Jet lag is one of those travel souvenirs that most of us could happily do without. Even at the vacation destination itself, jet lag can make the first few days pretty miserable. Jet lag, which is one of the sleep disorders, is particularly pronounced during long-distance travel across several time zones. But what are the characteristic symptoms, what exactly is jet lag and how can it best be prevented? You can find out all this here at billerbeck, your experts on the subject of sleep.
What is jet lag?
When traveling by air for long periods of time, you cross several time zones. This throws the traveler’s internal clock out of balance. While it is night at the point of departure, it may still be daytime or already daytime again at the destination – or vice versa. The times for sleeping, waking and eating shift immensely, especially on long-haul flights, which can throw the body and mind out of balance. In contrast, slow travel, such as by ship or train, does not cause jet lag, because here the time zones are crossed quite leisurely and the body can already adapt to them during the journey.
Which direction of flight is better – west or east?
Clear differences can be seen with regard to the direction of flight. While westward travel is often still relatively well tolerated, trips to the east usually result in particularly exhausting jet lag. This is because when you travel west, you have to turn back your internal clock. Traveling in this cardinal direction is for the body like staying up late and not going to sleep until very early in the morning. While this is also an adjustment for the body, most people recover from it fairly quickly.
However, for long-haul flights to the east, the time difference is relatively unfavorable for our internal clock. Since the clock is set forward to the east, we have to stay awake proportionally much longer to get into a sleep-wake rhythm adapted to the time zone. For our body, this is then like not going to sleep for a whole night and staying awake well into the day. A situation that brings numerous complaints for many travelers, all of which can be attributed to jet lag.
Jet lag: What are the typical symptoms and how long does jet lag last?
The most common symptom of jet lag is certainly a great deal of fatigue, as well as difficulty falling asleep and sleeping through the night. But circulatory and digestive problems can also occur on long-haul flights, as can a lack of appetite, nausea or irritability. The ability to concentrate is impaired, the traveler is less persistent, less efficient and feels exhausted. All of these symptoms can appear during jet lag, usually when time shifts by at least five hours due to a long-haul flight. The severity and duration of the symptoms vary from person to person. How quickly jet lag is overcome also varies from individual to individual.
How can you prevent jet lag?
If you want to minimize the symptoms of jet lag, you can prevent it with these four tips:
- 1st tip: For example, it can help to adjust your internal clock to the time zone of your destination well in advance of your departure. This can be achieved by going to bed and getting up about an hour earlier or later than usual several days before the trip, depending on whether you are traveling east or west.
- 2nd tip: After the flight – arrived at the destination – you should adjust to the new time zone immediately if possible. The best way to do this is to set the clock on your cell phone or wristwatch to the local time of your destination while you are still flying. Immediately after arrival, you should follow the local conditions in terms of sleeping and waking hours as well as meal times.
- 3rd tip: The diet itself can also help keep jet lag to a minimum. Those traveling west should therefore eat meals at their destination that contain a lot of protein, as this provides the energy needed to stay awake for a long time. When flying east, on the other hand, it is advisable to eat food with a lot of carbohydrates, as these have a sleep-promoting effect.
- Tip 4: Relaxation exercises and outdoor activities can also help with jet lag. For those who absolutely cannot fall asleep due to the time difference, we recommend our article with more tips for falling asleep and staying asleep. (Link to last blog article sleep aids and home remedies to sleep better through the night).
