin
your trip. The trick is to realize that jet lag is not only a
state-of-body but also a state-of-mind. |
