Jet Lag

Thanks to modern aviation, it is nowadays possible to cover unimaginable distances and cross oceans within a matter of hours. While this allows us to visit faraway destinations with ease, travelling on an airplane can be quite strenuous on the body. If you cross three time zones or more, it is very likely that you experience jet lag.

What is Jet Lag?

Jet lag describes a number of symptoms experienced by airplane passengers undertaking a long haul flight. Essentially, it is the result of the body clock being disrupted if several time zones are being crossed within a short amount of time, because the system needs time to adjust the natural sleep/wake pattern to a new environment. Research suggests that jet lag is worse when travelling from West to East, as this kind of journey follows the opposite direction to the travel of the sun. Besides, it is a common misconception that jet lag depends on the length of a flight – it is the direction that is important. Passengers travelling from North to South or the other way around for instance will rarely experience jet lag. If you intend to travel from the UK to the US or Asia, you will most likely experience jet lag in some shape or form and therefore take the right steps to minimize disruption to your system so as to make the most of your stay, be it for business or for leisure.
The time which is needed to adjust to a new time zone varies individually, however as a rule of thumb guideline you should factor in one day of recovery time per time zone crossed.

Why does Jet Lag occur?

Most people have a fairly regular sleep and wake cycle. Shift workers or air travellers need to adjust to a new sleep/wake rhythm frequently and/or quickly. Several important bodily functions are controlled by the hormone melatonin, the production and release of which depend on exposure to daylight, which is thrown out of sync if you cross several time zones within a short space of time.

What are the symptoms of Jet Lag?

People are affected in different ways to a greater or smaller extent. Below are the most frequently experienced disturbances:

Feeling groggy and exhausted
Tiredness
Insomnia
Temporary depression
Irritability and feeling somewhat disorientated
Appetite loss
Digestive problems such as constipation or diarrhoea
Headache

Even though you probably feel tired and exhausted, you will find it hard to go to sleep at an appropriate time in the destination country. It is recommended that this is factored in when making plans where feasible so as to allow yourself to adjust without it impairing important plans you may have.

How can Jet Lag be remedied?

Jet lag symptoms can be alleviated with Circadin which speeds up the body’s adjustment to a new environment. Its active ingredient melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone which can be found in humans, plants and animals. Circadin tablets contain the active ingredient melatonin and have been developed to treat insomnia in elderly people who often suffer from sleeping problems as melatonin production naturally drops with age. Airplane passengers can also benefit from Circadin if it is taken for the first few days at the new destination. The number of days it should be taken for depends on the number of time zones crossed during the flight. Melatonin will facilitate sleep in the evening even if your body clock is still functioning according to the rhythm back home.

Apart from taking this medicine, you can take other measures to minimise the impact of jet lag:

Ensure that you are well rested before your journey have a light snack rather than a heavy meal
Drink plenty of water during the flight – lack of fresh oxygen and air conditioning in the cabin easily lead to dehydration
Where possible, get up and walk around the cabin and stretch out your limbs
Refrain from having a nap after arriving at your destination. Try to stay awake until as close to bedtime as possible
Get a much daylight as you can
Please remember, if you take any medicines that need to be administered at a particular time of the day (e.g. the contraceptive pill), you will either need to gradually adjust or, if you don’t stay away for too long, take a watch with the local time back home with you so you can keep taking your medicines at the normal time.