Traveling to a different time zone throws off your body’s circadian cycle, which causes jet lag. Your energy level and level of attentiveness are both impacted by this passing sleep situation. Your body operates on a 24-hour cycle, sometimes known as a body clock. Your body uses this internal clock to carry out particular biological processes, such as releasing hormones that aid in sleep or raising body temperature to aid in waking you up in the morning.
Symptoms
Although jet lag symptoms might vary, these are the most prevalent ones.
- Fatigue
- Improper sleeping schedule
- Difficulty in focusing and remembering things
- Issues while waking up
- Issues while going to bed
- Impaired mental and physical performance
Occasionally, only a few people have also gone through this • Nausea
- Varying appetite
- Slight anxiety
- Dizziness
- Excessive urge to urinate during the night
- Digestive issues
Additionally, those who have traveled eastward can have a difficult time falling asleep at night while those who have been westward might experience early mornings. Although research has not yet proven this notion, those who routinely encounter disruptions to their body clock may potentially be more susceptible to a number of medical disorders.
Causes
1. Change in Time Zones
Your body might not adjust to the abrupt change when you cross time zones. Jet lag will result from this. if you want to give your body time to acclimatize to the rapid change, you could sleep for another 12 to 14 hours.
2. Travel Fatigue
According to scientific research, jet lag is also exacerbated by exhaustion from travel. Even when travelling across time zones, cabin pressure changes and high altitudes can cause some of the effects of jet lag.
3. Caffeine or Alcohol
On a plane, passengers frequently enjoy drinks that they might not typically consume in those quantities or at those times. Caffeinated drinks like coffee, tea, and others may keep you from sleeping enough throughout the flight. Additionally, caffeine might worsen dehydration. Alcohol consumption may make you sleepy, but the quality of your sleep may suffer. Alcohol consumption may also worsen the side effects of fatigue, headache pain, nausea, and other conditions.
4. Sunlight
Your body clock might also be impacted by too much screen time or too much sunlight in the aeroplane cabin. This is due to the fact that light influences how much melatonin your body produces. Melatonin is a hormone that aids in preparing the body for sleep. When the lights are dim at night, it is released in the brain. Your body produces less melatonin during the day or when it is bright, which makes you feel more awake.
5. Sleep Schedule
Sleeping on the plane could help your body adjust to the new time zone, but doing so is challenging due to a number of circumstances. Temperature, noise, and comfort level are a few of these. On the other hand, you might oversleep on the flight, which would also mess with your body clock. This is possible because the air in planes often has a lower atmospheric pressure than air on the ground. This is comparable to being 8,000 feet (2.44 kilometres) up a mountain. Although the amount of oxygen in the air is the same, the lower pressure could mean that less oxygen reaches the bloodstream. Your energy levels may drop, which can make you sleepy.
Prevention
1. Good Sleep!
Try to sleep while you are travelling. To aid in sleep, you can utilize eye masks and earplugs. This will undoubtedly aid in preventing jet lag. This is if you are travelling from west to east.
2. Stay Awake!
Try to stay awake for a few hours before landing if it will be nighttime when you get to your destination. You can use this time to use your screen. Once you are there, you can get some rest.
3. Travel a few days early
Book early to ensure timely arrival at your destination. This will assist in assisting your body in adjusting to the new time zone.
The Takeaway
Your body may need a few days to become used to the new time zone. Immediately altering you’re eating, working, and sleeping routines can aid in hastening the process. You can have jet lag symptoms as you acclimate. After you arrive, jet lag should disappear. You can still take pleasure in your trip if you give yourself enough time to get used to the new routine.
