At one time or another in our lives, most of us have experienced some degree of the time zone change disorder, known as jet lag. Flying can be stressful in itself, but when you add jet lag, it can make traveling downright unbearable at times. After many years of not being considered a medical condition, jet lag is now one of the 84 known or suspected sleep disorders.
What is Jet Lag?
Jet lag, which occurs when the body’s biological clock is out of sync with local time, affects millions of people each year. Adjusting to a new time zone can take several days and can leave us feeling sleepy in the middle of the day or wide awake at night.
The degree of Jet Lag depends on these factors:
*In general, the more time zones crossed, the more severe the jet lag symptoms. These symptoms are usually worse following an eastward flight, resulting in difficulty initiating sleep. Westward flights, on the other hand, result in early morning awakenings.
*Jet lag affects people of all ages. However, individuals over the age of 50 are more likely to experience jet lag than individuals under the age of 30.
Symptoms of Jet Lag include:
*Daytime sleepiness
*Nighttime alertness (insomnia)
*Loss of appetite
*Gastrointestinal dysfunction*Mood disturbances
*Difficulty concentrating or focusing
Some treatments and tips to reduce jet lag include:
*Gradually shifting your bedtime to coincide with the time zone of your destination in the days before you travel.
(A rule of thumb is that it takes about a day for each hour time zone change to recover from jet lag.)
*Prescription sleep aids can reduce the effects of jet lag by reducing the amount of sleep lost.
(Over the counter sleep aids and alcohol should be avoided.)
*Caffeine can be taken to overcome daytime sleepiness, as long as it is not in the few hours before bedtime
