Jet lag or jet lag often develops in people after air travel. It is associated with disruption of circadian rhythms during rapid jet lag.
Why does it appear jetlag?
The symptoms of jet lag develop primarily because a person's circadian rhythms (the habitual sleep and wake pattern, the «internal clock») do not keep up with the actual time in the place to which he flew. For example, when it is 10 am in the Dominican Republic, it is 5 pm in Moscow. Not every person can easily rebuild the regime so radically.
Another possible reason for some of the symptoms of jet lag is the factors that affect us on the plane. These include changes in pressure and dry air (which can cause dehydration). This action is not related to time zones.
Risk factors for jet lag include flying east, frequent flights, older age, drinking alcohol, poor sleep before departure, and stress. The likelihood of jet lag increases with the number of time zones crossed.
How jet lag manifests itself
The main symptoms include:
- difficulty falling asleep at night and waking up in the morning;
- tired and exhausted;
- difficulty staying awake during the day ;
- poor quality of sleep;
- decreased memory and ability to concentrate.
In addition, emotional instability, physical weakness, general malaise, loss of appetite, nausea,
How to deal with jet lag?
< p>There is no cure for jet lag syndrome. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a few days before you travel to try to start adjusting your circadian rhythms to the timing of your destination. In the case of planning a flight to the west, you can try to go to bed 1-2 hours later than usual, to the east — 1-2 hours earlier.
To avoid circadian rhythm disorder or to alleviate its manifestations, the following tips will help:
- If the trip is related to an important event, it will be useful to arrive at least a couple of days earlier so that the body has time to adapt to the new time.
- During the flight, you need to rest as much as possible. Try to get some sleep if your destination is at night at this time.
- Drink plenty of fluids along the way, preferably water. This will help to avoid dehydration during the flight.
- In a new place, live according to a new schedule. First of all, this applies to sleep and eating. It is advisable to set an alarm clock so as not to oversleep in the morning.
- In the new time zone during the daytime, it is desirable to be in the sun as much as possible.
- During the day, you can invigorate yourself with caffeine and exercise. However, it is better not to resort to these remedies in the evening.
- If it is difficult to fight against a sleepy state during the day, you can allow yourself to doze off several times a day for 15-20 minutes. This may improve the condition and not affect the upcoming night's sleep.
- Some experts recommend taking melatonin in case of a big time difference in order to sleep better.
- Eat small meals to avoid gastrointestinal problems.