Travel

What Causes Jet Lag? What To Do To Overcome Jet Lag

Those who often Non-stop flights from USA to India across various time zones may have jet lag, also known as jet lag disease. Circadian rhythms (your body’s internal clock) tell you when to stay up and go to bed. Due to your body’s internal clock to your home time zone rather than the new time zone you’ve gone to, you experience jet lag. Travelling between time zones increases your risk of jet lag.

Daytime weariness, a general sick feeling, difficulties concentrating, and digestive issues are all common side effects of jet lag. Travelling for pleasure or business may be made more difficult by jet lag, which is only temporary. May minimize jet lag, thanks to some proactive measures you can take.

Taking long-distance flights is notorious for being both problematic and uncomfortably soggy. Many individuals find long aircraft travels exhausting due to the hassle of checking in, the anxiety of going through security, and the indignity of spending hours in a cramped cabin.

When flying for a lengthy period, jet lag may significantly impact your physical well-being. Jet lag results from your body’s internal clock being out of sync with the time zone that you’re travelling to. It is a common occurrence when travelling across three or more time zones.

The effects of jet lag might last for many days or even weeks after your travel has ended. Jet lag can ruin a vacation, whether you’re going on business or for pleasure.

Jet lag is a common problem for long-distance travel, and passengers should know its symptoms, causes, and techniques to alleviate them.

Jet lag: What Is It?

jet leg

One of the symptoms of jet lag is a sleep-wake imbalance caused by a disruption in your circadian rhythm, which is a 24-hour internal clock.

The circadian cycle generally aligns with daylight, encouraging alertness and sleep at night under typical conditions. By synchronizing with the 24-hour day, this internal clock aids in restful sleep and physical and mental well-being. Because dawn and sunset occur at various times worldwide, a person’s geographic location impacts their circadian rhythm.

People who travel over three or more time zones are more likely to suffer from jet lag than those who traverse one or two. Even if you Direct Cheap flights to India from USA travel from Los Angeles to New York and arrive in New York at eight, your body may still believe it is five in the afternoon in Los Angeles.

Some symptoms of jet lag include staying up later than you’d prefer, sleeping at strange times, and feeling less than usual.

Causes

May disrupt your circadian cycles

When travelling across many time zones, you risk experiencing jet lag. Travelling across numerous time zones might create jet lag to keep your internal clock (circadian rhythms) in sync with the local time.

On a journey from New York to Paris, for example, your internal clock still tells you that it’s 1 am when you arrive in Paris at 7 am the following morning. As Parisians begin their day, you’ll be ready to sleep.

Sleep-wake cycles, appetite, and bowel movements are all out of sync with the rest of Paris for a few days while your body gets used to the new time zone.

Exposure to the sun’s rays

Sunlight significantly impacts your body’s internal clock. melatonin, a hormone that regulates cell synchronization throughout the body, is affected by light.

The pineal gland, a tiny brain organ, is signalled by the hypothalamus to produce melatonin at night when light levels are low. The pineal gland produces relatively little melatonin during the daytime, which is the reverse of what happens at night.

If the timing of light in your new time zone is correct, you may be able to ease your transition to the new time zone.

Cabin pressure and environment on a commercial airline

No matter how many time zones you fly over, variations in cabin pressure and high altitudes may blame at least part of your jet lag woes.

  • In addition, aircraft have low humidity levels. You may get somewhat dehydrated if you don’t drink enough water on the plane. Some jet lag symptoms may occur by dehydration.

  • Travelling across three or more time zones is common for travellers to experience jet lag. In additional time zones, the symptoms may become more apparent.

  • It is more common for individuals to suffer from jet lag when they fly east rather than west14. Because it’s simpler to slow down than to speed up your internal clock while travelling in one direction, the effects of jet lag might vary depending on where you’re flying. There is no jet lag for north-south trips that do not cross time zones.

  • Long-distance travellers aren’t all affected by jet lag. There are a lot of factors that go into determining whether or not you’ll have jet lag.

  • Jet lag may be affected by some factors, including the duration of the journey, the number of layovers, the time zones travelled through, the direction of travel, the length of daylight in the destination country, and other factors.

  • Depending on the time of arrival, it may disrupt your circadian cycle. There is some evidence that the effects of jet lag may be lessened by arriving in a new location than the early morning.

  • A person’s age may affect jet lag; however, the evidence for this is equivocal. Jet lag may be more challenging to recover from in persons over 60, although studies in pilots indicated that it was worse in younger people.

  • Poor sleep in the days before a journey increases a person’s likelihood of experiencing jet lag after landing.

  • Stress: The mind and body might be on edge in ways that interfere with sleep and make it challenging to manage jet lag if you are anxious.

  • It’s very uncommon for individuals to consume alcohol and caffeine on planes, and these chemicals may impair sleep.

  • People who have experienced jet lag in the past are more likely to do so again17.

  • For unknown reasons, some persons are more prone to circadian rhythm disruption on long-distance flights than others, which is not clear why this is the case.

The number of variables makes it difficult to predict who will have jet lag, how severe it will be, or how long it will stay. When travelling across more than three time zones, minor jet lag is almost always a given.

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