On Fighting Jet Lag and Overcoming Airplane Blues

Jet lag, also known as time zone change syndrome, is the disorientation a traveler feels after having crossed time zones. Crossing time zones disrupts the body's biological clock or 24-hour rhythms (circadian rhythms). Sleep patterns are one of these rhythms. Jet travel across time zones may make it hard for you to fall asleep or stay asleep at night and to stay awake during the day.The symptoms begin within one or two days after air travel across at least two time zones. Jet lag symptoms include insomnia, excessive sleepiness, decreased daytime performance, tired muscles, headaches, moodiness, and altered appetite.

When we fly across several time zones, we ask our bodies to adjust to a new time and a new place right now. It's a very unrealistic expectation. That's why we suffer from jet lag. And the more time zones we cross, the more we suffer. It usually takes about one day to recover from each hour of time change. For example, if you cross three time zones, it may take you up to three days to adjust your sleeping habits.

To decrease the effects of jet lag, try to be well-rested before you leave. Walk around during the flight so that you are not confined to cramped spaces for long periods of time. Do not drink alcohol. Instead, drink lots of water, because the air in airplanes tends to be dry. Vitamins and herbal remedies that can be bought without a prescription can also be tried to help reduce jet lag. Reset your watch for the new time zone.

Going outdoors during the day may help fight jet lag by resetting your circadian rhythm. When sunlight strikes the eye, neurotransmitters are released that send an immediate signal to specific regions of the brain. In turn, these brain regions signal the rest of the body that your awake-and-active phase is about to begin. Furthermore, this exposure will help keep your biological clock in the stimulated and awake state during daylight hours at your destination.

Upon arrival at your destination, do you best to follow local time. Force yourself to stay awake until your normal bedtime, but make it an early night. If you absolutely must get some rest, take a short nap with the hotel curtains open to the sunlight. Do not darken the room, put on your pajamas, and get under the sheets. Just a short nap will take the edge off your fatigue and leave you ready to go to bed for real when it is bedtime.